Charity Just a Drop has started a pilot scheme with IHG Hotels & Resorts to raise funds for safe water and sanitation projects in Kenya and Cambodia.
The ‘Water for All’ pilot has started at five voco hotels – two in the UK at voco Oxford Thames and voco Reading; and three overseas: voco Johannesburg Rosebank, South Africa; voco Orchard Singapore; and voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley, Australia.
The partnership aligns with voco hotels’ sustainability policies and provision of free filtered water in its rooms.
At some of the participating voco hotels, guests will be invited to make an optional donation for filtered water, while other voco hotels will donate a portion of the proceeds made from filtered water sales.
Just a Drop will use the donations to fund two projects, providing safe water and sanitation to communities in Kenya and Cambodia.
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Julie Cheesman, head of voco at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Supporting communities and improving lives is integral to our voco brand ethos, and from our recent research we know that responsible travel is important to our guests.
“We’re delighted to be working with Just a Drop on this exciting partnership, and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact it has on communities in Kenya and Cambodia.”
Just a Drop founder and chair, Fiona Jeffery (pictured), said this initiative “has so much potential for good and will be truly transformational in its provision of safe water to local communities”.
She added: “This partnership presents an opportunity for both organisations, and their teams, to work together to create real positive impact from ‘Water for All’.
“With a child dying every two minutes from dirty water, the impact that ‘Water for All’ will have cannot be understated and we look forward to seeing the benefits of the programme very soon.”
The project supports IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow commitments to improve the lives of 30 million by 2030, and to ensure adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions in operating communities.