Industry charity BPEC is supporting international water aid efforts via a donation to Aquabox, a volunteer-led charity that provides filtration units and other humanitarian aid to crisis zones around the world.
Working from its base in the Peak District, Aquabox volunteers manufacture and assemble the family water filters which are shipped internationally to countries and communities where clean running water is unavailable.
According to a statement, the Aquabox family filter is capable of filtering water at the rate of one litre per minute and designed to meet the needs of a typical family group. Aquabox also provides a larger community filter which uses the same technology but scaled up to process up to six litres per minute and designed for schools, clinics and community centres.
To date, over 125,000 water filters have been produced by volunteers and dispatched to disaster areas and conflict zones, it noted. So far over 50 countries have received aid from Aquabox and an estimated 2bn litres of contaminated water has been converted into clean water, it added.
BPEC said it has donated £3,500 to support Aquabox’s efforts in producing these important filtration systems. Neil Collishaw, BPEC chief executive, recently visited Aquabox to witness their work and later this year will be accompanying BPEC Trustees to meet the volunteers.
Neil said: “With so many across the world in need of clean drinking water, Aquabox delivers an immediate and practical solution for communities. We are very impressed by the commitment of the volunteers and the fact they are so local to BPEC in Derbyshire means we are also supporting a neighbouring charity, which is an added bonus.”
Roger Cassidy, Aquabox chairman of trustees, added: “We are so grateful for BPEC’s generous support. We rely entirely on donations and fundraising activities to fund our work and purchase the items which we supply in the aid boxes.
“Without the generosity of our supporters, we would simply not be able to operate. This financial boost from BPEC is helping us to continue supporting communities in countries such as Turkey, Ukraine, Syria, Nepal and Morocco – thank you.”