Ripples raises over £15,000 climbing Snowdon for charity
Ripples has raised over £15,000 for sanitation charity, The Cycle, by completing a hike to the top of Mount Snowdon in North Wales. The challenge, which took place on 27th June 2024, saw a group of over 30 franchisees, designers, suppliers and friends ascent over 1,000 metres to reach the top of Wales’ highest mountain, raising awareness and essential funds for the charity.
The Cycle is responsible for transforming the lives of over 350,000 people cross India and Africa by building revolutionary Ecosan toilets which offer a safe, hygienic and sustainable option for those living in less fortunate communities. Every year over 800,000 children under five die from some form of diarrhoea-based disease and in India alone, as many as one in five girls* leave school when they start their periods due to a lack of toilets and the in-built stigma attached to menstruation. With a focus on women, world and water, not only does The Cycle supply EcoSan toilet solutions, but the charity also provides period education, helping to establish menstrual, sexual and reproductive health literacy in schools and communities where taboos still suppress many women and girls.
The focus for our fundraising efforts this year was to raise enough money to build a toilet block for the girls of Government Higher Secondary School, P. Pudupatti, which is located in one of India's most underdeveloped districts. The school has 140 girls and 15 female teachers, all of whom must currently wade through deep slush and mud to reach their toilet, a single squat pan in a dilapidated building, exposing them to infections, disease and even sexual assault. Last year, with donor support, the school was able to build a boys toilet block, but the girls have never had access to their own safe and sanitary toilets.
“With the common thread of sanitation tying us together, we’re constantly looking for new ways to raise both awareness and vital funds to help The Cycle improve the lives of those less fortunate than us and the Snowdon challenge was the perfect way to do this.”
Managing Director Paul Crow said: “We’ve been proud supporters of The Cycle for the past decade, raising over £85,000 to aid the crucial work the charity does across India and Africa. With the common thread of sanitation tying us together, we’re constantly looking for new ways to raise both awareness and vital funds to help The Cycle improve the lives of those less fortunate than us and the Snowdon challenge was the perfect way to do this. The climb was challenging, largely due to the driving rain and 50mph winds which greeted us as we reached the summit, but it was also fun and hugely rewarding. We're delighted to have raised such a substantial amount of money to support The Cycle's work; I personally visited several of the charity’s projects during a trip to India in February 2023 and saw for myself the life-changing difference that donations can make.”