News and stories

LlanfairPG Primary School on Anglesey North Wales walked 30 times around their school field to raise £270 for Turn on the Tap. LlanfairPG is also known as….well, never mind, see the picture! Photo: Shelly Ocsinberg. Well done and a BIG thank you to you all.

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Hazel Faulkes Samaritan’s Purse’s Area Co-ordinator in Leeds, wrote to tell us about as school and a teacher who supported the appeal in a BIG way. “We have a young school teacher called Andrea Clews who came to check Operation Christmas Child boxes in our volunteer warehouse for the first time in 2007. Then in January 08 she came to our Planning Group and immediately got fired up about Turn on the Tap. 

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Some of Samaritan’s Purse’s team in Cambridge, Janet Collins and Heather Mellows, wrote to tell us about their walk:

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A Strawberry Tea Walk was organised by the Nena Harding’s volunteer team at Clare in Sudbury in June.

There was a local procession through Chesterfield, where the Samaritan’s Purse volunteer team had a float which had 5’ high taps and a giant Operation Christmas Child shoe box – complete with human rag doll [Gemma Franklin] and teddy bear [Glyn Simmonds]! 

It looked like a grim start to ST Luke's Church, Whyteleafe Challenge Walk on  21 June. Carol Outlaw, SPI Area Co-ordinator said – “We held this on Saturday. It was organised by one of our congregation, Diane Thorpe. Unfortunately only 8 people turned up!! We are a small church but I think the rain earlier in the morning put people off . We had donations given to us by those who couldn't make it and some of the group had sponsors.

Doreen Douglas, Samaritan’s Purse’s Group Link in Tain, Ross-Shire was in her local paper as she sent letters to 19 schools and individuals in the area to challenge them to take part. "Be assured your support is essential if we are to reach our target of raising £1,000 by the end of 2008 to dig more wells, repair and drill more boreholes, supply more water filters and ensure thousands of children and families receive the health, hygiene and education that is so vital.

June Vasey, Area Co-ordinator for East Lothian, and her team organised a Turn on the Tap Challenge Walk in Edinburgh for 31 people. To make things easier for the ‘less experienced’ walkers there were two routes - one round the famous Arthur's Seat and one which also included going to the top.

Samaritan’s Purse Supporters in Melksham, Wiltshire had a great afternoon walking to raise money and awareness. They had 66 walkers, nearly all of whom were sponsored. Everyone enjoyed the walk and the lovely sunny afternoon. They raised over £1,000 for the Turn on the Tap appeal. 

Samaritan’s Purse District Co-ordinator for Banbury Oxon, Eunice Harradine, organised a Turn on the Tap Challenge Walk on the 10^th May. It was a circular four-mile walk through Banbury town centre, around the reservoir and back to the People’s Church.

Brian and Elizabeth Hodges, Samaritan’s Purse Area Co-ordinators for Hereford, hosted a tea at Lugwardine Chapel for a group of 17 walkers who were mostly volunteers from the local Operation Christmas Child warehouse team.  The excellent food was their incentive to complete a route on Saturday afternoon which, in beautiful countryside, included no less than 19 gates and stiles. Let’s hope that another cup of tea was offered at the end!

We asked people to walk 4 miles in the Turn on the Tap Walk for Water Challenge on 10^th May 2008 to raise awareness and funds for the plight of people suffering through lack of safe water. Thousands took up the Challenge! If you look at the walk pages (link) there are still many walks to take place and you are welcome to join one or why not organise your own using our superb resources – its never too late! Here are just a small sample of some of the stories we heard. A BIG Thank You to everyone for all their hard work!

MPs, Church Leaders and a Primary School Class step on the first official Turn on the Tap Challenge Walk.

We always appreciate your support and prayers for the work we do. As we launch Turn on the Tap we have a number of prayer requests:

The village of Koutougou, Niger stands on an island surrounded by the great river Niger, the principal river of western Africa.    The scenery can be breathtaking – the vast, languid river at sunset is magnificent – but no one would advise you to get any closer. For the river water is dangerous: it is used and polluted by animals and people along its 2500 miles of length, and is teeming with disease causing micro-organisms and parasites.