Anglian Water

Anglian Water is an important partner for WaterAid and is committed to providing support in a variety of ways. In the last nine years, the region has raised enough to help 140,000 people gain access to safe, clean water.

Employees volunteer through Anglian Water's Community Programme 'Give Me Five'. As part of this programme, employees can choose to organise or participate in activities to raise funds and awareness for WaterAid. Every five hours of employee's own time spent on activities, Anglian Water will match with company time, up to 30 hours a year.

Thanks to the dedication of Anglian Water's WaterAid committee and support from volunteers across the group, a number of year round fundraising events have been organised including a popular employee payroll lottery. The company donates further gifts in kind and encourages the involvement of business partners, customers and the community.

WaterAid's annual volunteers celebration at Anglian Water recognises the individual and team achievements of employees. Highlights include a successful Water Carry event in Norwich, Lincoln and Huntingdon during World Water Week, where employees carry various containers of water to raise awareness of the amount of water available for a day and the average distance walked to collect water in the developing world.

The second annual Corporate Golf Day, which recently raised a fantastic £11,000, demonstrates the enthusiastic involvement of suppliers, contractors and advisers in helping address the need. Innovations for 2002 have included a Fly Fishing Challenge at Rutland Water.

Other support includes strong participation in fantasy football competitions, dress down days, challenge events and a giant Christmas raffle. WaterAid's employee payroll lottery continues to be popular raising over £34,000 annually and employees also make regular donations through Give As You Earn. This type of regular giving is so valuable, as it enables WaterAid to plan projects in the medium term.

The Anglian Water 'Speaking Out' network of 25 volunteers continues to raise awareness of WaterAid's work. They are regularly invited to give presentations to groups in the local community, such as Rotary, Inner Wheel, Lions and schools. These engagements publicly demonstrate Anglian Water's support for WaterAid. In addition employees develop by gaining new skills and enhancing existing ones, and benefit from networking opportunities and increased motivation.

Anglian Water involves its customers in addressing the fundamental need of water for life, by funding WaterAid's annual appeal, enclosed in customers' accounts.

Each year Anglian Water funds an employee volunteer to visit a WaterAid project and see how the money raised is spent. John De Val recently visited Ethiopia and commented on how employee fundraising makes a fundamental difference to people's lives.

"I saw for myself how safe water and sanitation really are key to reducing poverty: bringing health benefits, and also improving education, self-esteem and household income. I was also impressed by the keen involvement of the people and how WaterAid's work enables people to empower themselves".

Employee fundraising has also supported projects in Southern India, where the programme is being implemented with great enthusiasm and an impressive level of community participation. Successes have included the continuing hygiene education programme through house visits and awareness camps.

Children have proved receptive to the health messages taught by local project workers through charts, games and songs. Latrines have been built in 10 schools and the children have formed committees to look after toilet maintenance, and the collection and handling of drinking water. Self help groups have also been strengthened through training in democratic functioning and micro credit management. The village of Theneerpatti has now achieved 100% coverage in household latrine construction.

WaterAid looks forward to continuing and strengthening our partnership in the future, working together towards our vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and effective sanitation. Just £15 can provide a person with safe water, adequate sanitation and knowledge of good hygiene practices, so Anglian Water's continuing support makes a fundamental and lasting difference.

For more information about Anglian Water please visit Anglian Water's website.