Today, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced increased funding for Tearfund’s work tackling plastic pollution in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Due to generous public support for Tearfund’s Matched Giving appeal the UK government has agreed to increase the target of Tearfund’s appeal from £2 million to £3 million. This means donations up to £3 million will be doubled by the British government through UK Aid Match.
Penny Mordaunt made the announcement alongside Sir David Attenborough at an event in Parliament today. The event was hosted by the Coalition for Global Prosperity, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Prevention for Plastic Waste and Plastic Oceans UK.
Donations to this appeal will help Tearfund transform lives in countries where the need is greatest. Match funding from the UK government will be used to help tackle plastic pollution around the world. In Pakistan, for example, this funding will be used to set up innovative recycling hubs in some of the country’s poorest slum communities. These hubs will help tackle rubbish and plastic pollution, provide sustainable livelihoods and improve people’s health and living conditions.
Tearfund CEO Nigel Harris said: "Plastic pollution and the problem of rubbish not being managed properly in the developing world is huge and continues to grow, having a devastating effect on people’s lives. Globally two billion people don’t have their rubbish collected, often leading to disease and death.
The generous funding from the UK government will allow us to transform people’s lives, ensuring that rubbish and plastic doesn’t end up on the streets and in the waterways, and that we are able to prevent further damage to the environment, protect people’s health and provide jobs.”
For more information on Tearfund’s Matched Giving Appeal, please visit: www.tearfund.org/aidmatchuk
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For further information or interviews please contact: Ann Hallam on 07929 330366 or contact the Tearfund Media Team on 0208 943 7792. For out of hours media enquiries please call +44 (0)7498 540276.
About Tearfund
Tearfund is a Christian relief and development agency and a member of the Disasters’ Emergency Committee. Founded in 1968, Tearfund has been working around the world for more than 50 years responding to disasters and helping lift communities out of poverty. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
Notes to Editors:
- Tearfund’s Matched Giving appeal runs until 17 May.
