Ten for Ten
Customers and communities are set to benefit from a £10 million fund, financed from the company's profits, which will pay for special projects that fall outside day-to-day business activities.
The initiative, called Ten for Ten, will see half the money endowed to a charitable trust to help disadvantaged customers in difficult circumstances, and the other half spent on new community and educational activities.
Thames Water CEO David Owens, said:
"Thames Water's financial and operational performance has been strong this year. We have decided to share some of the benefits of this success with the communities we serve, by funding a number of schemes that go well beyond our day-to-day business activities. We have chosen a diverse range of projects that we know are important to our customers and stakeholders, and that will bring benefits across our entire geographical area.
"This initiative will create a £5 million charitable trust, with independent trustees, to help the small number of our customers with genuine financial difficulties who are unable to get help from any other source. We will spend a further £5 million on increasing our educational and community activities - including improving public access to our sites, investigating cutting edge water efficiency opportunities and helping disadvantaged students to become the engineers of the future."
The Ten for Ten programme will finance the following initiatives:
1. An independent charitable trust to benefit disadvantaged customers
Some of our customers do experience genuine financial difficulties and, because of their particular circumstances, have either been unable to pay their water bills or are experiencing other forms of hardship related to the services we provide. The trust will help customers who cannot be helped or compensated through other means. Non Thames Water trustees will act as a panel to review applications and decide on the allocation of funds.
2. Clean up of the Greenway between West Ham and Beckton sewage treatment works, east London
This section of the Greenway is important to local people as a green and open space. The land is in close proximity to housing and Thames Water's Northern Outfall sewer, but has been vandalised and degraded over recent years. We will work with the local community on a major clean up, with improved security.
3. Comprehensive programme of educational visits at Thames Water sites
We know that our customers and stakeholders place great importance on the need to educate young people about the need to use water wisely and dispose of waste properly. Education facilities and teaching assistance will be provided at Crossness sewage treatment works (south-east London), Rye Meads sewage treatment works (Hertfordshire), Farmoor reservoir (Oxfordshire) and Hogsmill sewage treatment works (south-west London) for Key Stage 2 children (age 7-11). Twenty thousand school children will visit each year to learn about the importance of using water wisely and disposing of waste responsibly.
4. Improve visitor facilities at Farmoor and Walthamstow reservoirs
Our customers have told us how much they value our reservoir sites for formal and informal recreation, and would like us to provide more and better access. Facilities will be developed at Walthamstow (north-east London) and Farmoor (Oxfordshire), to allow local people (three million customers live within 15 minutes of Walthamstow) to have greater access, carefully managed. This will include opening up new areas, providing car parking, paths, signage and wardens.
5. Improve disabled facilities at Farmoor and Walthamstow reservoirs
We know that customers regard proper disabled access to our sites as important. Funds will be provided to complete a pontoon project at Farmoor reservoir (Oxfordshire), enabling disabled sailors to get in and out of their boats easily and safely. A wheelchair trail and vehicles for the disabled will also be provided.
A disabled angling facility will be provided at Walthamstow reservoir (north-east London).
6. Improve water-related visitor attractions
We know that customers want to find out more about the issues to do with water and wastewater, and regard good educational facilities as important. We will work with the Kew Bridge Steam Museum (west London) on its planned transition to 'The Museum of Water', and with the London Wetland Centre, Barnes, improving educational material and content. At Kew, steps will be taken to encourage more visitors and improve facilities.
7. Improve key wildlife and recreation sites in the Thames Valley
Our customers place great importance on protecting and enhancing their local environment. Nature reserves will be created adjacent to Swindon and Banbury sewage treatment works. We will also assist with Reading's Fobney Island community project, and help the National Trust improve the natural environment at 'The Chase' (local open space), near Newbury.
8. Research into cutting edge water efficiency opportunities
We know that our customers and stakeholders share our belief that investigating new water efficiency opportunities is a high priority. In response to a request from the incoming Mayor of London we will work with the GLA, London boroughs and housing associations in seeking to attain 'Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3' status for estate renewal projects. We will also work with the London Development Authority (LDA) on its Green Homes programme, and with the GLA and LDA to investigate opportunities for a grey water/rainwater harvesting pilot project.
9. Bursaries for disadvantaged school leavers to study engineering
Our customers share our concern about the potential shortage of skilled engineers to maintain and develop our water and wastewater networks to meet future needs. A fund will be established to ensure that more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are both encouraged and enabled to study engineering at schools and colleges. The young people selected will also receive mentoring and support from Thames Water engineers.
10. Expansion of London On Tap initiative
We know that many of our customers want to be able to drink tap water, in preference to bottled, as it is both much cheaper and has much less environmental impact. We will ensure that our 'Carafe for London' initiative has the best possible start by donating the first 10,000 carafes to deserving causes. We will also investigate the possibility of installing water dispensers to provide chilled tap water at London's mainline rail stations.
