Telford in bid to flush away poverty
A town has now achieved ‘toilet twinning’ status as part of a project to help those living in poorer countries.
The Ironbridge and Severn Gorge Lions have combined forces with Soroptomists International The Wrekin to twin enough toilets to give Telford the designated status.
Councillor Stephen Reynolds, Mayor of Telford and Wrekin Borough Council, has designated the public toilets at The Wakes, in Oakengates, as the mayor’s official convenience as part of the scheme.
Every toilet that gets twinned raises £60, which is used to fund a project in a poor community elsewhere in the world that enables families to build toilets and learn more about clean water hygiene, which can help save lives. One in three people across the world do not have a safe and hygienic toilet – and the toilet twinning scheme seeks to address that.
As part of the programme, the lions and soroptomists have twinned toilets in businesses, schools, restaurants and public places to ensure enough toilets are twinned.
The mayor’s official toilet at The Wakes was the final one to be twinned.
Councillor Reynolds was presented with a plaque to display over the toilet and a separate plaque to mark Telford’s twinned status by representatives of the Lions and the Soroptomists.
Councillor Reynolds said: “Every two minutes a child under five dies somewhere in the world because of dirty water and poor sanitation. Women and girls are vulnerable to being bitten by snakes or being attacked when they go to the toilet in the bush.
“I am proud that Telford is supporting toilet twinning to help flush away poverty one toilet at a time.
“I am delighted to designated the public toilets at The Wakes as the mayor’s official toilet.”
Twinning toilets can cover the cost of various facilities abroad, with a £240 donation covering a toilet block in a school or refugee camp, and £60 for a single facility in a poor area.
For further information, go to toilettwinning.org/twin-your-toilet
