Emergency funds help Thames Water’s community partners through coronavirus lockdown

The company is donating £400,000 to community organisations and charities it works with to help them pay business costs resulting from loss of income, such as fundraising opportunities, during this difficult time. 

Thames Water has also allocated £100,000 for the Rivers and Wetlands Community Days project, managed by the Wild Trout Trust. The project provides small grants to encourage communities to get practically involved in restoring, improving and maintaining rivers, lakes, wetlands and the environment.

Thames Water has provided funding and assistance worth £6.5 million in total, to 62 community projects in the Thames Valley area over the past five years (2015-2020).

The projects have helped to protect and enhance wetland habitats, improved community access to cycle paths, improved flood defences and funded education programmes for school children.

Richard Aylard, Thames Water sustainability director, said: “Our work at Thames Water goes beyond providing essential water and wastewater services. We’re proud of our association with these organisations, which have done so much to enhance their communities and the natural environment.

“We care about the communities within which we all live and work, and we want to support them during this challenging and uncertain time. By providing relief funding to our fantastic community partners, we’re ensuring they can continue making a positive difference to the local communities and customers we serve.”

Thames Water has also provided financial support, worth £192,000, to 43 not-for-profit organisations and recreational leaseholders in London and the Thames Valley, to help them with their running costs during this difficult time.

The company owns various buildings and grounds which house sports and social clubs. These include cricket clubs, sailing and football clubs, amateur boxing studios and scout groups.

Gabrielle Boase, general manager at Datchet Water Sailing Club in Slough, said: “The COVID-19 outbreak has prevented our members from gathering at the club to enjoy their sport and social gatherings. Thames Water was very fast to offer support to the club. This helped us focus on maintaining our community groups and we’ve found new ways of being social and competitive during the lockdown, through virtual racing and interactive Zoom nights. Without the support of Thames Water our focus would have been away from our community.”

Thames Water has signed the COVID-19 Business Pledge, which encourages businesses and universities to be a force for good by making a commitment to doing what they can to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The financial support for leaseholders and the community relief fund are part of the company’s wider support for communities and customers who are coping with the coronavirus outbreak.

Thames Water is donating £1 million to its Trust Fund and extending its WaterHelp social tariff, so it can support more customers who are in financial need during the coronavirus pandemic.

The company has also donated £40,000 to local community foundations during the coronavirus pandemic. Berkshire Community Foundation received £7,500 from Thames Water, which it is using to support local charities and groups during the coronavirus lockdown.

Gerry Lejeune OBE, Berkshire Community Foundation chief executive, said: “We were delighted to hear the news that Thames Water has made a generous donation to our disaster appeal. Our small team here at Berkshire Community Foundation are hugely appreciative of this support, as the grant will enable us to get the funding out to the most disadvantaged in our county. Thank you to everyone at Thames Water.”

More information about Thames Water’s community relief fund and application process can be found here: https://corporate.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/community/working-in-our-communities