Donations totalling £41,525 have been awarded to projects that use plumbing skills to enhance the lives of disadvantaged people by training and certification provider BPEC.

The ceremony, which saw The BPEC Charity hand out three awards, was held at Derbyshire County Cricket Club on 16 October and attended by more than 100 representatives of the plumbing industry.

Three more projects were supported via the BPEC Legacy Fund, launched last year, which ensures projects supported by BPEC are sustainable over a longer period.

The BPEC Charity welcomed Dean Buchanan to the event as guest speaker. Mr Buchanan, from Datum Foundation, provided insight into the progress being made on a school construction project in Malawi that was awarded the BPEC 2014 Life Award.

The BPEC Charity Life Award 2015 was presented to Emily Gait and Stephanie Moore from Pump Aid, whose project will see construction of 10 new Elephant Pumps across 10 communities in rural Malawi.

Ms Gait & Ms Moore received an award of £15,000 from The BPEC Charity. This will help to provide clean and safe drinking water for over 1,000 people. The funding will also assist in the delivery of health and maintenance training, and help establish water point committees within local communities.

The BPEC Charity awarded £9,100 to Shane Trevitt, to fund the Township Plumber Trainer Programme in Johannesburg, South Africa. This project will deliver a series of water and sanitation upgrades and start to train local people living in the township basic plumbing and maintenance skills.

Earlier this year £8,550 was presented to the Friends of Sawbridgeworth Neurological Centres to purchase two specialised shower chairs. The chairs have already had a huge positive impact on the 120 residents, providing a comfortable and dignified means of using the bathroom facilities, it says. Professor Sheila Henderson and Celine Austin attended the event on behalf of the Friends group.

BPEC chairman Frank Glover said: “2015 has been another brilliant Life Award event; the panel of Trustees have been truly inspired by the submissions that have been received this year.

“The Life Award continues to have an inspirational effect on everyone connected with the projects and is changing perspectives and attitudes in a really positive way. The experience the plumbers gain by being involved in the projects is immeasurable and helps to develop their skills to operate in today’s competitive marketplace”.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 BPEC Charity Life Award. Those working in or connected with the UK Plumbing sector is encouraged by the organisation to make a submission for consideration by the panel.

The closing date for applications for the 2016 BPEC Life Award is 30 June, 2016.

To find out more about submitting entries to any of the awards visit www.bpec.org.uk/the-bpec-charity

Image: (l-r) Mark Antrobus (BPEC Trustee), Watson Carlill (BPEC Trustee), Stephanie Moore and Emily Gait (Pump Aid), George Thomson (BPEC Trustee).