Welsh Water celebrates Volunteering Week as they exceed over 732 hours of volunteering activities over the last 12 months

Welsh Water staff are encouraged to dedicate one working day a year to undertake volunteering activities in their communities. With offices, depots, and operational sites across Wales and parts of England, the not-for-profit company is committed to making a positive difference to local communities, enhancing our environment, and ensuring that the wellbeing of its staff is of the utmost importance.

The initiative also allows staff to work with charities and organisations to encourage them to learn new skills and meet new people. The volunteering activities range from litter picking, supporting at animal rescue centres, working with children with disabilities, tree planting, and enhancing outdoor spaces.

One of the events hosted during volunteering week in the North saw Dŵr Cymru and contract partners, Griffiths, spend the day weeding, tidying, and litter picking at Bangor Community Paddling Pool and surrounding play areas of Hirael, ready for all to enjoy during the warm summer months.

Three separate events were held in the East with teams coming together to litter pick, clear a large woodland area, move fallen trees and assist with setting up a brand-new nursery in the Newport area.

Welsh Water teamed up with Envolve Infrastructure to offer volunteering, time, and resources to transform Wibli Wobli nursery’s outdoor space, also offering a helping hand in carrying out painting and preparing the flower beds for the children to enjoy.

Natasha Baker, the Director of Wibli Wobli said: “We are grateful for the support from Welsh Water and their contracts partners, Envolve. We absolutely love our garden area which looks fantastic and Welsh Water volunteers were a huge help to get us ready to open in time. Through the support of community groups alike, the nursery is now able to continue providing Welsh Language childcare and employment in Newport.”

Their new, bigger home means that Wibli Wobli are the first Welsh language childcare facility in Newport that can take babies under 2 years.

One of these volunteering events in the East saw Welsh Water and contract partners, Morrison Water Services team up in West Wales. The group of 11 employees eagerly stepped up to support the animal charity with a range of activities including dog walking, cat socialising and Christmas Tree planting, to help raise essential funds for the centre.

Debbie Davies, Manager at Llys Nini RSPCA, said: “We were delighted to host a team from Dŵr Cymru on a corporate volunteer day at our animal centre in Penllergaer, Swansea.

Claire Roberts, Head of Community Engagement for Welsh Water said: “We’re proud to have supported so many incredible causes throughout Volunteering Week, and over the last 12 months. As a not-for-profit organisation, customers are at the heart of everything we do. We already play a key role in our communities by providing the most essential of services – clean drinking water and treating wastewater before returning it back to the environment and we’re delighted to support local charities and organisations in this way.

We've also partnered with Keep Wales Tidy to set up official Keep Wales Tidy hubs and litter free zones at our offices in Linea and Kinmel Park. Both locations serve as central storage points for litter picking equipment, readily available for community groups and enthusiastic volunteers to embark on litter picks across Wales and in their local community.

This inspiring initiative not only enhances our local environment but also presents a tremendous opportunity for colleagues to come together and prioritise their well-being.”