A FURNITURE store is helping to flush away poverty by signing up to a quirky twinning scheme.
While most schemes involve matching towns and cities, this is more unusual.
Barkers Furniture Store, in Northallerton, has twinned its new toilets with some in Rutana Province, Burundi, Africa.
The lavish latrines, which regale visitors with birdsong sounds, bear a certificate confirming their twinned status.
Owner Charles Barker said: “We heard about toilet twinning from another retailer in Lancashire. At first I thought it was a bit of a joke but, when I looked into it, it was a serious thing to help people in relation to safety, security and cutting down on disease.”
Mr Barker also decided to twin the toilets in Barkers Department Store and Barkers Cafe, both in Northallerton High Street.
It costs £60 to twin a toilet and anyone can do it. The money goes towards improving sanitation in Africa and providing hygiene education. For more details, visit toilettwinning.org
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