Spend a penny to help thousands get better sanitation

Wellington Rotary Club has launched a campaign to make its area a twin toilet town, to help bring clean water and sanitation to thousands.

It wants businesses including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons to donate £60 to the Toilet Twinning scheme, which will team up a public or staff toilet.

The club is hoping at least 20 will come forward. Rotarians say the money could come from fundraising or be simply donated directly by a business.

The international scheme is helping communities in 45 countries tackle the problem of sanitation and hygiene, something that has become even more significant in recent months with the need to protect the vulnerable from Covid.

Toilet Twinning is working on a variety of projects, which vary according to the needs of individual communities.

It estimates more than two billion do not have somewhere safe to go to the toilet.

Peter Seaward, of Wellington rotary, said: “Toilet Twinning is helping thousands of people get clean water and sanitation.

"It’s something we take for granted in this country and is a very basic need but so many people simply don’t have access to it.

“The work Toilet Twinning is doing is not only helping to achieve this but is also highlighting the problem experienced by so many.

"Clean water and sanitation is vitally important in preventing disease and keeping people healthy.

“We are keen to hear from bars, restaurants – anyone really who would like to get involved.

"They simply donate £60 to help make Wellington a twin toilet town, which will help to fund a project in a poor community that will enable families to build a basic toilet, learn about hygiene and have access to clean water.

“Anyone taking part will receive a certificate to hang in the loo, which shows a photograph of their overseas toilet twin along with GPS coordinates so they can look up their twin’s location.”

For further information or to support the Wellington twin toilet scheme, email vic.young@talk21.com