Drive to save lives

12/05/2006

Extra-time has been given for people to book places at a charity ball at the top of the North East events league table.

As well as saving lives, everyone who attends the Northumbrian WaterAid FootBall will have the chance to win a Ford Ka on the night!

The WaterAid FootBall, which is on Friday June 2, is just one week before the FIFA World Cup kicks off and is to be held at the Marriott Gosforth Park Hotel, Newcastle.  A table of ten costs £850 – this amount of money will save more than 50 peoples’ lives.

Each table will be kitted out in the colours of the World Cup countries and compete against each other to win some fantastic prizes, including the brand new car.  Money raised at this unique Football tournament is sure to strike out the daily misery of hundreds of people in the developing world.

WaterAid, which is Northumbrian Water’s adopted international charity, provides clean, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education in Africa and Asia – things which we in the North East take for granted every day.

More than two million children die every year because of dirty, polluted water – that is the equivalent of forty-two 50,000-seater full football stadiums.  A shocking statistic!
 
Water worker, Dave Whiteley, who has been actively involved in raising awareness of WaterAid for 22 years, said:  “The Northumbria WaterAid fundraising committee has worked really hard over the past ten years to raise money and awareness for this life-saving charity.    We are hoping that the WaterAid FootBall will help us to reach our £2 million goal!

“I love football and think the night will be thoroughly enjoyable.  The money raised will provide basic human rights.  Think about how many times you have used water already today.  I know I would really struggle to cope without clean, safe drinking water and somewhere safe to go to the toilet – billions of people have this struggle every day of their lives.”

To reserve a place at the WaterAid FootBall or to find out more information about the charity, WaterAid, please contact Julie Wilson on 0191 301 6713 or julie.wilson@nwl.co.uk.  You can make a real difference to someone’s life forever.

For further information contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.