WTS International (WTS), the spa, fitness, lifestyle consultancy and management firm, has launched its 2016 corporate initiative, WELLness Begins with Water.

The initiative will include a number of charitable components in support of charity: water and also in partnership with the Green Spa Network and Global Wellness Day.

The mission of charity: water is to deliver clean, safe drinking water to developing nations.

It costs the organisation approximately US$10k to install a community well and WTS is aiming to raise this amount in partnership with its managed facilities, as well as corporately and through partnerships with selected preferred vendors.

Gary Henkin, president and CEO of WTS said: “We take our plentiful supplies of clean water for granted and our spa industry is founded on it, yet many people in the developing world do not even have access to clean drinking water.

“We believe this is a basic human right and here at WTS we’re committed to working with charity: water and also our partners, clients and stakeholders, to raise funds to improve the lives of people who are without safe water, by empowering them to take charge of their own water supply.”

Reducing plastic bottles

In a related initiative, WTS will also work with the Green Spa Network on the development of protocols and recommendations aimed at significantly reducing the number of plastic water bottles and cups used at WTS-managed spa, fitness and lifestyle facilities.

The Green Spa Network will track and compare usage in WTS-managed facilities to show the improvements made, while an implementation guide will be created by WTS and distributed among both its own managed properties and those associated within the Green Spa Network. The guide will provide solutions for reducing the carbon footprint created by plastic, as well as providing affiliated spas with suggestions on how to run their Global Wellness Day fundraising events.

WTS has also made a policy decision to select vendors who can show they’ve reduced water consumption during the production process.

Global Wellness Day has been successfully incorporated into all WTS facility marketing plans, and an implementation kit and accompanying flyers have been developed to make the launch straightforward. All proceeds raised from attendances at GWD events will be donated to charity: water in the name of WTS International.

"I highly commend WTS for raising money for this worthwhile cause," said Paul Schmidt, Green Spa Network executive director.

"The Green Spa Network is proud to partner with progressive companies like WTS and collaborate to cause positive change."