On March 18^th the Bishop of Croydon, Nick Baines, Rev Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance and Rev David Shosanya, Regional Minister for London Baptist Association, will walk four miles from  the House of Commons to a drinking fountain located at in Hyde Park.

This walk is to mark the launch of the Turn On The Tap Challenge, aimed at highlighting the problem of clean water shortage in many developing countries. Joining the Bishops will be the following MPs:

-       David Drew MP (Lab), All Party Group on Water & Sanitation

-       Mark Lancaster MP (Con), Shadow International Development Team

-       Alistair Burt MP (Con), Assistant Chief Whip

-       Michael Moore MP (Lib), Shadow International Development Secretary

It is anticipated that this walk will be the first of many to take place throughout Britain, with May 10th designated as the main date for hundreds of Turn On The Tap Challenge Walks, all of them, including the launch event, being organised under the auspices of Samaritan’s Purse (UK).

Walking four miles is the daily task faced by millions of people in developing countries just to collect enough water - 20 litres - for a family’s basic requirements. Often that water is dirty and unhygienic. The Turn On The Tap Challenge Walks will highlight facts such as the appalling statistic that every 20 seconds a child in the developing world dies from disease related to drinking dirty water.

Water is not to be taken for granted. I am pleased to offer my full support in making people aware of the need for clean water for all people - especially those billion who do not have such access.'

Rt. Rev. Nick Baines, Bishop of Croydon commented, “

Simon Barrington, Executive Director of Samaritan’s Purse (UK), continues: “It is a tremendous boost to our campaign that it is being launched with the support of such prominent church leaders and MPs. We want to help tackle the shortage of clean water by asking churches across the UK to organise a four mile walk, with each participant contributing a small registration fee of £2. This will help us to provide safe, accessible water to communities, mainly in Africa, via means such as water filters and boreholes. Just £40 will provide a water filter, made from local materials, to meet a whole family’s clean water needs.

“It is very straightforward to organise a walk and we have produced detailed Turn On The Tap Challenge Walk guides covering all the details, including the 10 simple steps to organise a walk, sponsorship forms, ‘Jack and Jill’ DVDs – for kids of all ages – posters, leaflets etc. Taking part in a Turn On The Tap Challenge Walk will be a very positive experience for all involved and will make a tangible difference to the well-being and future of people in the developing world.”

Anyone wishing to obtain all the free information on how to organise a Turn On The Tap Challenge Walk should go to the following website: www.turnonthetap.org or call Tel. no. 0870 870 8333 or 0208 559 1180