A BUSINESSMAN is celebrating after learning his company and his customers have helped to generate £1m for charity.

Mick Callaghan, owner of AquAid Water Coolers based in Mill Hall Business Estate, Aylesford, and with branches all over the UK, has donated £1m to charities Christian Aid and Pump Aid by reducing his profit margin.

For every bottle of water the company sells, 40p is donated to Christian Aid to fund water and humanitarian projects.

And for every four water coolers installed, the company has funded a water pump in the third world through Pump Aid.

Mr Callaghan said: "We are delighted to reach this target - at AquAid we are committed to reducing poverty and disease in the Third World and are very grateful to all of our customers for their generous support."

Kate Phillips, associate director at Christian Aid, said: "Our heartfelt thanks to AquAid for the fantastic support they have given us.

"This immense generosity has allowed us to help literally thousands of people around the world gain access to clean drinking water."

One of the Christian Aid projects that has benefited from AquAid's donations is in the village of Pella in Burkina Faso, West Africa where a dam, four wells, eight bore holes and a literacy and health centre have been supplied.