Once the possibility of funding a project based around 5G connectivity opened up , Justin Palfrey – Parkwood Leisure Assistant Regional Director for North Midlands – and Contact Manager Kirsty Edwards became more involved in developing an aspect of the project specifically for Rufford Abbey Country Park and Rufford Mill , which isas well as the wedding and events venue situated within the grounds of Rufford Abbey .

“ It was quite an exciting project to get involved in – a bit of an unknown , a new challenge for us , as it ' s very different to some of our core businesses ,” states Justin . “ We had the kickoff meeting and then sadly , we went into a lockdown . However , we ' ve worked incredibly closely since then building a very strong partnership arrangement with Nottinghamshire County Council , as well as some other 5G Connected Forest regional partners .”

Despite frequent lockdowns and rule changes regarding social distancing , the park has bounced back strongly in terms of recovery from the past few years , with many more visitors coming to enjoy the abundant outdoor space , activities , events and fresh air it offers – which will only be further enhanced by the new Rufford Park app , Android : Rufford Abbey App Google / iOS : Rufford Abbey App

Apple , Abbey Tales interactive experience , and full 5G connectivity .

For Kirsty , who joined the team midway through 2021 , the past year has been a busy one full of learning as she worked with other partners to install an interactive historical tour : “ Abbey Tales is a really , really exciting project that we ' ve been working on for a really long time , and I ’ m so proud to be able to launch it . It ' s basically been about bringing Rufford Abbey to life through its almost-900-year history .

“ In terms of driving it towards people that want to come here and experience the history , it ' s a really key concept . Visitors can come here and experience the history and immerse themselves in the sights , sounds and even the smells of the past ,” Kirsty says .

With its potential for educational applications within primary learning , there ’ s certainly a lot that the Abbey Tales team can look forward to in future . The same can be said of the stunning park ’ s wedding packages , which could be substantially expanded and personalised with the capabilities provided by 5G connectivity .

“ Another byproduct of 5G is that we ' ve had the infrastructure improved around the park , so we ' re also able to stream weddings and consider other activities ,” says Justin . “ Now , we ' re trying to look at how we develop the wedding part of things , which is already very strong due to our current wedding packages , but it ' s about how we can further digitalise different elements , going forward .

“ We ' re excited about the future here with the ability to offer alternative services / products at the park , in both the medium- and longterm ,” he concludes .