Community Outreach Award
Community Outreach Award
This category awards an individual, team or company which has gone above and beyond to engage with local communities and encourage girls into STEM, promote the utilities industry, and/or support women in the local area.
The contenders
Doocey Group
Try before you Buy Pre Apprenticeship Approach - Gains for Girls and Community
Doocey Group’s 'Try Before You Buy' Pre-Apprenticeship Programme is transforming lives by opening up the utilities industry to those who never saw it as an option, particularly young women. By offering hands-on experience, qualifications, and real insight before commitment, the programme removes fear and builds confidence. What began as a response to recruitment challenges has become a powerful social value initiative, engaging over 271 young people and creating the company’s first female field operatives in 45 years. Through access, visibility, and opportunity, Doocey Group is not just building a workforce, it is reshaping the future of women in utilities.
Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation
100SolarSchools & Solar Step: Empowering Communities through Education and Strengthening Energy Independence through Renewable Energy
Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation empowers communities across Ukraine by combining renewable energy, education, and gender inclusion. In the context of ongoing energy challenges intensified by the war, the foundation prioritises support for communities most affected by its impacts. Through '100SolarSchools', it installs hybrid solar systems in schools, hospitals, and water utilities, ensuring uninterrupted access to education, healthcare, and clean water during blackouts. Complementing this, Solar Step provides free, practice-based training for women to become solar project managers, addressing workforce shortages in a rapidly growing sector. The initiative strengthens resilience, advances gender equality, and supports Ukraine’s sustainable energy transition.
M Group Water
Capital Delivery Customer Team - transforming community engagement
The M Group Water Capital Delivery Customer Team has transformed community engagement by embedding a structured, inclusive outreach programme across live infrastructure projects. Working alongside partners including Bexley Women Aid, local schools, and community groups, the team has delivered targeted STEM education, championed female representation, and created meaningful connections within communities. From inspiring the next generation to supporting women into the utilities sector, their approach goes beyond traditional engagement, creating lasting social value. By integrating outreach into project delivery, the team has built trust, increased visibility, and demonstrated how infrastructure can positively impact communities both during and beyond construction.
Pennon Group
Education and Community Outreach Programme
Lisa Downes and Sophie Moore are nominated because of the difference their work makes to young people and their communities. Through countless in-house visits to Pennon Group's state-of-the-art FlowZone in Surrey, school visits, and community events, they have inspired thousands of children to care about water, sustainability and the environment. Lisa and Sophie don’t just deliver education, they connect with young people, spark curiosity and build confidence. As visible women working in the utilities sector, they challenge stereotypes, encourage girls into STEM, and show that our industry is welcoming, inclusive and driven by purpose.
United Utilities
International Women's Day STEM event
The International Women's Day STEM event is an annual event for Year 9 girls from a local school, designed to open their eyes to the incredible careers waiting for them in STEM. Timed with International Women’s Day, the event features an inspiring female speaker, an inside look at careers across UU, and fast paced mentoring sessions across a huge range of roles. The girls then return for an innovation challenge, working in teams to solve real water industry problems and pitching their ideas directly to UU leaders. It’s a confidence-boosting experience that shows young women the power and possibility of a future in STEM.