Fiona Jeffery, founder and chairman, Just a Drop, the international water-aid charity, has announced the appointment of Alfred Pisani, founder and group chairman, Corinthia Hotels, as a corporate patron.
Corinthia Hotels, the five-star hotel collection, will also formally adopt Just a Drop as its official charity.
Other Just a Drop patrons include Baroness Joyce Anelay of St. Johns, Lord Digby-Jones as well as television presenters Stephen Sackur and Alastair Stewart.
Corinthia Hotels hosted the recent Just a Drop annual gala reception at its newly opened luxury property, the Corinthia Hotel London, located in the heart of the West End in Whitehall Place, in-between Trafalgar Square and the Embankment.
Tony Potter, CEO and managing director, CHI Hotels & Resorts, the operating company for Corinthia Hotels, and himself a long time supporter of Just a Drop, explained that Corinthia chairman Alfred Pisani was most impressed with Just a Drop, because “the results have positively touched the lives and futures of so many.”
Mr Potter added: “Now that Corinthia has opened its flagship hotel in London, we can work more closely with the Just a Drop team to help promote the Charity, which has become a benchmark for the travel industry in caring for the very communities around the world that host our guests.”
Ms Jeffery said: “We are absolutely delighted that Corinthia, led by Alfred Pisani, is to get more closely involved with the urgent work of Just a Drop. He has accepted our invitation to become one of its patrons and is to become personally involved in helping lift youngsters and their families out of terrible poverty, where even clean water to drink, cook and bathe is totally lacking”.
The first year of commitment will see the group supporting community driven projects in Africa, providing long term sustainable benefit to communities at the grass roots, directly helping to give children the gift of life and good health.
Alfred Pisani, commenting from his headquarters in Malta said: “I am delighted to become a corporate patron for Just a Drop for several reasons. Paramount among these is that the charity is based upon providing the world with the essential ingredient of clean water and in a number of cases this also benefits communities in which we operate Corinthia Hotels. This is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate our commitment as hoteliers, to working with the local and global community.”
Since its launch 11 years ago, Just a Drop has helped more than a million children and their families in 29 countries worldwide, carrying out health and sanitation programs.
The charity relies entirely on donations from individuals and businesses and regular contributions through ‘Friend for Life’. Further information is available at www.justadrop.org.