Fundraising Ideas
By Kathleen Artman
Welcome to the Cholera and Thames
fundraising page. The Westminster Archives has been working closely with WaterAid throughout the cholera project and we would like to highlight the various ways that your school can get involved in raising money to further WaterAid’s effort to alleviate the impact of cholera around the world today.
Children all over the UK have mobilized to raise money to further the efforts of WaterAid, an international NGO based out of London with the stated mission to improve “access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.” One young Sea Scout named Jacob raised an amazing £1,011.30 through a sponsored swim to provide families around the world with toilets. The 183th Glascow Cubs troop raised over £700 by selling and delivering over 2,000 Christmas cards. WaterAid encourages creative and fun fundraising ideas for the community at large, children and schools.
Once cholera is contracted, 80% of people with the disease can be easily treated through the administration of oral rehydration salts. WHO recommends that cholera treatment centers (CTCs) be set up in infected areas to administer treatment effectively. This administration can reduce the fatalities due to the disease to less than 1%. This treatment, however, does not address the root issue of a lack of clean water and sanitation. Prior to any outbreaks, simply providing clean drinking water can prevent cholera. Water Aid continually stresses that safe water and sanitation are crucial to the prevention and further spread of cholera and other related diarrheal diseases.
The organization works with schools in the UK to raise awareness of the devastation that a lack of access to proper water and sanitation creates around the world—particularly through water borne diseases. They also partner with schools to fundraise in order to further WaterAid’s global effort to eradicate poverty by increasing access to clean water. The money that school’s raise goes towards a variety of different projects that WaterAid conducts around the world to help provide the basic human right of clean water to those who lack it. The size of the donation does not matter—anything makes a difference. As little as £12 can buy two taps which provide communities with access to clean water, while up to £292 can buy a hand dug well and hand pump. For more ideas on how your pounds can provide communities around the world with access to clean water, check out Water Aid’s Shop for Life store at http://www.wateraid.org/uk/donate/6251.aspx.
Accompanying their fundraising efforts, WaterAid provides extensive resources for schools who are interested in fundraising including lesson plans, power points, pamphlets, parent letters, posters, etc. Some of the most recent and most popular fundraising efforts have been Buckets for Pennies, Spotlight on Water and Walk for Water.
Buckets for Pennies is an
effort to get students to collect their pennies in various creative ways to raise money for WaterAid’s efforts to promote clean water and sanitation around the world. Spotlight on Water is a project that incorporates the creative arts into teaching children around the world about clean water and sanitation. Schools can incorporate songs about clean water, provided by WaterAid, into their student assemblies or put on a concert to raise both awareness and funds for WaterAid’s global efforts. Walk for Water is another popular fundraiser that consists of a sponsored walk that raises money for those around the world without access to clean water. These three ideas only scratch the surface of the numerous fundraising ideas that WaterAid has for schools and individuals in the community. If you would like to partner with WaterAid in fundraising efforts check out the following links for more information.
Fundraising A to Z guide (fundraising ideas for every letter of the alphabet):
http://www.wateraid.org/splash_out/fundraising/5022.asp
The Inspiration Station: (Creative Fundraising ideas to get you started)
http://www.wateraid.org/documents/the_inspiration_station__30_ways_to_help_wateraid_1.pdf
Sources
http://www.wateraid.org/splash_out/share/6489.asp http://www.wateraid.org/splash_out/fundraising/5022.asp http://www.wateraid.org/uk/about_us/vision_and_mission/default.asp http://www.wateraid.org/uk/donate/6251.asp http://www.wateraid.org/uk/get_involved/community_groups/spotlight_on_water/default.asp