IT has helped more than seven million people around the world gain access to better water supplies.

In the past two years alone, WaterAid has provided about 640,000 villagers in the world's poorest countries with safer water and better sanitation.

Now the international charity is set to receive a helping hand from one of its youngest supporters.

Ten-year-old William Sims is preparing to complete a 50-mile sponsored walk across the New Forest.

William, of Romsey, will don his walking boots on July 24 and stride out across the Forest in a bid to raise hundreds of pounds.

He vowed to help WaterAid following a visit to family friends in Malawi, where only 57 per cent of the population has access to safe supplies.

His father, Robert, a 49-year-old geography teacher, will also take part in the four-day trek.

Mr Sims said: "Our holiday in Malawi proved an eye-opener for William, who was only eight at the time.

"Last winter William saw a TV programme which reminded him of what he'd seen and decided to do something to help people who don't have the same access to water as we do.

"He came up with the idea of a sponsored walk and was quite persistent. Luckily we do a lot of walking in our family."

William said: "When we were in Malawi we went out for a meal and when we left the restaurant there were people with no shoes and no food or water.

"I felt quite sad for them, so I'm going to spend part of the school holidays doing a sponsored walk for WaterAid and Oxfam."

Eleanor Hazell, Water-Aid's community fundraising officer, said: "It's fantastic that William is thinking about how difficult things are for others and setting his own challenge to raise funds. His sponsored walk will help many children his age in Africa and Asia.

"It costs WaterAid just £15 per head to provide the poorest people with clean water and sanitation closer to home."

William's trek across the Forest will begin at Bramshaw Telegraph, near Nomansland.

He and his father will walk to Burley and Brockenhurst before heading east to Fawley. They will then go north to Ashurst, returning to Nomansland on July 27.

Anyone wishing to sponsor William should ring 01794 511586.