Severn Trent reports £3.5m in community funding for 2020-21

Severn Trent Water has provided community funding of more than £3.5m to 400 non-profit organisations across the Midlands over the past 12 months according to its first Annual Community Fund Review.

The company said it has awarded £1.5m through its Severn Trent Community Fund to projects boosting wellbeing, along with £1m donated through its Emergency Coronavirus Fund to help communities deal with the impact of the pandemic. And it donated a further £1m to charitable causes across the region last summer after it challenged customers to save water to raise money for charity.

Meanwhile, the company formally opened its new training academy on the outskirts of Coventry where, along with training using traditional and experimental learning for its 7,000 work force, it will offer local communities “opportunities to gain valuable employability skills and training.”

The company said the first of Severn Trent’s planned take up of 500, 16-24 year-olds on the government’s Kick Start employment scheme for young people attended when prime minister Boris Johnson formally opened the academy.

Severn Trent chief executive, Liv Garfield, said “By opening our doors to our communities and allowing them to take advantage of our wonderful new facility, we’re hopeful we can play a key role in creating more opportunities and do our bit to help the region bounce back.”