Co-operative Travel has raised £8,754 for the Just a Drop project to build a water tank at Kiliku School in Kenya.
The travel retail division of Midcounties Co-operative has a network of 58 stores and raised money via a series of initiatives including silent auctions, cylcle-athons, cake sales and coffee mornings in its branches.
As part of the fundraising efforts, Co-operative Travel’s head office team organised two silent auctions in July 2018 and April 2019, which raised a combined total of over £3,500 for the project. Auction prizes included flights with Thomas Cook, a crate of prosecco, a cruise for two onboard MSC’s Bellissima ship, a luxury Co-operative Food hamper and a Fortnum & Mason afternoon tea for two.
The new water tank for the school is complete and will provide year-round clean water for 330 children who attend the school as well as teachers and support staff. The money raised also funded the building of three hand washing stations for the school as well as sanitation and hygiene education for the students.
Natalie Turner, head of branches for Co-operative Travel said: “As a co-operative, making a difference to the local communities, both at home and in the countries that we send our holidaymakers to, is really important, and being able to see what a positive impact our fundraising efforts have has on a school community in Kenya makes us extremely proud.”
Co-operative Travel began raising money for the Just a Drop project in March 2018 and the building of the water tank was completed at the end of July 2019.