Community performance
The table below details our community value measures and targets to 2025. It reports our performance and demonstrates progress in supporting communities to be stronger as part of delivering our purpose.
Performance highlights in 2022 include:
- 90% of students taking part in our partnership with The Challenge Academy Trust (TCAT) say they are more likely to pursue a STEM-related career.
- Signed two memoranda of understanding with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and The Rivers Trust - partners held in high esteem by local communities with a broad membership base.
- Launched a new podcast series entitled ‘Acres of Nature’ - available on Spotify - to connect people with the North West’s outdoor spaces.
- As part of our £300,000 Catchment Systems Thinking (CaST) fund, we provided funding to community groups across the North West, focused in particular on community engagement with nature or helping shape and promote natural capital markets.
To understand the verification process for our data, please see CR reporting.
| Measure | Target to 2025 | 2021/22 Performance | 2020/21 Performance |
| Community investment | 10% increase (£2.82 million) | £2.82 million | £2.15 million |
| Partnership leverage | 1:4 | 1:4 | 1:7 |
| Percentage of participants who remain employed six months after completing an early careers or outreach scheme with United Utilities | 50-60% | 75% | 83% |
| Number of children benefiting from education materials | 20,000 | 12,998 | 19,120 |
| Visitor experience/satisfaction measure at recreation sites | Maintain position above 50% | 57.3% | Baseline in 2021 |
The progress we have already made to operate in a responsible manner is demonstrated in our 2015-20 measures and targets performance.