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Press Release from RIBI

March 2003

The Prince of Wales Speaks on WaterAid at Rotary Conference

On Friday 11th April, HRH The Prince of Wales will attend The Rotary International Conference in Blackpool. The Prince of Wales will thank Rotarians for their support for WaterAid which provides safe water and sanitation to the world's poorest people and which, this year, is the preferred International charity of Tony de St Dalmas, President of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI).

This year Rotarians have set a target of providing 21,000 people with safe water, sanitation and hygiene education in the Dodoma and Kiteto regions of Tanzania. So far this year Clubs have raised more than £80,000 through fundraising campaigns including a mobile phone recycling scheme which raises up to £30 per old phone. As it costs on average less than £15 to provide someone with safe water and sanitation for life that is enough to help two people to take the first steps out of poverty.

The Prince, an honorary Rotarian, and President of WaterAid for 12 years, has visited WaterAid projects in Nepal. In Asia and Africa women and children walk on average 6km a day to collect water from muddy rivers and water holes, knowing that the water they collect may bring disease to their families: a child dies every 15 seconds through water-related illness. HRH has also witnessed WaterAid's solutions which are based on empowering local communities to build and maintain their own sustainable supplies of safe water and sanitation facilities.

Ryna Sherazi, WaterAid Fundraiser says:

"The Prince of Wales' presence will be a great boost to Rotarians whose tireless support for WaterAid over the past 21 years has brought life's most basic necessities to many hundreds of thousands of people, helping them to take the first steps out of poverty."

At the conference The Prince will also meet three Rotarians Doug Muncey, Bill Jollans and Derek Pimble who were among the first recipients of WaterAid's President's Award for Outstanding Voluntary Contribution to WaterAid in 2002, WaterAid's 21st birthday year.

Ends

Notes
1. Media coverage of this event will be by Royal Rota. Any media organisation wishing to attend should apply for passes through their relevant organisation. For further details please contact Kirsteen Clark at St. James's Palace on 020 7024 5510 or Eilen Jones at GNN North West on 0161 952 4501.

2. For further information about WaterAid please contact Jules, Lisa or Sharon on 020 7 793 4553/4524 or julesacton@wateraid.org.uk

3. For further information about Rotary please contact Judith Diment 01628 672 965 or 07860 162 313 or Robin Freeman at RIBI, 01789 765 411.

4. WaterAid has enjoyed a successful relationship with Rotary Internati

onal in Great Britain and Ireland since 1984. Rotary Clubs have donated over two million pounds in that time.

5. Information on Rotary recipients of WaterAid's President's Award:

Doug Muncey, Woodford Green, Essex
Doug helped introduce WaterAid to Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland. Doug visited WaterAid projects in Tanzania in 1984. Doug encourages support for WaterAid through the many talks he gives to Community groups in London and Essex. Doug also devotes one day a week to working in WaterAid's London office.

Bill Jollans of Guisley Leeds
Bill was director of Operations for Yorkshire Water and, on retirement, became WaterAid's Engineering advisor for The Gambia, then Tanzania. Bill and his wife Joan have worked hard to promote WaterAid within Rotary and Inner Wheel in the North of England by speaking at District meetings. Bill was for a period the Chairman of WaterAid's Advisors Group when this was a forum for guiding many technical matters.

Derek Pimble of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Derek's awareness of WaterAid came through his Rotary membership and he was encouraged to become actively involved by a fellow Rotarian who worked in the Water Industry .Derek is an excellent orator who understands and conveys WaterAid's ethos wonderfully. Over the past 21 years a significant proportion of income from Community groups has resulted from Derek's efforts.