CityFibre, the nation’s largest independent full fibre platform, has awarded £40,0000 to digital inclusion charity Cambridge Online as part of its new Community Fund scheme. The grant is one of four awarded to non-profit organisations in areas where CityFibre is rolling out Project Gigabit.

CityFibre has signed up to a series of commitments to address barriers to digital inclusion and empowering local communities as part of Project Gigabit, the UK government’s rollout of lightning-fast, reliable broadband to hard-to-reach areas – and this Community Fund is one example.

An estimated one in 10⁽¹⁾ of Cambridgeshire residents do not reap the benefits that being online has to offer. For example, regular online purchasers have better access to more exclusive deals and offers, and those who have an email address can benefit from faster ‘life admin’ tasks, such as registering for online services like council tax, utility bills, and instant banking. According to the Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership, those with higher digital engagement could save up to £659 per year thanks to the benefits of being online.

On 17 July 2025, Cambridge Online hosted an event at Peterborough City Council offices to formally launch their new year-long ‘Digital Inclusion Project’, supported by CityFibre’s funding. The campaign aims to cooperate with various community groups across Peterborough and Cambridge to deliver localised and appropriate support to address digital poverty across the areas.

As one of the founding members of the Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership, Cambridge Online already supports over 1,500 people across the region. Offering a range of free services including digital literacy and confidence sessions, the project can now expand, opening new community hubs and training more volunteers to help tackle digital exclusion across Peterborough.

Marcus Whewell, CEO at Cambridge Online, explained why this new project is so important: “We’ve been helping people to access online services safely and confidently for over 30 years. I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to offer our support to the Peterborough community. Digital exclusion can severely impact an individual’s physical health, financial status, employment prospects, and emotional well-being.

“We’re so grateful to CityFibre for funding this project - allowing us to provide our services for free, which ensures that the programme is accessible to everybody in the city. It is our intention to launch over a dozen community training hubs within the next few months which will begin the process of addressing this significant issue. We want to share the news that everyone is welcome to attend our sessions, and they will receive the support they need, whatever their situation.

“We’d also like to thank the Peterborough community and the organisations who have agreed to partner with us, share their community spaces and help us to spread the word – the response has been truly amazing.”

Around 99% of Cambridgeshire can access superfast broadband services. The Project Gigabit rollout is boosting connectivity even more in the area, however there is still a need to help residents to make the most of their gigabit-capable speeds.

Stacey King, Senior Partnership Manager at CityFibre, said: “I’m incredibly proud that CityFibre has been able to support these fantastic projects across Cambridgeshire. CityFibre’s goal has always been to support local communities and make sure that the UK is ready for a full fibre future. Empowering projects such as Cambridge Online through our Community Fund will ensure that the right assistance is delivered in a way that will benefit as many people as possible across the area.”

CityFibre is also supporting three other organisations in the area: Pheonix Youth Provision, Amplius and First Star Scholars UK⁽²⁾as part of its commitment to promote digital inclusion across Project Gigabit areas. CityFibre’s Community Fund complements CityFibre’s wider social value work with both STEM Learning⁽³⁾and The Wildlife Trust.

To find out more about CityFibre’s work, including Project Gigabit news, head to the CityFibre website.

CityFibre’s Community Fund is a grants scheme consisting of small and large grants funding streams. Awardees will exclusively reside within Project Gigabit locations (lots) as part of commitments agreed with the UK government when signing the Project Gigabit contract awarded for that area.