NEW latrines have been built in Zambia and Honduras thanks to an ongoing toilet-twinning scheme in Barnard Castle.
It brings the number of facilities in the town that are linked with toilets in impoverished communities across the world to 28.
The scheme aims to improve the health of developing communities.
The loos at Penny’s Tearoom has been twinned with a toilet in Katebe, in the eastern Province of Zambia, thanks to cash raised by St Mary’s Community band.
Ian Blake, who spearheads the Barnard Castle initiative, said: “With all the toilets in the church twinned, we thought we would bless Penny’s with a toilet twinning.”
He added that band members chose the tearoom because they frequently get together there after rehearsals. Penny Ebdon of the tearoom welcomed the band’s gift and said people in the UK tend to take their loos for granted and there are communities which need these vital facilities.
Old Well Inn landlords Roy and Rima Chatterjee twinned a third loo in the pub via the scheme, using cash raised through charity boxes on the bar counter.
Mr Chatterjee said: “Because we lived in India and Nigeria we know just how big a problem this is.”
Mrs Chatterjee added: “My aim was to have three done by December. It took a bit longer but we did it with the town’s support.”
