Bristol West Deanery Chapter visits Wessex Water, to build on relationships with local businesses and raise the profile of local charities.
Bristol West Deanery covers a large and diverse geography. One significant element of this is the industrial area, known as Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area, which is of international significance. It covers five miles along the Severn Estuary and provides an easily accessible location for large-scale industrial, distribution, energy and waste producing sectors.
As part of the process of building relationships with local businesses, Bristol West Chapter visited Wessex Water (and when we say ‘water’ think sewage). More delicately termed ‘Water Recycling’, this plant treats 888 million litres of sewage from 2.9 million customers, every day, before releasing back to the environment.
It is important that the church has a voice on matters of importance and is well informed
Matters associated with the frequency of ‘storm overflow’ and infrastructure investment are currently very much in the media, and visiting the site was a valuable way to learn more about the checks and balances associated with the process.
The relationship with Wessex Water is also of consequence at a local level
Through the social justice ministries of St Andrew’s in Avonmouth, St Peter’s in Lawrence Weston and Bristol North West Foodbank we have been cultivating relationships with the businesses and industries surrounding Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, amounting to engagement with around 35,000 employees. This has resulted in positive connections, and - in particular - financial support and practical business engagement for Bristol North West Foodbank.
Our close links with Wessex Water have grown out of the tragic incident that happened in December 2020 at the Avonmouth Sewage and Energy Regeneration Works. Our continuing partnership with Wessex Water is born out of our common desire to help bring transformation to the local people through our social justice ministries, in particular through Bristol North West Foodbank and the Space4makers Workshop.