BRITs raise a glass to 10-year Life Water partnership

Water shortages were a fact of life for the 1200 residents of Sotokoi Village. Found just off the South Bank Road of the Trans-Gambia Highway – the motorway starting in The Gambia’s capital Banjul that spans the country’s entire southern half – it was not uncommon for the community of subsistence farmers to go without drinking water for significant, agonising periods. Well, that was the case until a few months after the likes of Stormzy, Lizzo, Cat Burns and more took to the stage at The O2 Arena last February.

The latest project delivered by a ten-year strong partnership between The BRITs and Life Water, a clean water source was recently created in Sotokoi as a direct result of the donation made following last year’s ceremony. 

“This source of clean water that has been provided, is life-changing for the community members,” reported Life Water’s sister charity, Drop4Drop, who oversaw this latest installation which brings the amount of drinking water donated globally thanks to The BRITs up to the equivalent of 10,000 cases.

Starting from 2013, the water served to guests at each year’s BRIT Awards ceremony has directly helped communities in India and Africa thanks to the unique way Life Water works.

A social enterprise, the drinking water company sells high-quality, locally-sourced mineral water to consumers in Britain before channelling all their profits to Drop4Drop so they can start to address the fact that almost one billion people across the world are still living without access to clean water.   

With the water served to guests – still or sparkling – coming from Life Water for a decade now, each year’s awards has directly facilitated a different project, bringing clean water to ten different villages.

“We are honoured to be celebrating 10 years of partnership with The BRIT Awards, as their sustainable water partner,” says Life Water and Drop4Drop Founder Simon Konecki.
“Over the past decade, we have made an incredible difference together – providing clean drinking water to over 10,000 people across the globe and reducing the use of single-use plastic during events. This has all been made possible through The BRIT Awards partnership with Life Water. Here's to the impact we've already made and will continue to have – making waves of positive change together. We are looking forward to changing the lives of tens of thousands of people together in the next 10 years!”

The partnership with Life Water has also brought benefits closer to home. When in 2018, The BRIT Awards committed to reducing its plastic usage, the water supplier’s market-leading environmental commitments immediately played a key role in both avoiding single-use plastics and helping The BRITs to move towards its Beyond Zero carbon targets.

Not only does Life Water’s commitment to locally sourced water mean all its products travel the shortest distance possible reducing the amount of carbon produced, but by using 70% recycled aluminium in its casings, and by making all their bottles and cans 100% recyclable, Life Water were able to offer the UK’s first zero plastic solution to“on-the-go hydration”.

With Life Water available at The BRIT Awards, War Child’s BRITs week gigs and used by The BRIT School, it means the use of over 120,000 single-use plastic bottles has been avoided, making the decade-long partnership truly refreshing for both thirsty people and the planet.

“One of the special things about The BRIT Awards are the long term partnerships that make up its family of supporters, and over the past decade, Life Water has become core to The BRIT Awards ceremony,”  says BPI CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE of the relationship. “We are proud of the difference we can make around the world by supporting their vital work to bring clean water to where it is most needed, and we are grateful to Life Water for their continuing role in helping us to deliver an increasingly sustainable BRITs. Cheers!” 

Full details of Life Water and Drop4Drop’s BRITs-funded project at Sotokoi Village in The Gambia, along with information about all the projects the partnership has facilitated, can be found at: drop4drop.org/projects/client/the-brits-awards/