Water Walk
PLAY PUMPS
The children from Crofton Anne Dale Infants and Junior Schools together with pupils from Crofton Hammond Infants and Junior Schools found out about some equipment called a "PlayPump" which appeared to be extremely beneficial to third world rural communities. The children decided that they would try to raise sufficient money to provide this equipment for a village in Africa. Crofton Lions Club offered to help them in that endeavour and suggested the "Crofton Water Walk"
So on Sunday 19th July 2009 we invited children from these schools in Stubbington, with their families, to join us on a sponsored "Water Walk".
Some of the participants of the first Water Walk. The walk started at 12.00 noon from the Childrens Play Area in Stubbington Recreation Ground (Immediatly outside the rear entrance to the Crofton Anne Dale Schools)
The route took the participants on a 6 mile walk around the perimeter of the Crofton Ward (More details at the foot of this page) All walkers carried a plastic container. At the 3 mile mark they collected water and carried it for the second half of the walk. The amount collected was nowhere near sufficient for their daily needs which is 150 litres!
WHY PUMPING WATER IS CHILD'S PLAY
A company in South Africa has found a way to harness youthful energy in solving the perrenial problem of water supply in rural villages.
It uses a playground roundabout to power a borehole pump!
The Play Pump benefits women and girls in particular who spend hours each day fetching water. African and asian women can spend up to six hours a day walking to collect water. When a Play Pump is installed the saving in time alone is tremendous, and it also has a massive impact on the health of children and people in general.
The equipment is a positive displacement water pump, and as the children spin around it transfers their energy into vertical or reciprocal motion, and that pumps water from an underground borehole or well to the surface where its stored in a tank for future use.
With children pushing the roundabout around 16 times a minute, the play pump can produce 1,400 litres of water per hour from a depth of 40 metres. The pump can be effective up to a depth of 100 metres.
THE "WATER WALK" ROUTE
AT ALL THE ROAD CROSSINGS, MILE CHECKPOINTS AND RIVER LIONS CLUB MEMBERS WILL BE ON DUTY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL OUR WALKERS.
The Walk starts from the Stubbington Recreation Ground adjacent to the rear entrance of the Crofton Anne Dale Schools. We cross the park and go through the Village Centre to the Vets. Cross the Stubbington ByPass at the pedestrian crossing into Burnt House Lane and walk down towards the Methodist Church. Opposite the house numbered 4 is a Public Footpath. Cross over and follow that path to Tips Copse. As we enter the wood there are three paths, we follow the left hand path to the far side of the woods (ONE MILE) out onto fields behind the Senior School (On the far side is the Peel Common Water Treatment Plant). We Turn left and follow a path for about a half mile then turn left again which will lead to the far end of Burnt House Lane, cross a small recreation ground into Stroud Green Lane and there cross Mays Lane into a footpath which leads to Spartan Close. At the end of the Close another left turn will take us through woodland to St.Edmunds Church. (TWO MILE) Past Lychgate Green and Crofton Manor we follow the road towards Titchfield past the Crofton Riding School. We cross the road onto a footpath between the Riding School Paddocks and the Field used for Car Boot Sales. Follow that path downhill to the River Meon (THREE MILE). Having filled our water containers (Plastic Milk Bottles are probably best) We then continue over the river to the Titchfield Canal, turn left and follow the footpath (FOUR MILE) all the way to the beach. We then follow the Solent Way along past the Hill Head Sailing Club and Beach Huts to the Car Park at the start of Salterns Lane, through Salterns Park (FIVE MILE) and cross over into Seafield Park. We will then follow the footpath at the back of the Stubbington Study Centre through Seafield, across Moody Road and continue past the Crofton Hammond Schools back into the Stubbington Recreation Ground.
