This year saw United Utilities launch an innovative fundraising programme which is changing lives in the UK and abroad.
The Changing Lives Challenge started out as a team building programme designed to improve the way our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) works.
Working with our partner WaterAid, we came up with the idea to send the team to Zambia to build latrines for a community.
We knew there was more that we could do and decided to use the ELT team building to spearhead a fundraising programme.
Called the Changing Lives Challenge, the ELT was effectively sponsored by corporate suppliers, and our employees got involved and raised money too.
Our target was to raise £500k which was to be split between two charities – Hope through Action in Africa and Youth Sport Trust in the UK. These causes were chosen by a panel of employees.
We smashed the original target raising £660k in total, as sum which has been further boosted by funds levered from other sources.
We now have three community partners as a result:
- Hope through Action which is raising money to build a community facility in Mbekweni, South Africa. This will be used to educate local people on health and wellbeing as well as opening it for sport which is proven to improve communities
- We have devised a partnership with WaterAid which will continue the work started at part of the Challenge. This will focus on using the skill so four employees to improve water and sanitation facilities in Zambia
- Finally our support of the Youth Sport Trust uses sport as a way to improve leadership and engagement of young people in the UK. Our employees will also have the chance to volunteer for the charity to improve their skills
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