Water Aid - Waltzing waters wishing well

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The wishing well project started in 1994. Though Rotary had a wishing well outside the L A Bowl the last time the original well was empted It contained £125 and a number of unmentionable things as well - not a roaring success.

Ryde Rotary Club were approached by the owner of Waltzing Waters Alex Donald who had just started a similar scheme in the Cairngorms near Inverness with the local club there in the new Waltzing Waters set up there.

Ryde Rotary Club were invited to go and see the Waltzing Waters venue and show at the Westridge centre which was originally a swimming pool , Club members went along, although several  members were sceptical due to our previous experience it was agreed to go ahead with the venture. John Timms made the well.

It became apparent that being indoors and with the fountains, coloured lights and movement to the variety of tunes it was an attraction that was taking off, being just the thing for damp days and evening entertainment.

The money collected significantly increased and thanks to an announcement during the performance about the well, hundreds of pounds were being taken when the well was emptied.

On average between £11,000 to £15,000 a year is emptied from the well.

When £10,000 is collected the Rotary Club ask for a project to which our £10,000 can be donated.

WaterAid do not actually work on individual one off projects but tend to have an area in a country where they try to make a difference not only providing clean water to drink but sanitation and  education of the girls who used to collect (dirty) water from a local water source, thes girls would often walk up to 6 kilometres twice a day carrying on their shoulders or heads a 10 litre canister thus giving them no schooling and deformities to neck and shoulders etc.

Since 1994 Ryde Rotary Club has collected around £200,000 achieving a commendation from Prince Charles who is the patron of WaterAid. Ryde Rotary Club is the highest giver of all UK of Rotary Clubs.

Rotary Club members get involved in emptying the well of water, extracting the coins,,cleaning the well,  refilling the well with clean water and a few coins, then follows the sorting, drying, bagging and banking of the money every week, not a difficult task but time consuming.

The Water Aid programme is a huge asset to those people who do not have access to clean water, the lack of such a basic facility can cause large problems in their life or even death - all because of something simple like clean water. 

NG