Aquabox

The provision of a supply of safe drinking-water. Wirksworth-based charity Aquabox has received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service "“ the UK's highest award for voluntary groups.


AQUABOX is an official project of District 1220, managed by its initiators, the Rotary Club of Wirksworth in Derbyshire.

Project Goal: To provide in the wake of both man made and natural disasters a rapid response provision of safe drinking water and welfare aid items.

Rotary Service Type: Involves either funding, organised collection or a combination of both.

Unique Selling Proposition: An inexpensive (under 1p per litre) easily transported and simple to operate method of restoring safe drinking water thus helping to minimize the outbreak of disease.

To find out more visit our website http://www.aquabox.org/

The charity, managed and run by the Rotary Club of Wirksworth, provides boxes of essential humanitarian aid together with a special filter to guarantee potable drinking water, to people in crisis-hit areas.
It recently sent 4,500 boxes to Turkey and the Lebanon to aid Syrian refugees and almost 2,000 have been shipped to earthquake-hit Nepal. Since the charity was formed in 1992 more than 105,000 boxes have been sent across the world.
More than 70 volunteers from the community go to the Aquabox depot each week to assemble the water filters or pack the boxes, which contain cooking utensils, hygiene equipment, tools, shelter materials, baby clothes and educational items.
“Everybody connected with Aquabox is absolutely thrilled,” said Mike Tomlinson, Chairman of the Trustees. “It recognises the hard work and dedication of all the volunteers who selflessly give up their time to ensure this vital aid goes to places where it is needed most.”
Mike and wife Dianne – also an Aquabox volunteer – attended the Queen's Garden party at Buckingham Palace last month where they met other recipients of the award: “It is fantastic that Aquabox has been recognised in this way and it was an honour to meet representatives of other important charities doing great work in the UK and overseas.”
The award committee chairman, former broadcast journalist Sir Martyn Lewis congratulated the winners: “The thousands of volunteers who give up their spare time to help others in the community and to help solve problems demonstrate the very best democracy in action.”
The award will be presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire William Tucker later in the summer.


Latest Aquabox Newsletter 15/5/17

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