Hydrating Humanity

Joanne Lockwood speaks with Hannah Bellamy, Managing Director of Charity: Water UK, about what “clean water” really means and why lack of access remains a daily reality for hundreds of millions of people.

They explore how unsafe or distant water sources drive preventable illness and child deaths, and how the burden of collecting water and managing sanitation falls disproportionately on women and girls. Hannah shares what sustainable solutions look like in different contexts, from deep drilled wells and hand pumps to household filtration systems, and why long-term maintenance and local suitability matter.

Hannah also explains Charity: Water’s transparency model, separating project funds from overheads so public donations can be directed entirely to water projects, alongside the auditing and partner oversight that protects trust. The conversation widens to consider climate impacts on water security, the limits of individual consumption changes, and practical ways listeners can support progress through giving, fundraising, workplace influence, and awareness-building.