Simon Rowe Raises Over £700 For WaterAid

Last month our newly appointed MD decided to take part in the ‘One Drink, One Month’ challenge to raise money and awareness for UK based charity WaterAid. Simon had originally set himself a target of £500, which he thought would be a difficult total to reach. Turns out his friends, family and colleagues are a generous bunch and he ended on the fantastic figure of £706! Not only was this a pleasant surprise to Simon, but JustGiving emailed him to let him know that out of 17659 fundraisers, he was in the top 5% of fundraisers across the site for January.

We sat down with Simon to ask him a bit about the challenge and get his advice for anyone taking part in the future.

Why did you choose to take part?

As a regular monthly subscriber, WaterAid approached me with the concept of “One Drink, One Month” & having already partaken in “Dryanuary” for Cancer Research a few years ago (which is only a break from alcohol), I was intrigued & challenged to see whether I could make the step to have a month of just water – nothing else.

It also had the added bonus of benefitting a charity which I feel passionate about & who do not just chuck short term solutions at third world poverty – instead by providing clean water, they ensure a long term legacy for the community in terms of permanent health benefits.

What was the biggest challenge?

Not being able to have my early morning cup of tea whilst waking up (usually watching Sky Sports for 20 minutes) & also having to wait in the Chinese for a takeaway (my usual m.o. is to go for a pint next door for 10-15 minutes whilst it’s prepped).

What advice would you give to someone trying this challenge?

Be prepared for the headaches over the first 5-6 days as caffeine leaves the body. Also, find a groove which works for you – I “found” just drinking hot water with a slice of lime added really refreshing.

Has this changed any of your drink habits forever?

Yes, I find tea less attractive now than before & I have decided not to drink coffee. Hot water with lime is definitely here to stay!

Well done to Simon on completing the challenge and raising a fantastic amount for WaterAid, and thank you to all those who donated.