A DERBY Telegraph campaign to pay for life-saving water purification kits has smashed its target and now stands at an amazing £196,000.

But already more than £145,000 of this has been spent sending 1,400 Aquaboxes to devastated Haiti, meaning that the charity needs your support now more than ever before.

The Aquaboxes, capable of removing deadly waterborne diseases including typhoid, dysentery and cholera, are currently playing a vital role in the massive aid effort in Haiti following the earthquake.

But the charity wants to send out more boxes and is urging people to carry on supporting it.

Trustee David Haspel said: "We will carry on sending boxes until we run out of money.

"We have sent the equivalent of three months supply of boxes in just six weeks – so we really need people to carry on supporting us in any way they can. People's generosity up to now has been fantastic."

The Derby Telegraph's Give Water, Give Life Campaign was launched with the aim of raising £138,000 for Aquabox, based in Wirksworth, but then the Haiti earthquake hit and the money was even more desperately needed as the charity began to pack boxes to send out to the survivors.

Scores of schools, churches, businesses and local Rotary groups have been raising cash for the campaign, allowing the charity to ship the Aquaboxes, which also contain essential welfare items such as tools and cooking pots, to Haiti.

And yesterday, another batch of 612 Aquaboxes was picked up from the charity's depot in Cromford bound for the Caribbean country.

Mr Haspel said: "Our water and humanitarian aid is of long-term value, especially when families begin to return from the refugee camps and look to rebuild both their lives and their family homes".

Among those who have supported the campaign is Derby gym Studio 2000 in Spa Lane. Members collected sponsorship for taking part in a variety of challenges, including sit-ups and skipping, raising more than £2,000.

In the last few days, cash has also come from an open day in the village of Breaston. Schoolchildren, the local Brownies, St Michael's Church and the Methodist Church teamed up for a Hope for Haiti day, which raised more than £1,300. It saw both churches open for prayers and donations and a cake sale.

A Britain's Got Talent style event at Sinfin Community School, dubbed Sinfin's Got Talent, raised more than £300, with youngsters at Nightingale Junior School raising another £300 by recreating Haitian art.

And actors in Church Broughton are performing Dick Whittington at 7.30pm every day until Saturday at the school to raise cash. There will also be a 2.30pm matinee on Saturday.