By William Coleman
Across the world there are a massive amount of mens, women and children who are living in poverty and do not have access to what we consider basic things; like clean water and sanitation. This Cumbrian park is providing charity to support communities facing dyer conditions and ill health.
Holgate parks, in south Cumbria, are providing toilets to to villages in Africa to ensure the villagers have clean latries to use. Holgate are providing sponsorship via its business to fund the building of these new toilets. The toilets will help improve the hygiene and safety who previously had no access to clean water or sanitary facilities.
There have already been three loos built via an international aid body, with a lot more on the horizon. For each new loo built at one of the companies sites they will match that with a new toilet for the villagers in africa. This winter will we see for toilets being built at the group’s flagship Silverdale Holiday Park.
The hope is that the new wash block will trump the building it is replacing, which won the top platinum award at the Loo of the Year awards just a month or so ago. Always good to have that in the award cabinet.
When the new block is finished in spring on 2018 it will be joined by other companies who are also providing new toilets for poverty stricken villages around the globe.
The relief programme that Holgates are partnered with cover more than just villages in Africa. They also provide support to countries such as Afghanistan, Congo, Honduras, Cambodia, Malawi and Liberia.
To show the good this scheme is doing the parks are framing photos of the toilets that have been built in the villages. Business owner Michael Holgate has high hopes that their initiative will inspire other companies to jump on board to provide this much needed support: “Some customers have already asked if it’s possible to twin their smallest room at home with a loo overseas, and we’re delighted to tell them how it’s possible,” said Michael.
“The idea of helping to bring proper toilet facilities and fresh water to extremely poor people in this way has captured many people’s imaginations.
“Bad sanitation is one of the world’s biggest killers, and more than three billion people across the globe don’t have a safe place to go to the toilet.
“It hits children, the elderly, and sick people the hardest – and there are special risks for women in Africa who are at risk of assault or being bitten by snakes in the open.
“We’re very proud to be able to add this cause to the various charities we support,” added Michael.
Family-owned Holgates last year marked its sixtieth anniversary, and comprises six top-rated parks providing holiday home sales and rentals, glamping, and touring facilities.
I find it astonishing, without getting too political, that we have so many people around the world living in total poverty with no access to food and water that may cause them ill health and quite possibly death. So to see companies in this great industry helping families around the world puts a smile on my face.
