Accountants take the two-week 'water only' challenge for charity

by Robert Lloyd

Members of the team at Clay Shaw Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants in Carmarthen are taking part in an unusual charity challenge.

Four members of the Clay Shaw Butler team will be drinking water only for two weeks as part of a campaign to raise money for the RNLI, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

“All caffeine products are off the menu – and there’s no wine,” said Clay Shaw Butler director David Butler.

“It will be water, H20 Only, for two weeks starting on Tuesday, May 27.

“Obviously, the main aim will be to raise money for the RNLI, a very worthwhile charity which helps save lives at sea.

“We’re being sponsored by friends, colleagues and customers for the duration of the H20 Only challenge. My guess is that at the end of two weeks we will also be feeling a lot healthier as well.”

Taking part in the Clay Shaw Butler H20 Only challenge will be David Butler, his daughter Kim, Hanne Prescott and Tracey Davies.

About the H20 Only challenge

The RNLI H2 Only campaign is a national effort challenging the public to master the art of self-control by substituting all drinks for water for two weeks.

The challenge will run between Tuesday 27 May and Tuesday 10 June 2014 and aims to raise awareness and funds to support the charity’s lifesaving work.

By giving up all drinks except water for two weeks, and asking family, friends and colleagues for sponsorship and donating the money saved through only drinking water, participants can raise money for the charity whose volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards rescued 9,951 people last year alone.

All those brave enough to take on the challenge can sign up now online at www.H2Only.org.uk and download the free app from Google Play or the Apple App Store which will provide them with information about the money saved through giving up all drinks but water – and the calories they’ve ditched, too.

Through the app, people will also be able to unlock rewards like adding a slice of lemon to their water if they can manage to raise £5 in five minutes. Participants can also take on the H2 Only challenge as a team through the app and can share encouragement when will-power hits choppy water.

The H2 Only challenge is a simple exercise in self-control, but the RNLI does not underestimate how hard it will be for people to succeed. Just as dedicated RNLI lifeboat volunteers and lifeguards need to be selfless and committed, participants will need to commit to self-control to succeed in this challenge. It’s not just alcohol that participants will have to give up for two weeks, they’ll also need to say goodbye to fizzy drinks, tea, coffee, juice and squash.

Paul Boissier, RNLI Chief Executive, is taking on the challenge. He said: ‘We hope the H2 Only challenge will help raise awareness of the important work the RNLI does. It reflects what the charity does and the commitment that all RNLI lifesavers display day-in, day-out. In 2013, during the same two week period which the H2 Only campaign covers, RNLI lifeboat crews and lifeguards rescued 787 people, saving 18 lives across the UK and Ireland.’

As a charity, the RNLI relies on the generous support of the public, with 92% of its total income coming from donations. The RNLI’s lifeboat volunteers drop everything 24/7 to save lives on the water. The H2 Only challenge is the public’s chance to do something heroic for them.

For more information, to join the campaign and to download the app visit: www.H2Only.org.uk.