Workers building a region-wide water pipeline played their part in a 10k fun run success – by volunteering to make improvements to the route. 
 
The six-strong team from Anglian Water set to work along the route of the Boxted 10k fun run, which took place on Sunday 11 June. 
 
More than 650 people were then able to take part in the charity event, in the of Boxted village just outside Colchester, Essex. 
 
The work was caried out as part of Volunteers Week at the beginning of June. The week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering in their communities.  
 
Neil Fullerton, from team helping to build the new pipeline network, said: “The works were vital to ensure the safety of the event due to the route’s proximity to the River Stour. Two major areas of the route where unsuitable and had the potential to cause injury to participants taking part in the charity run. 
 
“The river makes the footpaths boggy along some of the off-road parts of the course, causing problems for race runners and pedestrians. We dug trenches to capture the water improving drainage, installed cut off filter drains to remove water from the route to make them safer for the race participants and to allow the footpaths to be used during the winter. 
 
“As a team, we’re committed to helping out in the communities in which we work, so when the running club and the local councillors asked us to help, and we were more than happy to step in and assist.” 
 
The water company is laying hundreds of kilometres of water pipes to move water from the wetter parts of the region to the drier areas.