Oxfam Handwashing Stand Launch Event

In October 2020 the Supply Centre were able to host an event to officially launch the Oxfam Handwashing Stand. This was attended by approximately thirty people at the warehouse and another sixty joining online. Nigel Timmins, Head of the Global Humanitarian Team, opened the event.

The Handwashing Stand was first produced and shipped to eight project countries in the summer and autumn of 2020. Four thousand units have been deployed to Oxfam GB programmes and stock is now held in the UK.

The event was the first opportunity for the whole design and development team to be together since the beginning of the Covid-19 restrictions in the UK, which coincided with the final stages of the pre-production design changes. It was also the first time that the WASH team were able to present reports and findings from 6-8 months of field deployment of the equipment.

This was also the first occasion when the UK based project team has seen and heard reports of the Handwashing Stand in the field. It was rewarding to hear of the impact that it is making, how favourably it is being received in the communities and the increase in the rates of handwashing when it is installed.
It was fantastic to hear of how reliable and robust the unit is. The initial figures of a 1-2% breakdown rate in the first six months is remarkable, considering the harsh environments where the unit is being used.

It was wonderful to see all the team again at the launch, share the stories, and see (at last) the real impact of all the hours invested.