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Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants are delighted to
announce that, through the fundraising efforts of their teams
and the generosity of their guests, they have raised a massive
£1 million for their nominated charity, WaterAid.
The funding has contributed towards WaterAid's
work in India helping over 66,000 people gain access to a
long-term supply of safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation.
Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, which comprises of the Premier
Inn, Beefeater Grill, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Taybarns
brands, announced WaterAid as their nominated charity in June
2009.
Since Whitbread first began fundraising for
WaterAid, 28,000 team members working for Whitbread, have
carried out a number of fundraising events, such as triathlons,
swim-a-thons, cycle rides and family fun days. Premier Inn
guests have also contributed to the charity with generous online
donations.
The £1 million that Whitbread, its guests and
suppliers, have raised will go directly to projects in India,
from the construction of household latrines, ensuring that
villages have access to safe drinking water and to improving
sanitation in urban slums.
Patrick Dempsey, Managing Director from Whitbread
Hotels and Restaurants, presented a £1 million cheque to Lourdes
Baptista, WaterAid Chief Executive and Isha Bhagwat, WaterAid
India Programme Director.
Patrick Dempsey, Managing Director of Whitbread
Hotels and Restaurants, comments: “On behalf of our thousands of
team members and millions of guests I am extremely proud to say
that we have reached our £1 million goal for such a good cause.
Everyone at Whitbread has worked very hard to achieve this great
milestone and I am delighted on behalf of everyone who has
raised this money to present this cheque to WaterAid in India
and see firsthand how our contribution can lead to better water
and sanitation.”
Andrew Cook, Director of Fundraising and
Communications at WaterAid said, “On behalf of all our staff and
partners around the world we would like to thank everyone at
Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants for their hard work and
generosity in raising an incredible £1 million for WaterAid.
This money will be put to really good use, changing thousands of
people’s lives, bringing new hope to families and communities.”
WaterAid works to transform the lives of some of
the poorest communities around the world by improving access to
safe water, hygiene and sanitation. They work locally and
internationally to change policy and practice and ensure water,
hygiene and sanitation’s vital role in reducing poverty is
recognised. |
