One of London’s best-known restaurants, Hoi Polloi, has raised over £100,000 to help bring clean water to more than 6,700 people through its partnership with the social enterprise Belu Water and the charity WaterAid.
By offering Belu filtered water at its modern brasserie in the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch in return for a £1 contribution from diners, the total was reached in just three years.
The customers’ contributions are now being invested by WaterAid to bring clean water and decent sanitation to some of the world’s poorest and hardest to reach communities.
The Belu Filter initiative is the first of its kind in this country and serves a dual purpose of empowering restaurants to make a real difference to people’s lives whilst reducing their impact on the environment: It has saved Hoi Polloi using tens of thousands of single-use bottles.
How it works
Belu supplies the filtration system without charge to hotels, restaurants and cafes, with guests making a voluntary contribution in return for still or sparkling filtered water. Contributions form part of the overall total funds that they give to their charity partner WaterAid.
Over 50 restaurants, cafes and hotels across the UK are now part of the initiative, many of which are raising hundreds of pounds each month. Earlier this year, Her Majesty the Queen recognised Belu with a second Queen’s Award for the innovation.
Lindsey Botterman, Operations Manager at Hoi Polloi, said:
“The reaction from our customers has been amazing. It is hard to think of any other initiative where our team and customers can help to transform so many lives together and eradicate single-use plastic at the same time. We’re really proud of being able to assist WaterAid and Belu in their mission to provide clean water for everyone everywhere by 2030.”
One in ten people around the world have no access to clean water, while one in four have no decent toilet, causing sickness that claims the lives of 800 children under the age of five every single day. Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.
Karen Lynch, CEO of Belu Water, said:
“In a world where resources are under increasing pressure, the Belu Filter Initiative is a great example of how seamlessly integrating what used to be ‘CSR’ into a business operating model, can deliver impact that transforms lives for good. Our recent Queen’s Award for the initiative also recognises the success of a collaborative approach which we take with all our partners and customers.”
