Dressing up as a toilet at Brent Cross

Me and Victoria (sans toilet costume)

Yesterday, I did two things I've never done before. Ahead of World Toilet Day on the 19th November and encouraged by the Justice Matters spirit of getting involved, I went along to support Elaine and others raise awareness and funds for WaterAid.

I've never stood in a public place and collected for a good cause before (at least, not since my junior school days, when I once spent an afternoon helping to pack people's food shopping while dressed as a bear for Children in Need. There are no pictures, I'm afraid.) To push me further out of my comfort zone, I was dressed as a toilet. (Again, I'm sorry to say there are no photos of me thus attired).

Tina, Elaine (sporting the toilet costume)and Victoria

As we learned when WaterAid came to speak at JM last year, 2.5 billion people around the world live without access to clear water and sanitation. It's not exactly a glamorous subject, but imagine for a minute not having a toilet to use when you need it. This injustice results in the deaths of 2,000 children every day from water-borne diseases. In fact, more children in the developing world die from diarrhoea than measles, AIDS and malaria combined. It also causes health issues for women who hold on until after dark, so no one can see them go, only to face the threat of assault from being out alone at night.

I don't know how much we raised yet (I'll post an update when Elaine tells us), but I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to be involved in tackling the indignity suffered by too many of our neighbours. We will be finding more opportunities like this for members of Justice Matters to put their passion into action and live out  the lessons from our Rough Guide to being an Ordinary Radical. I hope that many more of you will join us next time we step out of our comfort zone to "seek justice [and] defend the oppressed".

Outside John Lewis - clearly popular with ethical shoppers!