Belu Water has hit its target of donating £1 million to WaterAid in a single year
A social firm which aims to spread its profits by selling environmentally friendly water has hit a new milestone.
Belu Water is leading the way in the fight against water poverty.
The business donates all of its net profits to WaterAid through the sale of bottled water which is produced with the lowest carbon footprint possible. The company’s products are created using water that is local to their customers, with bottles produced from ethical glass or recycled plastic.
Eight years into their unique partnership, Belu has reached its goal to give WaterAid £1 million in a year, helping transform hundreds of thousands of lives with clean water.
By giving 100% of their profits to WaterAid’s work, Belu sets an important example of how charities and businesses with shared values can work together to create social change and transform lives across the world.
The success of the partnership lies in their shared vision to bring clean water, decent sanitation and good hygiene to everyone, everywhere by 2030. It also proves that a social enterprise can deliver significant impact at scale through trading. So far, this collaboration has helped more than 270,000 people in the world’s poorest and hardest to reach communities.
From 2011 to 2014, Belu delivered over £500,000 to WaterAid. It has now given a total of £4 million to WaterAid, as the business continues to grow and expand their offering, including into filtration systems as part of the Belu Filter Initiative. This provides a free filtration system to restaurants, who in return raise voluntary £1 contributions with their guests for unlimited still or sparkling filtered water.
Belu chief executive Karen Lynch, said: “When you see how the profits from your business are transforming lives, it changes your view on the purpose of business forever. Generating over £1 million in net profit in just one year for the first time this year highlights the positive impact of our partnership with WaterAid. Thanks to the ongoing support of our customers and partners, we have the opportunity to enable communities around the world to change their lives for the better.
“We remain firmly committed to supporting WaterAid’s mission to provide clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene around the world, and are looking forward to many more years in which our work will have a positive impact for those living in the world’s poorest and most remote communities.”
One in nine people around the world still don’t have clean water close to home, while one in three don’t have a decent toilet of their own. Working with its partners around the world, WaterAid has reached 26.4 million people clean water and 26.3 million with decent toilets since 1981.
WaterAid chief executive Tim Wainwright said: “We all have a role to play in making clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone around the world. Businesses of all sizes are crucial in bringing about the step change needed to meet this global challenge.
“Belu continues to set an example by showing the global impact a business can achieve by prioritising social outcomes and linking up with like-minded partners. After the successes of the past eight years of partnership and the acceleration of Belu’s business, I can’t wait to see what we can do together in the years to come.”
