Dougray Scott thanks players of People’s Postcode Lottery who raise £10 million for WaterAid
Actor Dougray Scott has thanked People’s Postcode Lottery players as they marked £10 million raised for international charity WaterAid.
Golden envelopes containing £30,000 cheques were revealed on doorsteps in Aberdeen and Redditch, and the money raised from the draws helped the players reach the landmark figure of £10 million raised to help transform lives with clean water and decent sanitation.
Since 2013, players have supported WaterAid’s life-changing work across Sub-Saharan Africa to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone within a generation.
Their support has helped transform the lives of children like 11-year-old Hanitrasoa from Madagascar. Before WaterAid worked in her community, her school had no clean water or toilets, affecting the children’s health and education.
WaterAid Ambassador Dougray Scott, (Mission Impossible II, My Week with Marilyn, The Woman in White) said:
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the players of People's Postcode Lottery for supporting WaterAid's work around the world. When a community gets clean water, it creates a powerful ripple, improving people’s health, education and livelihoods, helping transform lives for good.”
Hanitrasoa said:
“Before, we didn’t have any water, so I didn’t drink all day at school. When we needed water to clean the blackboard, we used to fetch dirty water from the small lake outside the school, where people used to wash clothes and take a bath. Since we have had running water at school, we no longer use water from that small lake and are able to drink water at school. We also have nice latrines, which are separate for boys and girls.
“Going to school is now way better than before. I love going to school as I want to succeed, I want to be a teacher.”
Tim Wainwright, WaterAid’s Chief Executive, said:
“One in nine people around the world do not have clean water close to home, while one in three do not have a decent toilet of their own. This global crisis claims the lives of 800 children every single day; but it doesn’t have to be this way. Together with players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we are working towards a world where everyone everywhere has clean water, a decent toilet and good hygiene.
“Thanks to players’ ongoing support, communities from Madagascar to Mali and Ethiopia to Malawi have been experiencing the ripple effect that comes from getting clean water and decent sanitation. Mothers can give birth more safely in health centres, children are healthier and have the opportunity to go to school, and parents can work to support themselves and their families – that’s the water effect.”
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said:
“It’s easy for us to take clean water for granted, but there are 844 million people around the world who are not so fortunate. We are really proud that our players can support the vital work being carried out by WaterAid and help people in some of the world’s poorest communities get lifesaving water and toilet facilities.
“The generous support of our players is helping keep children healthy and in school. Spending less time collecting water and having access to more water also means the communities can better support themselves by being able to grow crops to sell or set up their own businesses.”
ENDS
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Notes to Editors:
People’s Postcode Lottery
Find more information about WaterAid and People's Postcode Lottery here.
WaterAid
WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to clean water and sanitation. The international not-for-profit organisation works in 28 countries to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25.8 million people with clean water and 25.1 million people with decent toilets. For more information, visit www.wateraid.org/uk, follow @WaterAidUK or @WaterAidPress on Twitter, or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid.
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844 million people in the world – one in nine – do not have clean water close to home.[1]
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2.3 billion people in the world – almost one in three – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]
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Around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's more than 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]
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Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]
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Just £15 can provide one person with clean water.[5]
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To find out if countries are keeping their promises on water and sanitation, see the online database www.WASHwatch.org
[1] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines
[2] WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG Baselines
[3] washwatch.org
[4] World Health organization (2012) Global costs and benefits of drinking-water supply and sanitation interventions to reach the MDG target and universal coverage
