Background

A Million Hands:  The Scouts Association wanted to mobilise half a million Scouts in support of four social issues chosen by our young people.  From dementia to those disabled by society, from improving the mental wellbeing and resilience of our communities to ensuring everyone, everywhere has access to clean water and sanitation…These are big issues of our time, but our young people want to tackle them head on.

Their aim was to build real and lasting relationships in communities that will enable young people to continue taking social action long into the future.  By marrying the Scout Movement of over half a million people, reaching into every community across the UK, with the knowledge and expertise of organisations committed to social change.

WaterAid UK:  Without safe water or toilets, people are trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease.  Around 650 million people have no choice but to drink dirty water. 2.3 billion people don’t have access to a proper toilet. As a result over 500,000 children a year, or 1,400 a day, die from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor toilets, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

By helping others to understand how important clean water and sanitation is, both at home and abroad, your young people can help ensure everyone, everywhere has access to toilets and safe drinking water.

WaterAid is an international charity, working in 37 countries across the world to transform lives by improving access to safe water, improved hygiene and toilets in the world’s poorest communities. They have helped deliver safe water to 1.9 million people over the last year and toilets to 2.9 million people as well as delivering lifesaving hygiene education to an estimated 4.1 million people. They have designed activities and provided volunteers to help our young people convince others of the importance of access to clean water and sanitation both at home and abroad.