Full Fibre broadband provider Fibrus took to the road last week, handing out more than 1,000 free ice creams to communities across South Cumbria and spreading a little summer cheer.
The Fibrus- branded ice cream van, operated by Mr Whippy Cumbria, toured the region over two days, giving local families the chance to enjoy a free treat. On 19 August, it called at Ambleside, Windermere, Milnthorpe, Holme and Arnside, before visiting Askam, Ulverston and Grange the following day.
Among those stopping by for a free 99 ice cream was Linda Bowden, leader of 1st Windermere Sea Scout Group, who brought some of the children along.
She said: “We’ve come down to meet Fibrus and we’ve all had an ice cream. It’s absolutely brilliant, the children have loved it and more and more people are now turning up.”
Emma Loomes, from Whitehaven, said: “We found free ice cream and were pretty shocked – we thought it was a con! But it’s absolutely beautiful ice cream. This is the nicest ice cream I’ve ever had – thank you very much!”
Richard Jones, of Milnthorpe, said: “It’s been great. I met Fibrus, managed to grab a free ice cream, and have a conversation and understand how they’re going around Cumbria and connecting local communities and businesses. It’s been fantastic to grab an ice cream and have a conversation.”
In Holme, resident and Fibrus customer Ed Marshall said: “Because we’re a little village in Cumbria we often get missed out – people go down to Milnthorpe and forget about coming to us. It’s great you’ve come to the little places in Cumbria and not just left it to the big places.
“We moved to Fibrus from another supplier who wasn’t very reliable, and we’ve found the service to be really good.”
Fibrus has expanded across Cumbria since it started building its network in Penrith in 2022, bringing fast, reliable Full Fibre broadband to homes and businesses in some of the region’s hardest-to-reach communities. Today, more than 36,000 Fibrus customers are based in Cumbria.
Beyond its broadband rollout, Fibrus has contributed more than £470,000 to charities and community groups across Cumbria, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the communities it serves.
Joe Storey, Head of Brand and Marketing at Fibrus, said: “We wanted to find a fun way to get out into the communities we serve in South Cumbria, say hello to people and give a little something back.
“And what better way than free ice cream during the Cumbrian summer? It was great to meet so many people over the two days, hear about their experiences with Fibrus and spend some time in the communities we’re connecting. The response was fantastic and we loved seeing so many people come along and enjoy a treat on us.”
