Imagine walking ten miles a day just to get some clean water to drink. Something we all take for granted by turning the tap on - but over 770 million people around the world have no easy access to clean water and the basic hygiene that provides. In todays society - that's pretty bad. 

I've been donating small amounts to Water Aid for the last seven or so years. It first started when my son Alexander was five - he had been watching TV one morning over Christmas and ran into the kitchen shouting "Daddy! - we need to help. There is a boy called Shon who can't go to school because he has to walk a long way (10 mile round trip) every morning to get water for his family, as the water near his home is making him sick". 

So, prompted by the good nature of a small child watching a TV advert, worried about someone he'd never met missing school, we sat down, looked at the website and made a donation to Water Aid to help Shon, and his community to build a well near their home. If memory serves we initially donated money equivalent to buy some tools.

My conscience clear I went on with my day, however that afternoon, Alexander came back to me in tears. "You're horrible. Did you not make the payment? He's still on the TV complaining he has no water and no well!" And so we sat down again to make another donation for cement...and then pumps...and something else for each subsequent advert! So our annual journey with Water Aid began. 

This year I've been challenged/ motivated by Alexander to go a little further and try to raise a larger amount of money by (joining 25,000 people) cycling 100 miles in the "Ride London" event on 29 May. 

By supporting me on doing something which is going to be a massive effort, way outside of my comfort zone, and utterly terrifying I'm hoping to raise £1,000 to help bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to schools, communities and people like Shon throughout the world, through Water Aid. 

Anything you can donate will of course help, but to give you some ideas on what your money can be used for:

Donating £5 is enough to buy a bag of cement for use in the construction of a water well

Donating £20 is enough to provide one person in Mali with clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene

Donating £50 is enough to build a handwashing facility for one family in Nepal.

Donating £100 is enough to build a household toilet block for a family in Zambia. 

Its a good cause, and helps real people take the first step out of escaping the poverty trap which the lack of clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene causes. You can read more about Water Aid here www.wateraid.org 

Thanks for your support. 100 miles - here we come!

Richard