MEMBERS of the congregation at St Paul's, Skelmersdale, in Liverpool diocese, have twinned so many of their own lavatories with those who needed them overseas that they are now giving them away.

The scheme runs in partnership with the development agencies Tearfund and Cord to provide better sanitation and clean water where it is needed. For £60, they say, "people can help flush away poverty by twinning a toilet at home, work, or school with a latrine overseas". You then get a certificate to hang in your own lavatory to say what you have done, and to encourage others to do the same.

So keen on this idea are they at St Paul's that their harvest festival collection - into a lavatory bowl, of course (right) - together with a screening of the film Flushed Away, raised £500 to launch a "guerrilla twinning of toilets in the community".

After having certificated all their own lavatories, they drew up a hit-list of other organisations, and offered them each free certificates to put in their own lavatories, although they happily accepted the donations that were frequently offered. The scheme "went down a storm", I'm told, "and most of the recipients are now talking about twinning the rest of their toilets".

The church Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts even suggested doing a sponsored "Sit on the toilet" in the foyer of Asda.