Just an hour

01/01/2008

'Just an hour' 2008

Essex & Suffolk Water recognises that we have a responsibility to the area we work in and operate out of.  Our ‘Just an hour’ initiative enables staff to volunteer for environmental, educational and community projects during their work day.   

In the past year, our staff visited local schools including Woodloke Primary in Lowestoft, Oakfield Primary in Wickford and Westcliff High School for Girls to offer support with reading, number work, team building and industry days.

A community project at Sunnymede School in Billericay received the practical skills of eight staff who built a gazebo to shade an outdoor reading area, cleared the adjacent pond which is home to wildlife including newts, dragonflies and frogs and created raised vegetable plots for the children to grow their own vegetables to eat during the summer.

We are keen to work with environmental partners too, a working party of seventeen staff spent two days tree coppicing at Norfolk’s Ormesby Broad, without this management the trees would shade out the reed-bed and dry out the fen.  At Abberton reservoir, another team planted new hedging which will become home to small mammals, birds and hares.

Our partnership with Southend United’s Community and Educational Trust includes support for their successful Bodycare programme.  Schools including Blenheim Primary in the south of the county are offered a five week interactive course to educate and promote a healthy lifestyle in young people encouraging them to keep hydrated and drink tap water.

In September 2007, Hanningfield reservoir celebrated it’s 50th birthday, to mark this occasion we were delighted to work with Billericay Rotary Club by hosting our first dragonboat race family fun day.  This enjoyable day not only gave our local community the opportunity to enjoy the reservoir, nature reserve and take part in the races, but also raised thousands of pounds for local charities.  A similar day is planned for Sunday 31st August 2008 – come and join us.

We are proud of our staff’s enthusiasm and on-going support for their local community.   If you know of a community project which would benefit from practical support or our Essex & Suffolk Water Fund please contact community@eswater.co.uk