Coastal Path Walking for WaterAid

Without a doubt the UK coastline boasts some of our most amazing scenery. Picture in your mind rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, tidal estuaries and abundant wildlife. Perfect places for walking! Oh, and there’s one more thing you might notice on a coastal walk… lots of water! Which brings us onto WaterAid, a Non-Governmental Organisation dedicated to providing clean water and sanitation for poor people, and who are holding a coastal walking charity fundraiser this September.

One in ten people worldwide do not have access to clean water. Over two and a half billion live without somewhere safe to go to the toilet. Every day 4,000 children die from diarrhoea caused by dirty water and poor sanitation. WaterAid

Walk for WaterAid

The coastal walking event, called Coast Along 2012, is taking place across the UK on 15 September. You can choose to start your walk from one of nine hubs or one of 200 linear routes. Routes range from 4 to 15 miles and you can choose walks with range difficulties. Walks that start from a hub are mostly circular and will include games, competitions and a post-walk reception which make them ideal for families.

WaterAid are hoping that participants of the Coast Along Walk will be able to raise £150,000 to help provide people with clean water and safe sanitation.

Imagine walking for two hours for one glass of water. Water that you know could give you and your family a life-threatening illness.

Millions of people around the world have no choice but to do this every single day. WaterAid.

What Do WaterAid Do?

WaterAid helps people in 27 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, working both rural and urban areas. Working with and engaging with local communities, WaterAid are able to provide lasting solutions that enable these people to drink clean water and have access to safe sanitation. On top of the obvious help benefits, these projects help lift people out of poverty. Having a nearby water source means that people, mainly women and girls, do not have to spend hours each day collecting water. This gives the women time to do economic work and the girls are able to spend more time in education. Empowerment of women also helps to reduce birth rates.

Register for Coast Along!

With the nine hub walks and 200 linear walks taking place on the 15th of September, there should be an event going on near you. So why not take part and help improve people’s lives. For more information and to register for the walk, please visit the WaterAid Coast Along website.