Urgent appeal
Page 29
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IT t is rare for me to write to supporters other than to thank them for a donation. This is partly because people do not like unsolicited mail, and partly because we try to spare every penny in our paperwork, preferring to put our funds directly into projects.
We are (we think) the only charity in the world that refurbishes water tankers for community projects. For the past four years most of these trucks have gone to work in refugee camps that, sadly, are a fact of life in the world today, particularly in Africa We now have tankers in nine countries in Africa, three in Jordan and three in India. The latter form part of the local infrastructure, as mains water in India is on the whole found only in towns. Around 1.5 million people now rely on our tankers for their daily needs. When shipped, our tankers are full of clothes, medicines and schoolbooks— items that impoverished people value almost as much as the water they will eventually get from them.
When we started, back in 1985, our first few trucks were prepared outside, literally in the puddles. We then found a local garage that did the work at cost price. In 1992 we found some very dilapidated premises of our own, together with Dick, a mechanic of the old school, who could turn his hand to anything. We then built our own paintshop, enabling us to make the trucks look as good as they ran.
Over the years the demand for our tankers has grown, and we needed more space. Last year we moved to bigger premises and, hopefully, I will soon have an office, after 13 years in the front room at home! We hope to make it our permanent base.
On 1 September our lease runs out. It is non-renewable, and unless we come up with £70,000, the landlord will put the premises up for sale. We have nowhere to go and our tanker-building days will come to an end.
So far we have raised £50,000, but there are just two months left in which to raise the last £20,000. Can anyone help, please? I have never liked asking for money, but things are desperate and I can see 15 years' hard work coming to an end.
Neil Battersby, Action Water, Truro, Cornwall I– Anyone out there who wishes to contribute to this excellent charity should phone 01209 715385—Ed.