The EA’s Ian Moxon is a dedicated fund raiser who has so far helped WaterAid net £37,000 by organizing teams of volunteers to work as bar staff at several major music festivals including Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Latitude.

The Environment Agency encourages its staff to support WaterAid and last year those working for the watchdog raised a total of £240,000 for the charity.

Mr Moxon recently travelled to Uganda to see how some of the money was being spent.

Almost half the population of the African country is surviving without any clean water to drink and risks disease using unsanitary toilets.

“I’m reminded every day of just how precious water is,” said Mr Moxon.

“Water in the UK is a resource that we often take for granted. In Uganda, thousands of children die every single day from water-borne illnesses like diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.”

On his 10 day trip, Ian experienced what life is like without water and sanitation.

He visited the urban slums and spent a day living with a family in Bwijanga, a remote rural village in the Masindi area of north-western Uganda. During the day he experienced just some of the trials that the people of Uganda have to endure every day – using water from swamps and living with raw sewage running through their homes.

WaterAid projects he witnessed included the development of sanitation blocks containing latrines and washrooms that prevent disease from spreading.

Ian continued: “WaterAid engages with communities in all of its projects, whether they’re urban or rural. This part of the work is vital; the involvement of the local people ensures ownership of the projects and helps achieve sustainable, long-term success.”

Nikki Skipper, WaterAid’s regional development manager said: “We’re so grateful to Ian, not only for being a fantastic advocate for WaterAid, but also for his incredible fundraising efforts.

“Just £15 can provide someone with a lasting supply of safe water; sanitation and hygiene education, meaning Ian and his team have helped nearly 2,500 people gain access to these essential services.

“This is a phenomenal achievement, and on behalf of WaterAid I would like to extend my thanks to Ian and the Environment Agency for all their hard work and continued support”

More information on WaterAid and its work can be found on the charity’s website.

David Gibbs

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