Yorkshire Water partners with non-profit to deliver community-based volunteering programme

Yorkshire Water has partnered with Bradford-based non-profit, Participate Projects, to co-ordinate and increase delivery of colleague volunteering in communities across the county.

The partnership will see Yorkshire Water colleagues embarking on a range of volunteering projects, from decorating community spaces to building outdoor play areas for children.

Participate Projects aims to help people and businesses realise their volunteering goals and ambition by tapping into their network and streamlining the organisation of events.

The programme is already underway – Yorkshire Water volunteers have visited Beckfoot Heaton Primary School in Bradford to build a welly shed and New Park Primary School in Harrogate to support indoor and outdoor renovations.

The visit to New Park Primary School comes as work continues on the £19m investment in nearby Killinghall wastewater treatment works to reduce the amount of Phosphorous entering the river Nidd via treated wastewater.

Anne Reed, social value and education advisor at Yorkshire Water, said: “Our colleagues are passionate about helping out in local communities and providing value beyond our water and wastewater services. Investment in our operational sites, such as our project at Killinghall, provides us with an opportunity to go beyond the engineering projects and make a difference to the wider community.

“By partnering with Participate Projects, we’re hoping to increase the frequency of our volunteering events and provide meaningful support to even more organisations and people across Yorkshire.”

Anthony Waddington, CEO at Participate Projects, added: “We are really excited to see Yorkshire Water colleagues’ time and skills make a real impact in the communities where they operate. The passion and enthusiasm we have seen from them in supporting the people and places around them is a great match to the values and mission of Participate.”