Southern Water is very proud to be a long-standing supporter of the international charity WaterAid which works with people in 26 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region.
The charity works to improve quality of life using practical solutions to provide clean water, safe sanitation and hygiene education to the world's poorest people.
1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation - 4,000 child deaths a day or one child every 20 seconds. This equates to 160 infant school classrooms lost every single day to an entirely preventable public health crisis.
884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.
Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 15.89 million people with safe water and, from 2004, provided 11.02 million people with sanitation. Just £15 can enable one person to access safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation.
Our employees, suppliers and customers have supported WaterAid since its creation in 1981 by organising and taking part in fund-raising activities and making donations.
Between 2007 and 2011, we were privileged to donate more than £630,000 to WaterAid which will help more than 42,000 of the world’s poorest people with safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
In October 2008, Kevin Buck, Southern Water Communications Officer and current chairman of the Southern Water WaterAid Committee, received an MBE at Buckingham Palace for his services to the charity.
We have since raised further funds, hosting a fifth charity ball in June 2011, with a 'Masquerade' theme. Funds were raised through table sponsorship, raffle ticket sales, an auction hosted by renowned comedian Stewart Francis and a draw carried out by Olympic gold medallist Marlon Devonish MBE.
A further £11,000 was also raised in July, 2011, when 144 golfers took part in the Southern Water annual WaterAid golf event which has been running since 2000.
Event organiser Kelly Price was privileged to visit Bangladesh on a recent WaterAid supporters trip. She said:
“I’ve always been passionate about WaterAid because I think it does the right thing in the right way – not only providing solutions to the key issues of safe water and sanitation, but providing education about them as well.
“Having seen first-hand what happens on the ground and understanding how it all works has made me determined to raise even more money and awareness for the charity.”
Employees also take part in a monthly lottery directly through their salary with cash prizes given every month across the industry.
To make a donation to WaterAid, visit their website at www.wateraid.org/uk/donate or to find out more about WaterAid’s work and other ways you can help, go to www.wateraid.org/uk
