This year I officially hit the wrong side of 25. I figure it's time to mix things up a bit and start making my birthdays count.

For my 26th birthday this year, I don't want presents. There's nothing that I need that trumps the billion people on the planet who need clean water, or the 30,000 people that will die this week without it.

To kick off my 27th year of life on earth, I want to raise enough money to give at least 27 people clean water (which is $550, or £340 for all those in the UK). If my Facebook friends all gave $26, I'd smash my goal ten times over. To put it into context, $26 is about fifteen quid...which most of us could spend in one lunchtime at Starbucks or on two drinks in a bar.

100% of all donations go directly toward water projects. And about 18 months after this campaign ends, charity: water will show us where and how every dollar we raised ended up helping in the field. We'll see GPS coordinates, photos and more details about the communities we've impacted.

So pull out your AMEX and let's do this.

If you don't, I expect you to sing 'Happy Birthday to Alex' with your pants on your head, film it, and put it on YouTube. :)