Lore Group has partnered with Netherlands-based water charity Made Blue Foundation for an initiative which enables guests to donate clean water to a water project of their choice.
The hospitality group, which comprises six hotels including One Hundred Shoreditch and Sea Containers London in the UK, aims to raise awareness about the world water crisis by encouraging guests to take shorter showers and reduce their water use.
Guests will have the opportunity to donate 100 litres of clean water per night to a water project of their choice, with information on available recipients and destinations provided to all Lore Group guests. If guests do not choose a recipient, the group will automatically split the donation between the foundation’s active projects.
The Made Blue Foundation says that a guest would need to reduce their shower time by just 15 seconds to recoup a donation of 5 cents per night. According to the foundation, 100 litres of clean water represents one full day of clean water for a family in Uganda or Bangladesh.
David Taylor, Lore Group’s CEO, commented:
“Tourism, at its best, should enable human connection, sparking change that lasts beyond a holiday. A key factor is awareness of our contributions to the world water crisis and how potent we could be as a force for good.
“Our hotels are in some of the most fortunate countries in the world in terms of water per capita – it’s one of the reasons we’re conscious of the combined power of resource and community and why we’re delighted to support Made Blue’s work; distributing clean water directly to those who need it.”
Machiel van Dooren, co-founder of Made Blue Foundation, added:
“We hope our partnership with Lore Group sets a new benchmark for hotels in terms of raising awareness. Reusing towels and bed linen is the first step, as most water in hotels is used in the bathrooms and the laundry service. But so much of the real power in travel lies in community: telling positive, inspiring stories that perhaps nudge people to enjoy water more thoughtfully.
“Whether it’s a women-led water committee run in conjunction with schools to empower girls or funding development aid—rather than government-run initiatives, where the money tends to be spent a little differently—which directly uplift local builders in local communities; that ability to resonate with ‘where’ or ‘why’ is crucial.”
To read our interview with Lore Group’s co-founder and creative director Jacu Strauss, see: