This Gold Standard project, based primarily in Uganda and Malawi, provides clean drinking water to small rural communities by repairing and drilling new boreholes. Boreholes can be used as water wells by installing a vertical pipe casing and well screen, which allows water to be extracted from the ground. By providing clean water, communities no longer need to purify water through boiling. This alleviates pressure on local forests – the predominant source of firewood – and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

This project has many sustainable benefits, ranging from improving the health and well-being of the local community, protecting them from severe droughts and empowering women by reducing the time needed to collect and purify water and enabling them to focus on other income-generating activities.

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Water-borne disease has been identified as a national priority in Guatemala given the high incidence of diarrhoeal disease and chronic malnutrition. This project, which is the first Gold Standard water treatment or cookstove project in the country, distributes water filters and stoves that enable access to clean water and improve cooking conditions by increasing fuel efficiency and reducing harmful indoor air pollution. Water is purified through a gravity-fed ceramic filter made of clay, sawdust, colloidal silver, and carbon, which can treat two litres of non-potable water per hour and removes 99% of pathogens.

In addition to health and well-being benefits of the project, decreasing fuelwood use reduces the threat to biodiversity and creates more local jobs – over 800 staff are employed throughout the supply chain, in manufacturing, installation and training.

Based on the island of Borneo in Indonesia, this project preserves carbon-dense tropical peat swamp by helping to halt deforestation of roughly 47,000 hectares of forest which were originally slated for conversion to palm oil plantations. The project focuses on both community development - encompassing 2,000 households living within the project area - and biodiversity conservation, particularly the protection of the endangered Borneo Orangutan. The project actively engages local communities to improve food security, income opportunities, health care and education - all with the support of carbon finance.

In addition to this, the project delivers a number of other benefits including, training communities to manufacture and sell inexpensive water filtration devices, to provide clean drinking water.

Icon also supports the Hope Classic Rally which raises funds for WeSeeHope to transform the lives and futures of children in some of Africa’s toughest and harshest environments.

From rehabilitating isolated children back into their communities, to educating young people and training them in vocational and business skills, WeSeeHope focuses on delivering tangible and sustainable impact. To see how WeSeeHope help those in need, watch this short video on Yona's story.

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The Wimbledon Guild offer a wide range of services available at little or no cost to people who live or work in Merton. They are currently providing more services to more people than at any other time in their history. Many local people experiencing financial, material and emotional hardship are unable to get the support they need anywhere else. 

We have supported the Polka Theatre Freefalling programme since 2014. Freefalling is a drama programme provided free-of-charge to Merton Borough children aged 9-11 years old who are, or may be, at risk of social exclusion or who are experiencing difficulties at home or school.

In 2015, Icon’s Director of Operations and Director of Services (Ben Hallifax and Darren Capehorn) raised over £7,000 for Tanzania-based Amani Children’s Home by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. We feel that we can make a real difference by sponsoring employees in their charitable challenges and we often match-fund our employees’ contributions.

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In 2016 and 2017, Icon supported and took part in the Guts in Motion Paris to London cycle ride that takes place over 3 days every July to raise money to fund research into greater understanding and treatments for Crohns disease and colitis.  Since starting in 2010 the event has raised over £500,000 every penny of which has gone directly into research programs at leading hospitals and universities.

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We’re proud to be part of the number one payroll giving scheme in the UK. “CAF Give As You Earn” helps over 3,000 companies and 400,000 staff to give nearly £80m to charity each year. 

We’re delighted to have been awarded the Gold Payroll Giving Quality Mark for our organisation’s commitment to payroll giving and corporate social responsibility.