We are proud to provide a sustainable, affordable, clean and safe water supply and to manage and treat the waste water returned to us in a way that protects the environment.
04/07/2008
Golf fanatic Dave Whiteley is in full swing to save lives in Africa and Asia.
As tournament director, Dave, aged 56, who lives in Tynemouth and works at Northumbrian Water’s Head Office in Pity Me, Durham, organised a top-flight Pro-AM competition, and also took part in a 30 mile, dawn-till-dusk golf marathon.
The two events, which raised over £12,500 for WaterAid, the water company’s adopted, international charity, will go ‘a fairway’ to provide more than 830 people in the developing world with safe, clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education. A child dies every 17 seconds in the developing world because of the lack of these basic human rights.
The WaterAid Pro-Am Golf Day, which was held at Tynemouth Golf Club, saw 42 local professionals captain 42 amateur teams, made up of Northumbrian Water employees, contractors and suppliers.
The round-the-clock marathon was also held at Tynemouth Golf Club and Dave joined distribution technician Nick Armstrong, who works at Cramlington sewage treatment works, maintenance team leader, Jason Lowcock, who works at Broken Scar water treatment works in Darlington and David Smith from Elyo Services Limited, based at Team Valley, Gateshead, to complete six rounds of golf in one day.
Dave said: “I’m so pleased that we’ve managed to raise £12,500, which is enough to bring clean, safe drinking water to hundreds of people in some of the world’s poorest countries.
“It’s so easy in this country to take the water we get for granted when we turn on the tap, but for many people around the world, water can be diseased and deadly.”
Mr Whiteley has gone to extraordinary lengths to raise money for WaterAid in the past, including playing a round of golf dressed as a penguin, a freezing boxing day dip in the North Sea and pedalling for pounds on a giant toilet bike!
Results from WaterAid Pro-Am Golf Day, Thursday, June 12, 2008
Westerhope golf professional George Cowan equalled the Tynemouth course record, set by Tyneside professional Gary Vickers in August 2007, with a magnificent round of 65.
The winning team, Newcastle-based solicitors Hunt Kidd, accompanied by Bill Marklew, professional at Ulverston Golf Club, won in 17 under par with a score of 123. Northumbrian Water Property Solutions, based at Pity Me, Durham, were runners-up, with a score of 125.
Results from Round the Clock Golf marathon, Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The four golfers started at 4.30am and finished at 9.10pm, sinking more than 108 holes and playing about 500 shots, starting in heavy rain.
£500 in sponsorship was raised for WaterAid.
Ends
For further information contact Leanne Clough on 0191 301 6733.
WaterAid Facts
• Clean water is essential for life, but over a billion people in the world do not have it. This and the lack of sanitation result in over two million people dying from water-related diseases every year. The lack of clean water close to people's homes also affects people's time, livelihoods and quality of life.
• WaterAid works in 17 of the world's poorest countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. These countries are Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia in Africa; Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan in Asia; and Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste in the Pacific region.
• Since it’s creation in 1981, WaterAid has given more than 8 million people in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Region a helping hand to a better, healthier and happier life.
• It only costs £15 to provide one person with a lasting supply of safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education for life.