A water well dedicated in someone’s name carries their memory into a place they may never have seen, and gives a whole community clean water every day for years. With Humanity First UK you choose the inscription, our field team sets it into a permanent plaque at the well, and once it is built you receive a completion report with a close-up of that plaque. You can dedicate a restoration for £750 or a new borehole for £2,000 on our Water for Life page.
Donating a water well is one of the most enduring ways to remember someone. Long after the day itself, the well keeps going, giving a whole community clean, safe water every day. Many people dedicate a well in memory of a parent or grandparent, with the name they loved set into a permanent plaque at the site.
This guide covers how to donate a water well in someone’s name with Humanity First UK, what the plaque and completion report include, and the occasions supporters choose to mark this way.
Why a water well is a lasting memorial
A water well keeps giving long after the day you donate. It serves a community of 500 to 1,000 people a day and is built to keep flowing for a decade or more. Every glass of clean water, and every child kept in school because they no longer walk hours to fetch it, continues in the name you chose.
Many supporters tell us this is why a well feels right as a memorial. It is an ongoing act of charity, carried out in the person’s name, that keeps benefiting a community year after year.
How to dedicate a water well in someone’s name
Dedicating a well takes a few minutes on our Water for Life page. Choose a restoration at £750 or a new borehole at £2,000, then enter the name or names you would like on the plaque at the checkout step. That inscription is what our field team sets into the well once it is built. For what each option covers and why the costs differ, see our guide to how much it costs to donate a water well.
Choosing the inscription
The plaque carries the words you enter in the “Name on plaque” box at checkout, up to 100 characters. Most supporters keep it simple: a name, sometimes with dates, and a short line such as “In memory of”. You can name more than one person, or a whole family. There is no need to settle it on the day, and if you would like help with the wording, our Water for Life team is glad to talk it through.
What you receive
Once your well is complete and formally inaugurated, we send you a full completion report. It includes:
- photographs of the finished well and the community it serves
- a close-up of the plaque with your inscription
- the exact GPS coordinates of the pump
- the estimated number of people the well will serve
Many families keep the report and the plaque photograph as a keepsake, and share it with relatives who gave together. The build usually takes 6 to 9 months from your donation, and the full process is set out in our guide to how to donate a water well.
Dedicate a well from £750, with their name on a permanent plaque at the site and a full completion report.
Occasions supporters mark with a well
People dedicate wells to remember and to celebrate. Common reasons include:
- in memory of a parent, grandparent or spouse who has passed away
- to mark a wedding, an anniversary or the birth of a child
- in your own name, or your family’s, as a lasting act of charity
Can you dedicate a well in your own name or as a family?
Yes. You do not have to dedicate a well in memory of someone. Many supporters donate a well in their own name, or in their family’s name, so there is a lasting record of something good they did together. Workplaces, mosques, schools and community groups often fund a well jointly and share the completion report among everyone who took part.
Add Gift Aid
If you are a UK taxpayer, ticking the Gift Aid box adds 25% to your donation at no cost to you. A £2,000 well becomes £2,500 of funding towards clean water, with a single tick.
Other ways to support clean water
If a full well is beyond your budget, a donation of any amount to our water fund still counts. We direct it where the need is greatest, from building wells to delivering emergency water. You can make a one-off donation on our donate page, set up regular giving by Direct Debit, or fundraise for a well with friends and family.
Frequently asked questions
Can I donate a water well in memory of someone who has died? Yes. This is one of the most common reasons people donate a well. The name of the person you are remembering is set into a permanent plaque at the well site, and the well continues to serve its community for years to come.
Will their name appear on the well? Yes. The name or names you enter at checkout are inscribed on a permanent plaque installed at the well once it is built. Your completion report includes a close-up photograph of it.
Can I dedicate a well in my own name? Absolutely. You can dedicate a well in your own name, in your family’s name, or on behalf of a group. The inscription is yours to choose at checkout.
How much does it cost to donate a water well in someone’s name? Restoring an existing well costs £750 and building a new well costs £2,000. Both include the named plaque and the full completion report. For a full cost breakdown, see our guide to how much it costs to donate a water well. For larger or custom schemes, write to our Water for Life team at [email protected].
How long until the well is built? From your donation to a finished, inaugurated well typically takes 6 to 9 months, depending on location and conditions. You then receive your completion report with photographs, GPS coordinates and a close-up of the plaque.
Restore a well for £750 or build a new one for £2,000, with their name on a permanent plaque and a full completion report.
For the full step-by-step, read our guide to how to donate a water well.
Last updated: 9 September 2026