WaterAid Australia and Elyse Knowles

What does The Block winner Elyse Knowles, an international water and sanitation organisation, and hair care brand have in common?

They're all passionate about a world where everyone, everywhere has access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

Australian model, TV personality and author Elyse Knowles has become the national brand ambassador for environmentally conscious hair care brand AVEDA; a partnership built on the two's shared values and mutual care for the environment.

For Knowles, the partnership "just felt right in the gut" for a number of reasons, one of those being that AVEDA is a long-time supporter of WaterAid, an organisation she also holds close to her heart.

WaterAid Australia Chief Executive Rosie Wheen has expressed pride in seeing two of the organisation's biggest supporters joining forces, calling it "a testament to our shared belief in the strength of collaboration and in working together to make a bigger difference."

Both Knowles and AVEDA are loyal supporters of WaterAid, which aims to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

Elyse Knowles has been an ambassador for WaterAid Australia's events since 2016 and last year travelled to Timor-Leste to see firsthand how WaterAid makes a difference in the lives of people who don't have access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. She is the face of WaterAid's Water Challenge fundraising event, which runs every March.

AVEDA has a long history supporting WaterAid and fundraises for the organisation through its annual AVEDA Earth Month every April. Since 1999, Aveda has raised more than $50 million to support organisations that directly affect environmental change, including more than $44 million to support projects that protect clean water at home and around the world since 2007.

"When AVEDA approached me, it just felt right. Not only have they got eco-friendly products, they care about our planet and it just connected with me so well.
"Aveda have given me the privilege of coming on board as their Ambassador and I could not be more pumped! This Ambassador role is something I will not take lightly as I am so passionate about the brand and our shared values in protecting our environment and giving back to society.
"When I discovered Aveda also supports WaterAid, an organisation I have been working with the past few years, this was another sign that there was a strong connection between their brand and myself. To put it simply, partnering with Aveda just felt right in my gut."
- Elyse Knowles

"Aveda's core brand values, and Elyse's personal values align perfectly. It's not often that you find an inspirational role model who really cares about our environment like she does, we couldn't be prouder to begin this partnership with Elyse."
- Clint Piper, Aveda Brand General Manager

"It's so important to us that the organisations and people we partner with share our values. AVEDA and Elyse Knowles are two great examples of that and we thank them both for their ongoing commitment to WaterAid.
"Elyse and AVEDA's partnership with WaterAid is a testament to our shared belief in the strength of collaboration and in working together to make a bigger difference.
"As a fellow Eltham local, I have really enjoyed getting to know Elyse on a personal level over the past few years and admire the way she is using her personal platform to spread the word about the importance of clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene."
-Rosie Wheen, WaterAid Australia Chief Executive

WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone, everywhere has safe water, sanitation and hygiene. The international organisation works in countries across Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific region to transform lives by improving access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene in some of the world's poorest communities. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 24 million people with safe water and, since 2004, 24 million people with sanitation. For more information, visit: www.wateraid.org/au