We are committed to engaging positively with the communities we serve, and to minimise the impacts of our activities.

To enable us to deliver on this commitment, in 2011 we further developed our Community Investment Strategy. It builds on good practice from previous activities and goes further to give our community investment activities a greater focus, capitalising on our expertise and numerous staff volunteers.

The strategy has been developed in response to a wide range of feedback including customer research and stakeholder comments, and aims to improve customer awareness of what we do for them.

Delivering activities and initiatives

We have identified five strategic objectives, under which projects are scoped according to the needs of the community and the resources and expertise available that we can offer, including charitable donations and fundraising efforts. These objectives are:

• To implement education initiatives for schools and our customers around water conservation and environmental protection
• To increase public access to our sites and contribute to cultural heritage
• To enhance water-related visitor attractions
• To support community projects that deliver environmental and wildlife improvements
• To invest time and money in projects which deliver measurable community benefits

Employee involvement

Activities are developed in conjunction with credible community and charitable partners, and delivered by the Community Investment team and our employee volunteers. We also seek volunteering opportunities that are skills based and aimed at creating leadership skills.

Our employees are key in helping to deliver our popular environmental and education focussed programmes, from improving woodland habitats to our Community Speaker Programme. Through the speaker programme, employees engage with schools and community groups on a variety of topics, including water efficiency and bin it don’t block it. During 2011/12 we aim to complete 50 talks.

Charitable giving

The Thames Water Charities Committee meets quarterly to consider applications from external charitable organisations seeking funding and authorises matched funding for employee fundraising.

We also continue to support our principle charity, WaterAid which this year celebrates its 30th birthday. Employees at all levels are involved through a variety of activities from fundraising to speaking to schools and community groups about the charity.

At a senior level, the Thames Water WaterAid Steering Committee, which sets fundraising targets and strategy each year, and meets regularly to review progress and recognise achievements. The fundraising target for 2011-12 is £500,000.

This year we are proud to have launched Thames 4 Bangladesh, to support four small towns in Bangladesh with improved water provision and sanitation.

• Read more about our involvement with WaterAid

Targets

We have set ourselves the following targets for this year.

• Employee volunteering - we want to get 20% more employees volunteering in schools, communities or charities than we did in 2009/10.
• Our employees present on a variety of topics to schools and community groups our target is to complete 50 talks this year.
• We aim to raise £500,000 for WaterAid this year.
• Our target for the proportion of employees using the company 'Give as you earn' payroll scheme is 7.5 per cent.

Read more about our community initiatives

Wise up to water

Tools to help your school use water wisely.

• Take a look at the tools

Getting close to nature

Discover how you can get closer to nature in your local area or back garden.

• Find out how to get close to nature

Charitable support

Find out how we support a wide range of initiatives, organisations and charities in our area and how to apply.

• Find out more about charitable support

Enterprise and Careers Events

Find out how we support schools to deliver skills and enterprise events with a view to preparing young people for the world of work

• More about enterprise and careers events