Published On: 2017-05-08

WaterHealth International from Irvine, United States is celebrating after being shortlisted for the UK’s longest running and most prestigious awards programme, championing responsible business in the UK and abroad.

Now in their 20^th year, the Awards champion the most inspiring businesses who are making a difference by taking action to build more inclusive workplaces, stronger communities and tackle our biggest environmental challenges.

Today’s announcement coincides with Responsible Business Week (24-28 April), an annual initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the positive contribution of businesses to society.

WaterHealth International has been shortlisted for The Unilever Global Development Award, supported by Business Fights Poverty. WaterHealth International (WHI) provides clean, safe and affordable drinking water by setting up decentralized water purification plants known as WaterHealth Centre’s (WHCs) to the underserved communities across India and Africa through innovative and sustainable business model. 

Commenting Vikas Shah, Chief Operating Officer, WaterHealth International, said: “We are chasing an audacious goal of providing safe water access to 100 million people by 2020 in India and Africa; support from the Government, partnerships with development agencies and corporates including communities will be the key in making this happen”.

Chief Executive of Business in the Community, Amanda Mackenzie, said: “We want all businesses to be a force for good in the community, and being shortlisted means that WaterHealth International can inspire many more companies to be part of the responsible business movement, so that together we can work for a fairer society and a more sustainable future.”

The winners of all ten categories, including the Responsible Business of the Year will be announced at the Responsible Business Gala Dinner at the Royal Albert Hall on 4 July, in front of 1,200 business leaders. The headline sponsors of the 2017 Responsible Business Awards are Experian, Unilever, UPS, Aviva, Barclays, Fujistu, UBS, Unipart Group.

To find out more about Responsible Business Week 2017 visit www.bitc.org.uk/rbweek or search for the hashtag #RBweek.

For more information about Business in the Community or the Responsible Business Awards contact Alex Delaney, 020 7566 8694 / 07766 161419 or email alex.delaney@bitc.org.uk

For more information on the Awards visit www.bitc.org.uk/awards/responsible-business-awards and follow @BITC on Twitter #BITCawards.

Business in the Community 

Business in the Community is the Prince’s Responsible Business Network. Our members work together to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to building a fairer society and a more sustainable future.

We engage thousands of businesses through our programmes driven by our core membership of over 800 organisations from small enterprises to global corporations.

The Responsible Business Awards

Business in the Community’s Responsible Business Awards brings to life how businesses are creating innovative and sustainable solutions to our most pressing challenges, inspiring thousands of others to make a lasting difference and adding value back to their own business.

Now in its 20th year, the awards, rigorously assessed by independent business peers, are widely acknowledged as one of the most respected endorsements of responsible business in the UK and abroad. Open to companies of any size, sector or scale, a wide range of businesses enter, demonstrating the breadth and depth of responsible business.

Each year, over 250 business peers assess the entries, endorsement planters are used by companies to profile their achievement, inspiring thousands of people to be a motivated part of the Prince’s Responsible Business Network.

About Responsible Business Week

Responsible Business Week (24-28 April 2017) is an annual campaign from the charity Business in the Community to champion responsible business.

It is all too easy to bash business, but we believe there’s another important story to be told. Behind every faceless corporation are real people, making a difference, improving society and changing lives through the business of doing business.

Responsible Business Week is a campaign to tell this story, raise the profile of the year-round contribution of businesses of all sizes and inspire more business to address the most pressing issues.

Through a wealth of free events, online debates and learning forums, the week is a platform for business to learn, share, celebrate and together build a better approach to responsible business for the future. By showing the brighter side to business, a side that the public rarely see, Responsible Business Week aims to motivate business to be better and do better, for the benefit of us all.