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The first member of Pump Aid's overseas staff, Diana Maunze, has visited the Waterbrands bottling plant in Harrogate to deliver thanks to the company.

Diana is programme officer with the charity Pump Aid, which works in Zimbabwe and Malawi giving rural communities access to clean water and sanitation.

Waterbrands launched its charity brand Thirsty Planet in 2007, with the pledge that a donation will be made to Pump Aid for every bottle sold.

To date, Thirsty Planet has clocked up donations of more than £770,000, which will pay for materials to build more than 3,000 pumps to supply 20 litres of clean water a day to more than one million people.

Diana, who's based in Zimbabwe, said rising prices and the unavailability of materials were hampering Pump Aid’s work, but it still aimed to complete 250 new wells and water pumps by the end of the year.

“Without Thirsty Planet’s fantastic support, our work couldn't progress so quickly. The people who will benefit from these pumps will have their lives transformed and it’s all thanks to the people in Britain who choose to buy Thirsty Planet,” she said.