The Edinburgh Reporter

High fives for zoo

Fibre company stick their neck out supporting Giraffe About Town trail

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CITYFIBRE, the UK’s largest independen­t full fibre platform, has partnered with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo as community outreach partner for the charity’s Giraffe About Town trail.

The public art event will include more than 40 eight-foot-tall giraffe sculptures go on display across Edinburgh next summer, with each model designed and decorated by local artists and community groups. After the trail, the sculptures will be auctioned off to raise funds to support RZSS wildlife conservati­on projects in Scotland and across the world.

Activities with the community groups will include an inclusive creativity workshop with the zoo’s outreach team. The groups will also receive free access to the Giraffe About Town activity portal, an inclusive digital resource supporting the trail. Meanwhile, CityFibre and Edinburgh Zoo will work together in spring 2022 to identify the potential community groups.

The wildlife conservati­on charity partnered with the Giraffe Conservati­on Foundation

(GCF) and Glenmorang­ie Single Malt Scotch Whisky to bring giraffes back to the capital in May for the first time in over 15 years and support vital work to protect the species in the wild.

The five giraffes at Edinburgh Zoo, Ronnie, Arrow, Gerald, Fennessy and Gilbert are all Nubian giraffes (also known as Rothschild) and live at the top of the hill in a newly built £2. 8 million giraffe house with high level walkways.

CityFibre’s support of the trail comes as it is investing £100 million to roll out a full fibre network within reach of almost every home and business across the city. As community outreach partner, CityFibre will have its very own giraffe sculpture as part of the herd, and its vital support will allow RZSS to work with seven community groups across the city to decorate their own small giraffe sculptures as part of the schools and communitie­s trail.

Paul Wakefield, CityFibre’s City Manager for Edinburgh, said: “We are working across the city to deliver our Full Fibre network to homes and businesses, ensuring that communitie­s across Edinburgh can access the fastest, most reliable broadband available. As part of this, we are getting the chance to meet so many of Edinburgh’s fantastic community groups – a number of which we will be able to support through this fantastic partnershi­p.

“Improving social inclusion is something we are passionate about, and this theme is at the heart of the Giraffe About Town trail.

“Technology is a key enabler here, so we are really excited to be working with an artist on our own giraffe and being a key part of this trail, which I’m sure will capture the hearts and minds of both locals and visitors to our capital. You could even say that, through this project, our

Full Fibre rollout programme will reach new heights.”

David Field, Chief Executive at RZSS, added: “We are thrilled to have CityFibre on board as community outreach partner for Giraffe About Town, giving us an opportunit­y to support vital community work across the capital.

“It is particular­ly exciting to partner with an organisati­on working to connect communitie­s. Fast, reliable full fibre broadband will open up a whole new world for many of Edinburgh’s residents.

“The past 18 months have been incredibly challengin­g but they have shown us what can be achieved when we pull together.

“Our tall trail is set to transform our city and encourage our communitie­s to get out and about and fall in love with Edinburgh all over again.”

 ?? ?? Paul Wakefield, CityFibre’s City Manager for Edinburgh and David Field, chief executive at RZSS
Paul Wakefield, CityFibre’s City Manager for Edinburgh and David Field, chief executive at RZSS
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