A Derbyshire charity providing clean water filtration systems saving lives in some of the world’s most disaster-hit places has officially cut the ribbon on a new assembly room which will double production from 3,000 to 6,000 water filters a year.

Outgoing High Sheriff Theresa Peltier did the honours at Wirksworth-based Aquabox, officially opening its ‘Aquaboost’ project which is seeing its team of committed volunteers vastly scale up production.

The charity makes filtration systems that it then distributes to the world’s most troubled areas, where the impact of disaster or conflict means people lack the basic human need of clean water.

Originally established by Wirksworth Rotary Club in 1992, Aquabox has sent more than 125,000 aid boxes to more than 50 countries around the world, converting an estimated two billion litres of contaminated water so that it is clean and safe to drink.

Now the charity has been kitted out with a brand new assembly room and has also transformed its processes through the Lean Sigma manufacturing programme, made famous by Toyota.

The new room and systems now mean that the charity can make twice as many Aquabox family filters, benefiting many more thousands of people around the world.

Theresa, who has now handed over her High Sheriff duties to Ian Morgan OBE, said she had been blown away by the new production facilities at Aquabox and it had been a privilege to officially open them.

She said: “This is an incredible charity right here in the heart of Derbyshire and I’m delighted to have been able to visit during my year of being High Sheriff. The work that these committed volunteers at Aquabox are doing every day to provide clean water in some of the most war-torn parts of the world is simply mind-blowing.”

During Theresa’s visit, she participated in a phone call between charity trustee Cheryle Berry with a member of the Rotary Club in Ukraine who is distributing Aquabox systems there. Cheryle, who is chair of the Children in Ukraine sub group for Rotary Great Britain, was talking to Serhiy Zavadsky who leads the Rotary team in Ukraine, along with Yulia Pavichenko, who chairs the Rotary Club’s Children’s Group in Ukraine.

Theresa said: “It was very emotional for me to be able to take part in Cheryle’s phone call with Rotary Club members in Ukraine, and see first-hand the impact that this charity’s work is having.

“I was so impressed by their Aquaboost project to double production from 3,000 filtration systems a year to a massive 6,000. I wish them all the very best.”

Over the years Aquabox has been sending filtration systems to over 50 countries including Nepal, Syria, Ukraine and Turkey, responding to natural disasters such as earthquakes, or areas beset by conflict where people are desperate for humanitarian aid.

Its Aqua-aid boxes contain a family water filter, plus 40 items like tools, lighting, survival aids, cooking equipment, educational aids and hygiene provisions, carefully chosen through negotiation with the charity’s partners in refugee camps and disaster areas.

The charity supplies two types of filtration system: a family filter, which cleans water at a rate of a litre a minute and is assembled here in Wirksworth, and a community filter which uses the same technology but scaled up to meet the needs of more people.

The new systems implemented through the Aquaboost project means volunteers in Wirksworth – who range in age from people in their 40s to their 90s – can make a family water filter in 16 minutes.

Aquabox trustee Dominic Wish said: “We are excited by our Aquaboost project which is allowing us to scale up our life-saving work by a huge degree.

“We are almost entirely run by volunteers and myself and colleagues are delighted to use our background in engineering and other industries to be working on such a valuable charity that has a simple aim: providing clean water to people in the world who really need it. We are all human beings and we all need water. We will continue our work to provide it.”

Fellow trustee Rob Barlow said: “Many thanks to Theresa Peltier for doing us the honour of opening our new Aquaboost assembly room. It was brilliant that she took time out to visit our charity and we are very proud to be able to show off our new system and production area.

“It will be making a very significant difference to people around the world who are going through appalling situations. It is saving lives and we are looking forward to the next chapter for Aquabox.”

Aquabox would like to thank the following organisations for providing help with the Aquaboost project: Forged Solutions Ltd, of Darley Dale; Pratt and Whitney; ITP Aero of Hucknall; Compressors Ltd of Alfreton; Desoutter UK Ltd and Premier Precision Engineering of Chesterfield.

The second phase of engagement to redevelop the Greyfriars area in Northampton has launched. People across West Northamptonshire are being invited to view plans which have been shaped by feedback from the community following the initial engagement which launched in December 2023. The proposals include redevelopment of the former Greyfriars bus station site, the Corn Exchange Building, Belgrave House, the Mayorhold Multistorey Car Park, the Victoria Street Car Park, and the areas known as the east and west islands. Greyfriars is the largest brownfield opportunity within West Northamptonshire and represents a significant opportunity to deliver transformative change for the town. The site boasts a prime location at the heart of town, next to the ongoing transformation of the historic Market Square and redevelopment of the former Marks and Spencer’s and BHS units. The central location provides a unique opportunity to transform this part of the town centre and have a positive impact on the wider area. Greyfriars will be a new vibrant neighbourhood within Northampton town centre, it will provide new homes for all and breathe life and energy into abandoned buildings. It will restitch forgotten connections and create new ones, amplifying the impact of nature and creativity throughout with Northampton’s first town park as its centrepiece. During a first round of engagement held between December 2023 and January 2024, over 1,500 people shared their thoughts on the emerging vision to transform Greyfriars. The second phase of engagement reflects this feedback with a refreshed vision and set of proposals. The vision seeks to deliver a mix of new homes including student, later living, cooperative living, build to rent and build to sell. Over half of the respondents to the first round of engagement stated they would consider living here with the introduction of active travel, culture and a new park. The online engagement will run until Sunday 9 June. Visit ampnorthampton.com to view the emerging vision to amplify the area and have your say. An in-person event will take place at the Grosvenor Centre, Northampton on Saturday 1 June between 9am and 5pm. Cllr Dan Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth, said: “We are delighted than more than 1,500 people responded to the first stage of engagement for the future plans for the Greyfriars site. “We are taking an exciting step forward to further enhance our vision as we launch the second stage of our engagement and showcase our vision for the area, which has been shaped by the community during the first engagement which took place earlier this year. “I would encourage everyone to come along to the in-person event to speak to our team of experts about the vision for this area and have their say to help shape the future of this part of Northampton.” This area will be enhanced by a new Greyfriars park running along Lady’s Lane with an outdoor amphitheatre and pedestrian first landscape. A renewed Corn Exchange will act as a multi-use culture led hub that welcomes performance, classes and showcase; while the transformed Belgrave House will be transformed into a creative, cultural and community building that celebrates the thinkers and movers of Northampton. More than 70 per cent of responses to the initial engagement expressed a need for a park and cultural facilities in this area. More than 100 people provided additional comments during the first engagement highlighting the need for improved bus services in the area. The existing bus station doesn’t allow for the growth of bus services to meet the growing demand. As part of this, WNC is exploring the opportunities to enhance Northgate bus station. This includes the extension of the station to allow for more capacity and the centralisation of buses, increasing the reliability of services and new waiting rooms and facilities to improve passenger experience. The proposals have been crafted by a multi-disciplinary team led by Studio Egret West, who have been commissioned by West Northamptonshire Council to craft the vision for the area. This team comprises urban designers, architects, landscape architects, and transport, commercial and sustainability experts. David West, Founding Director, Studio Egret West, said: “Building upon the enthusiasm for and feedback on our initial proposals, we are excited to showcase our evolved vision to revamp Greyfriars. It is an energetic and transformational framework, curated to inject life back into this forgotten part of the town.”