Midlands Enterprise Awards 2020

34 | Midlands Enterprise Awards 2020 Sep20510 Best Biodiversity Grant Scheme 2020 - UK Founded in 1974 as a regional, state-owned water authority based in the Midlands, Severn Trent Water gets its name from two of Britain’s largest rivers – the Severn and the Trent. The very purpose of Severn Trent Water is to serve their customers and communities working tirelessly to bring water to millions every day and by ensuring their wastewater is safely taken away. The teams work 24 hours a day, 52 weeks of the year to ensure undisrupted service to customers. Severn Trent has clear visions which are available for all to view on their website about their part to play in reducing carbon emissions and their relationship with and impact on the natural world. Bryony Harrison comments, “We are serious about ensuring that the way we work doesn’t impact negatively on these natural assets. We are not just reducing our impact, we are also focused on improving nature in the Severn and Trent catchments to leave a lasting legacy for our customers, and for nature. We are embarking on a huge nature project, the ‘Great big Nature Boost’, aiming to boost nature across 5000ha of land in the Severn Trent region by 2027, along with other environment-based commitments. That is an area larger than Gloucester and slightly smaller than Nottingham. Our 5,000 ha’s is delivering 1% of the government’s Nature Recovery Network of 500,000 ha’s, which is part of the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan”. The Boost for Biodiversity grant scheme of 2020 provided an opportunity for charities, community groups, councils, schools, landowners, estate managers and farmers to gain funding towards enhancing the region’s natural environment. The Boost for Biodiversity Scheme offered applicants the creative freedom to come up with unique ideas tailored to enhance and improve habitats in their area. As part of the ‘Great Big Nature Boost’, Severn Trent will be planting more than 1.3m trees, providing homes for wildlife as well as restoring moorland. In doing so, they will not only be providing more opportunity for nature to thrive, but the work will improve water quality and create natural flood barriers improving the water and wastewater services Severn Trent provide for their customers. All of this will help keep the region’s water wonderful for years to come and will help restore and retain the region’s natural environment. It is a delight to hear of such commitment to nature and to the environment by this local company. Here at SME News, we will be looking to revisit Severn Trent Water as they move further along in their journey to support local communities and our environment. Company: Severn Trent Water Contact: Bryony Harrison Website: www.stwater.co.uk Severn Trent Water is a name known by most within the Midlands, by business and consumers alike, however most will know little about key drivers for the company and the commitment to reducing their carbon footprint. Having recently won, Best Biodiversity Grant Scheme 2020 within the Midlands Enterprise Awards, SME News caught up with Biodiversity Project Manager, Bryony Harrison to hear more about the grant scheme and the overall goals of this company. We are not just reducing our impact, we are also focused on improving nature in the Severn and Trent catchments to leave a lasting legacy for our customers, and for nature.