Lunches and bake sales boost Cafod's Lent fundraiser for clean water

Lent lunches have been held at St Joseph’s in Bedford and Our Lady’s in Kempston which have raised more than £100 for the appeal.

Three young bakers at St John Rigby Primary school, pictured, raised more than £85 by selling cakes during lunchtimes.

Parishioners at Christ the King raised more than £95 with a bake sale after mass.

The money raised will enable the taps to be turned on in villages around the world by repairing or providing water pumps and training to maintain them. It will also fund hygiene programmes, education in sanitation, and the building of latrines. Matched funds from the UK Government will enable access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene programmes to over 300,000 people in Uganda, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

All donations to the Lent appeal will be doubled by the UK Government’s Department for International Development until May, meaning the region will have raised more than £14,000 to provide clean and safe water across the world.

Deborah Purfield, from CAFOD, said: “Being able to turn on a tap and have clean water is something we would normally take for granted. Having to walk miles every day to collect water and being unable to go to school as a result is almost unbelievable, but is a daily reality for so many people around the world – especially girls in some of the poorest communities.

“That’s why we’re so grateful to everyone who has raised money for our Lent appeal, helping families to access this basic right and empowering girls to get an education and fulfil their potential. It’s brilliant to think that their efforts will have the double the impact with the UK Government matching the money raised.”

Donate to the Lent appeal at cafod.org.uk/lent