Fundraising for WaterAid

Water is part of who we are at The Runnymede on Thames, with our wonderful riverside location and the diversity of fascinating life we watch going by on the water every day. That’s why it’s apt that our Leftbank Restaurant has been raising money for WaterAid since it opened in 2009. To date, we’ve raised more than £26,000 for the charity.

When ordering a carafe of water in Leftbank, we encourage guests to make a voluntary donation of 50p per carafe, of which 100% is donated to WaterAid. A staggering 844 million people don’t have access to clean water close to their home. Being able to access clean water is crucial for health, hygiene and the ability to live a normal life. As well as being a basic human right, access to clean water also helps the economy too, as water enables people to work and lead productive lives.

Children across the world are some of the worst affected by not being able to access water. UNICEF estimates 31% of schools don’t have access to clean water. It’s also estimated that 443 million school days are lost every year because of water-related illnesses. Giving people access to clean water is one of the easier things we can fix in the world, and it makes such a massive difference to people’s lives.

In the last year, WaterAid has helped 1,367,000 people access clean water. It’s estimated that they reach 109 people per hour with clean water and hygiene solutions. That’s a couple of hundred people helped in the time it takes to enjoy lunch in a restaurant.

WaterAid works in 28 countries and changes millions of lives every year. A huge thank you to all our guests who have donated money to WaterAid through our scheme at the Leftbank Restaurant.