Community support

We’re committed to building stronger, more connected communities by supporting and investing in local initiatives that make a real difference.

Our commitment to communities

At YTL UK, we are always looking for new ways to help our communities thrive.

Whether that’s through donating grants to charities, lending a helping hand to local community groups, supporting schools or offering financial support to customers.

We recognise that we have a very important role to play in the lives of our customers, so our companies work hard to build strong, lasting relationships with them.

This allows us to respond effectively and create long-term value for the communities we serve.

Volunteering across our region

In 2024/25, our workforce volunteered their time to support a range of good causes.

They helped with all types of activities, such as:

litter picking on beaches and along rivers
building wildflower banks and ponds for community farms
helping to improve biodiversity for local wildlife trusts
packing food parcels with food banks
collecting used Christmas trees to raise funds for hospice charities.

local organisations supported

852

staff members volunteered

4,500

hours spent volunteering

Support for those who need it most

A Wessex Water employee delivering bottled water to a customer

Helping customers with additional needs

Wessex Water already supports over 100,000 customers through our Priority Services register, and we aim to increase the number of households on our register to around 290,000.

This register is designed to help anyone who needs additional support due to age, ill health, disability, mental health or a temporary change in their personal situation.

Tackling water poverty

Wessex Water also aims to eradicate water poverty by 2030. We don’t think anyone should be spending more than 5% of their disposable income on their water bill.

We aim to enrol 140,000 customers on our help-to-pay tariffs by 2030 to ensure that everyone has access to the water they need.

Building affordable homes

At Brabazon, we have made a significant effort to ensure that 1,700 of the 6,500 high-quality homes are affordable and available for social rent or shared ownership.

We have done this through Incentives to ensure housing is more affordable, including a new rate reducer and a 5% deposit contribution.

A member of the public leaving a community funded minibus service

Providing funding to local projects

The YTL Wessex Water Foundation supports local projects mainly through its Community and Environment Funds. These funds provide financial support to projects that either strengthen communities or benefit the environment.

From food banks and debt advice organisations to rainwater harvesting and river cleaning projects, we supported all types of groups and projects in 2024/25.

173

projects supported

£675,000

awarded to projects

37,000

people benefited

Projects we’ve supported

Other ways we support communities

Education service

Watermark Town Awards

Considerate construction

Free events

Community Drop-Ins

Water refill points

Education service

Wessex Water offers a free education service to schools and community groups.

This includes tours of our treatment sites, school visits and events where we cover a range of topics, such as water and sewage treatment, environmental studies and much more.

This reflects our continued focus on engaging with young people and teaching them about how they can help protect the environment.