Wimbledon Foundation champions water for all through new partnership with WaterAid

on
21 March 2018
In
Water, Partnership
Children in Madagascar celebrate gaining access to clean water
Image: WaterAid/Ernest Randriarimalala

WaterAid is proud to announce a new three-year partnership with the Wimbledon Foundation, which will help transform lives in some of the world’s poorest communities through access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

The launch of the partnership is timed to observe World Water Day on 22 March – a day to focus global attention on the 844 million people living without clean water, which has a devastating impact on their health, education and ability to earn a living.

Established in 2013, the Wimbledon Foundation is the official charity of The All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships. The Foundation aims to use the resources and heritage of Wimbledon to help improve people’s lives, both in the local area and on an increasingly global scale. Accordingly, the Foundation has taken the decision to seek an international charity partner, and is delighted to have formed an agreement with WaterAid.

The Wimbledon Foundation will donate £100,000 annually for three years to help WaterAid make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for communities in three countries, Ethiopia, Malawi and Nepal, supporting WaterAid’s work in health centres, schools and communities.

Helen Parker, Wimbledon Foundation and Community Manager, said:

“Water is vital to Wimbledon: it keeps our grass courts maintained and our competitors hydrated. However, we are well aware that not everyone is as fortunate. The basics of clean water and good sanitation are vital for health and education, enabling children to fulfil their potential, and yet around 800 children die each day from diseases caused by a lack of clean water and good sanitation. That is why the Wimbledon Foundation is proud to be championing water for all through our new partnership with WaterAid. We share their vision of a world where everyone everywhere has access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, and as the charity of an international sporting event, we are excited to be helping them to make a difference.”

Tim Wainwright, WaterAid Chief Executive, said:

“We are delighted that the Wimbledon Foundation is supporting our goal of ensuring clean water and toilets for all by 2030. Joining forces with the charitable arm of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament will provide much needed funds for our work in some of the poorest countries while also helping raise awareness of the urgent need to address the global water and sanitation crisis. Together, we can help entire communities break free from poverty and change their lives for good.”

Across the world, one in nine people live without clean water close by, while one in three have nowhere decent to go to the toilet at home. WaterAid works with local partners in some of the world’s poorest countries to bring lasting solutions to communities, while also working with the government to influence policy and practice.

For more information, please contact:

WaterAid: Laura Crowley at [email protected] or +44 (0)207 793 4965. Alternatively, please call our after-hours press line on +44 (0)7887 521 552 or email [email protected]
Wimbledon Foundation: Rachel Swithinbank at [email protected] or +44 020 8971 2703
The All England Lawn Tennis Club: Eloise Tyson at [email protected] or +44 (0)208 971 2468

Notes to Editors:

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 34 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.

  • 844 million people in the world – one in nine – do not have clean water close to home.[1]

  • 2.3 billion people in the world – almost one in three – do not have a decent toilet of their own.[2]

  • Around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.[3]

  • Every £1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of £4 in increased productivity.[4]

  • Just £24 can provide one person with clean water.[5]

  • To find out if countries are keeping their promises on water and sanitation, see the online database www.WASHwatch.org

Wimbledon Foundation

The Wimbledon Foundation, established in 2013, is the charity of The All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships. For more information please visit www.wimbledon.com/foundation, follow @WimbledonFdn on Twitter, or email [email protected].
The aim of the Wimbledon Foundation is to help change people’s lives using the resources and heritage of Wimbledon. The Foundation does this through playing (using the power of sport, particularly tennis, to advance young people’s personal development); giving (making a valuable contribution to meeting social needs, especially in our local community of Merton and Wandsworth); and learning (using Wimbledon’s unique heritage, in conjunction of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, to support the education of young people). Since its establishment, the Wimbledon Foundation has donated more than £1.35million to over 130 charities via its local grants programmes.

[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

[5] www.wateraid.org/uk