Walk for Water participants get set to walk, run or ride for clean water
Our annual Walk For Water event is taking place around Australia between 10-14 October 2022, calling on participants to walk, run or ride for five days to raise funds and awareness for WaterAid’s vital work.
771 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home. For hundreds of millions of people, that means long, dangerous and physically painful walks to collect water from sources that can be unsafe to drink.
Girls and boys often begin collecting water as children, and girls continue to collect and carry water throughout their lives. Many girls spend hours each day collecting water, which often means they are late for school, or miss school altogether.
By signing up for Walk for Water, participants will help to change this reality by walking, running or riding for five days and asking their networks to sponsor their efforts.
The Australian water sector has once again banded together in support of WaterAid’s life changing work, with corporate teams from around the country registering to take part in the event.
Daniel Weaver, Managing Director of Interflow, a long time supporter of WaterAid Australia, is excited to be involved in the event once again:
As a company, we’ve taken part in Walk For Water over the last two years. What initially began as a way for us to support WaterAid in lieu of the annual balls, which couldn’t go ahead because of the pandemic, quickly became one of the highlights of our year.
Walk For Water is important to us because it raises funds for WaterAid, as well as awareness of the work they do and why they do it.
For us at Interflow, it is a fantastic way for us to connect across the business, achieve something together, and encourage more movement in our lives.
A group of outstanding leaders across the water industry, including Daniel, have also stood up as ambassadors, or “Water Leaders” for the event, helping to raise both funds and awareness.
Paul Arnold, CEO of Urban Utilities, is a first time Water Leader this year. He said:
I’m honoured to take part in Walk for Water to help raise much-needed funds for WaterAid and generate awareness around the important global issue of water inequality.
Here in Australia, it’s so easy to take fresh, clean water for granted. But when you learn that one in ten of your fellow human beings aren’t afforded the same basic right, it makes you sit up and take notice. The statistics are distressing and simply unacceptable. As Water Leaders, we must use our voices to effect positive change.
Lindsey Brown, Water Market Leader and Principal at GHD, believes the water industry is in a uniquely powerful position to have an impact.
“The water industry has a unique appreciation for the complexities and challenges of achieving healthy water, sanitation and hygiene at any scale. So to me, they are the best and most powerful advocates for causes and events like Walk for Water.
“It makes me sad to think that even after all the efforts that have been made over so many years, that so many people are still struggling to have the basic necessities of a healthy life. It just goes to show how important our continued support is for WaterAid and that this work is still just as relevant as when it first began.
Teams and individuals will fight it out on the leader board to see who can raise the most funds this year.
Funds raised through Walk for Water will help communities around the world gain access to clean water sources close to home, freeing up women's time and enabling girls to spend more time at school.
Last year alone, WaterAid reached 388,000 household members, 155,000 school students and 1,618,000 patients in healthcare facilities with access to clean water*. Funds raised through Walk for Water are vital in maintaining and extending that impact.
Tom Muller, acting CEO of WaterAid Australia, says:
“Getting involved in Walk for Water is a great way for people to show their support for increasing access to safe water across the globe. It’s also an opportunity for workplaces to boost health and wellbeing, and come together for a really important cause”.
Click here for more information, or to register for Walk for Water.
* These figures refer to the people WaterAid has directly reached as a federation internationally through services delivered together with our partners. They only show part of our impact. To make lasting change happen on a massive scale, we also convince governments to change laws; link policy makers with people on the ground; change attitudes and behaviours; pool knowledge and resources; and rally support from people and organisations around the world. Through this work we benefit many more people than those shown below.