Musicians won't let it drop at Glastonbury

Salif Keita won't let it drop

Credit: WaterAid/Philipp Ebeling

15 June 2010

Musicians at this year's Glastonbury Festival are rallying behind WaterAid's 'Don't Let it Drop' campaign.

The campaign is supported by Michael and Emily Eavis, Faithless, Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, The Cribs, Foals, Joshua Radin, Ricky Wilson and Nick Hodgson from the Kaiser Chiefs, Salif Keita, Emmanuel Jal, The Duke Spirit, Goldie, Amadou and Mariam and Biffy Clyro.

The campaign sends a message to world leaders ahead of an important UN summit on global poverty this September. It calls on leaders not to let their promises on safe water and sanitation drop, and asks people everywhere to visit www.wateraid.org/droplet to sign the petition.

WaterAid is one of the festival's official charities and the film will be screened at Glastonbury on the big screens at the Pyramid and Other Stage over the festival weekend, but you can get a sneak preview below. Each artist sports a WaterAid 'droplet' tattoo and pledges not to let the issue drop:

Festival goers are encouraged to add their voice to the campaign by signing the petition and wearing the specially designed tattoo, which will be available at Glastonbury.

WaterAid is holding world leaders to the promises they made ten years ago, when they first came together at the UN to agree the Millennium Development Goals, a set of targets to tackle world poverty by 2015.

There are just five years to go and targets in Sub-Saharan Africa for water continue to fall behind but, most shockingly, the aim of halving the proportion of the world's
population without adequate sanitation is almost 200 years behind target.

 Michael and Emily Eavis said: "We hope everyone at Glastonbury and everyone watching at home signs up to the Don't Let it Drop campaign.

"Water and sanitation are vital in getting people out of poverty and we all need to put our voice behind this message to world leaders."

According to Sister Bliss of Faithless, "These promises have to be followed through with actions. Sanitation and water are so precious, we're so lucky to have them in this country.

"Imagine for one minute what it's like not to have sanitation or access to clean water where you live, to do all the things you need to do."

Corinne Bailey Rae adds: "I've seen first hand how important water and sanitation
are in helping people out of poverty ­ sign up now to show your support."

WaterAid at Glastonbury 2010

WaterAid will be providing Glastonbury goers with new composting toilets in the King's Meadow, the famous women's urinal (the she-pees), as well as handing out water at the WaterAid stand by the Pyramid Stage. The ever popular giant poo and toilet costumes will also be making their annual appearances at the festival!

WaterAid has been an official charity of Glastonbury since 1994 and over this time the festival has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for clean water and sanitation projects for some of the world's poorest communities.

In 2006, Michael and Emily Eavis visited WaterAid's work in Mozambique to see
first hand the difference that donations from the festival make.

• To find out more about WaterAid at Glastonbury visit www.wateraid.org/glasto
  
  
• For updates in the run up to and at the festival, follow our live blog at www.wateraid.org/glastoblog where you can also add your comments and pics
  
  
• You can also follow us on twitter @wateraid and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid 
  

Notes to editor

• High res images of the artists supporting Don't Let it Drop are available
  for media
  
  
• For more information and pictures please contact: meltompkins@wateraid.org or call 020 7793 4995, 0779 328 2764 or 07971 937 670
  
  
• The video is at www.wateraid.org/glasto and www.youtube.com/wateraid
  
  
• Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, Joshua Radin, Biffy Clyro, Kaiser Chiefs, Faithless, Foals phootos must be credited as: WaterAid/Mark Pengelly
  
  
• The Cribs, Salif Keita, Emily Eavis photos must be credited as: WaterAid/Philipp Ebeling

WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and
sanitation. 

Our mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world¹s poorest communities.  We work with partners and influence decision-makers to maximise our impact.

• At least 4000 children die every day as a result of diseases
  caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.
  
  
• 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water.
  This is roughly one in eight of the world's population.
  
  
• 2.6 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate
  sanitation, this is almost two fifths of the world's population.
  
  
• Just £15 can enable one person to access safe water, improved
  hygiene and sanitation.