Environmentalists reject water firm funding offer

Little Green Change rejected a £4,825 grant offer from South West Water

An environmental group says it has rejected a grant from a water company's community fund, saying it will not "participate in greenwashing".

Little Green Change, based in Lyme Regis, Dorset, runs education projects for schools and organisations in South West England.

The not-profit social enterprise said it rejected £4,825 from South West Water (SWW), accusing it of prioritising shareholders above investment to stop pollution.

SWW said it was disappointed not to support Little Green Change but was "serious about reducing pollution" - investing £760m over the next five years to reduce the use of storm overflows.

In a Facebook post, Little Green Change said it had been "delighted" to receive the funding notification from ActionFunder - a platform matching business grants with non-profit organisations.

It said the amount was "significant" as its income for the last financial year was £21,000.

But it added that SWW's outdated infrastructure resulted in "regular pumping of sewage into rivers and the ocean, including the River Lim in Lyme Regis... causing significant damage to the water ecosystem, all while they continue to raise bills for their customers".

Ecologist Graham Roberts, of the River Lim Action Group, said: "In these times of austerity and the difficulty of finding funding for projects, we commend any organisation, including Little Green Change, that turns down funding from any source that does not have the necessary environmental credentials.

"Unfortunately, too many companies jump on the bandwagon of self-promotion by offering small grants elsewhere, when they clearly do not have their own house in order."

South West Water says it is investing £750m over five years to cut storm overflows

SWW said it would reallocate the money from its Better Futures Fund, which is offering £2.5m to community groups over the next five years.

Events co-ordinator Kristy Poulton said the company had made great strides towards reducing pollution.

"We've already removed three-quarters of the top 20 spilling sites from 2023, reduced spills at bathing beaches by 20% over the past five years and are investing £760m over the next five years to reduce the use of storm overflows," she said.

But, on Thursday, the Environment Agency gave South West Water a red rating for its environmental performance for the 14th year in a row, meaning it was "significantly below target".

It said SWW was responsible for 189 pollution incidents in 2024, five fewer than the previous year.

Four were classed as "serious" - double the number recorded in 2023.