Vicky's water project

Vicky’s Water Project was established to raise funds in memory of Victoria Buchanan who was tragically killed whilst bicycling to work in October 2006. On the 30th September 2007, 200 of Vicky's friends and family ran the Great North Run to support Vicky's Water Project.

This was the largest single group of friends and family to ever participate in the race. With your support they have raised enough money to bring clean running water to 20,000 people in and around Lera Town, Ethiopia.

On the day of the race the total for Vicky’s Water Project exceeded £400,000 when the Chancellor of Newcastle University, where Vicky studied, gave a cheque for £5000.

The funds raised in the lead up to the Great North Run will enable the project to build an extra bore hole to cope with the expected demand for water at peak times and as a result of serving an increasing population as well as enabling the project to use steel pipes instead of UPVC, which will last far longer.

"It's a great way to dredge something good out of a senseless accident," Adam explains. "It will be a new chapter in Vicky's life, even if it's one she'll never know. Now whenever we talk about Vicky's death there will always be a but… 'Vicky died on Oct 17, 2006 but this is what she was able to achieve beyond that…'

"Everything Vicky did she did with a great zest and enthusiasm and I think it's that zest and enthusiasm that is driving the 190 of us onwards. She was taken from us in the blink of an eye but I feel very strongly that the investment you make in life is never taken away. Vicky's Water Project is a very powerful and tangible way of expressing that."

photo : ©Adam Chataway