BARNARD Castle has officially been declared a Toilet Twinned Town, more than a year ahead of schedule.
When resident Ian Blake took it upon himself to start a campaign to have the town’s toilets twinned with loos in impoverished countries across the world, he never imagined it would be as well supported as it has been.
The scheme works by groups raising cash to have their toilet twinned, which is then used to build latrines in communities where none are available. This improves health in destitute communities across the globe.
The first toilet in Barnard Castle to have a twin was the one at St Mary’s Church.
Mr Blake said: “I started the whole project in April thinking it would be at least two years just to get going. I was given support unexpectedly from people in the community, like Alec [Harding, vicar of St Mary’s Church], which has really helped.”
To achieve Toilet Twinned Town status, more than 20 toilets from different groups, such as voluntary organisations, schools and businesses, need to sign up.
Among those in the town to sign up are the church, two pubs, the town council and a furniture shop.
Mr Blake said: “The spin-offs are that people have heard of the project and we have twinned toilets in places like Cotherstone and Thirsk. There are now 32, including four school blocks.”
Where a school has its block of toilets twinned, a similar block is built at a school in a third-world country.
Mr Bake said: “In one place where a block of toilets has been built, 50 girls have re-enrolled. That is giving life opportunities to them.”
He added that girls who do not receive an education may end in a lifetime of domestic work or in forced marriage.
Through the scheme in Barnard Castle new toilets have been built in Pakistan, Mali, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Cambodia. Barnard Castle has now been given a certificate which the town council hopes to put up in a public space for all to appreciate it. For more information, email Mr Blake at barneyst
