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Dear Editor,
As a Great Grandmother at 87 years old, I may be slowing down a little, but I’m certainly not ready to stop moving for a good cause. Recently, I took on my third fundraising challenge for Mary’s Meals – cycling 30 miles on my tricycle around a racetrack, over three days, to celebrate the charity reaching the incredible milestone of feeding three million hungry children every school day.
Mary’s Meals is a charity very close to my heart. They provide daily school meals for children in some of the world’s poorest communities offering them food, hope, and the chance of an education. After seeing the life-changing difference a simple school meal could make when I visited Malawi, I knew I had to help in whatever way I could.
This Christmas, there’s a wonderful way everyone can support Mary’s Meals. Through their Double The Love appeal, every donation made will be matched by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.1 million. That means your gift can go twice as far to feed hungry children and help the charity keep their promise to the three million children who already eat nutritious meals every school day and reach those still waiting.
It costs only £19.15 to feed a child for a whole school year – and during Double The Love, that same donation will feed two children. Even the smallest gift makes a big difference, with each meal costing just 10p.
Gift matching will end once Mary’s Meals reaches the £1.1 million total so don’t miss out on the opportunity to see your kindness go even further.
If I can cycle 30 miles at my age, I hope it shows you’re never too old – or too young – to do something to help. Together this Christmas, we can turn hunger into hope for the children who need it most.
To learn more or donate, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk.
With warm wishes,
Ellison Hudson
Dear Editor
Recent reports of the mistaken release of people from prison exposes a deeper crisis in our justice system. Overcrowding has pushed prisons beyond capacity, leaving staff exhausted, safety compromised, and rehabilitation almost impossible.
As Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, has warned, these mistakes are not isolated incidents – they reflect a system buckling under pressure. When people are locked in their cells for up to 22 hours a day, with limited access to education, training, or mental health and addiction support, the chances of rehabilitation diminish. Many people leave prison worse off, more likely to reoffend, and the cycle continues – putting communities at greater risk.
Reoffending costs the UK £23 billion a year. While we welcome steps by the Government to ease the crisis, long-term investment in what works is needed: education, training, mental health support, substance misuse treatment, and stable housing – delivered through well-resourced community sector services, alongside a strong probation system.
Supporting people to rebuild their lives doesn’t just help them — it reduces crime, eases pressure on prisons and helps create safer communities.
Helen Dyson
Interim Chief Executive
Nacro, the social justice charity
Dear Editor,
When we first began serving Mary’s Meals to a few hundred children in Malawi in 2003 we could never have imagined how this work would grow. Today, more than 3 million schoolchildren eat Mary’s Meals in areas of great need across 16 countries.
In this troubled world, it is tempting to become cynical and despair of things ever getting better. In the unfolding of Mary’s Meals, we see much reason for hope and many reminders of the goodness of people. Those 3 million children ate at school today only because so many people are choosing to share some of what they have to make this possible.
I first met Lettie in 2012, a 12-year-old orphan and the sole carer of her two young brothers. All three of them were suffering chronic hunger. Mary’s Meals – through its promise of a daily meal in school – made it possible for Lettie to go to school for the first time.
Today, Lettie has completed her high school education and works for Mary’s Meals in Malawi. She is a remarkable young leader. Without the gift of Mary’s Meals, it is very unlikely she would have ever gone to school, and in her story alone (never mind the millions of similar stories) we see how this simple serving of a daily meal is creating profound and lasting change in the world’s poorest communities. Mary’s Meals works!
Whilst we celebrate this milestone of reaching 3 million children, we are painfully aware that there are millions more waiting – many of them suffering just as Lettie was when I first met her. And so, we go forward, one child at time, in our belief that in this world of plenty every child on the planet should at least be able to eat one meal each day in school.
On behalf of Lettie and millions like her, I want to thank all of you who are already supporting this work, and I wish also to invite those of you who are not yet involved, to consider helping us to feed even one more child. Thanks to the many thousands of volunteers who help to deliver our programme, it’s possible to provide a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year for just £19.15.
Mary’s Meals’ low-cost approach means a hungry child can learn on a full stomach for just 10p. You can feed a hungry child every day for a whole school year for only £19.15. Please donate today: marysmeals.org.uk
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, Founder and CEO of Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
After a busy summer, there is a need for people in Greater Manchester to help fill available blood donation appointments in coming days and weeks.
Right now, there is a particular need for more O negative and B negative donors, as well as more donors of Black heritage to help treat patients with sickle cell.
O negative is the blood type used to treat patients in emergencies, including accidents and childbirth, and is therefore in constant high demand.
If you have one of these much-needed blood types and are able to donate, please go online at www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to book an appointment.
By giving an hour of your time, you could save up to three lives.
With thanks,
Gerry Gogarty
Director of Blood Supply NHS Blood and Transplant
Dear Editor,
How often do you pick up a £4 supermarket meal deal? Maybe it’s become part of your daily routine, a quick lunch between meetings or an easy grab and go on a busy day.
Since winning The Great British Bake Off, life has been full of exciting commitments for me, and it can be tempting to rely on the convenience of a meal deal when my schedule gets busy. But here’s something to consider, that same £4 can provide 40 meals for children in some of the world’s poorest communities.
That’s why I’m proud to support Mary’s Meals Deals, encouraging people to swap the cost of a supermarket meal deal for something truly powerful, a donation that helps feed hungry children.
That impact is real and life-changing.
Take Kelcy, an 11-year-old girl in Zimbabwe. She would walk for an hour to school every day on an empty stomach, struggling to stay focused in class. Now, thanks to Mary’s Meals, she eats a nutritious meal at school each day and the change has been clear.
Her mother, Brendah, says: “Whenever she comes in from school, you see a bright face. Unlike before when she would be hungry, her mouth would be foaming, and she was not so happy. Now, the situation is different. She is more energised than before.”
Mary’s Meals feeds more than 2.6 million children every school day across 16 countries, attracting them into the classroom where they can gain an education. Each of those children receive not just food, but hope, opportunity and the chance to learn and build a better future. The combination is truly powerful!
This year, your generosity can go even further. A generous donor has pledged to match new regular donations to Mary’s Meals, doubling your impact for the first two payments, up to a total of £250,000. If only £4 can feed 40 children, imagine what such generosity can do…
So, when reaching for our next meal deal, let’s remember that our lunchtime habit can be transformed into a lifeline for children across the world.
Let’s donate £4 today and turn our everyday spending into something extraordinary: www.marysmeals.org.uk/meal-deal
Giuseppe Dell’Anno,
The Great British Bake Off winner
Dear Editor,
When I first met Lydia, an 11-year-old student in Tigray, Ethiopia, I was struck by her confidence which clearly came from her mother, Shewit, who was also a teacher at her school.
Shewit was a great role model for her female pupils. Her determination to advocate for them fuelled by the pressure she herself faced as a child; to get married because of the belief girls couldn’t be educated, let alone achieve anything in life.
It was another five years before I saw Lydia and her mother again. The devastating civil war in Tigray made it impossible in recent years. In that time Lydia and Shewit faced unimaginable hardship, but they never gave up hope that things could get better.
One of the reasons for their hope, is the nutritious meals Lydia eats in school, thanks to international school feeding charity Mary’s Meals.
Thankfully Lydia doesn’t have to convince her mother that education matters, but many of her peers do. Sadly, there are many girls in the countries where we work, that face huge barriers in accessing education. I’ve heard of so many dropping out of school because poverty has forced them to make impossible choices. Some must look after their home or care for family members, others work, some face early marriage or teenage pregnancy. Women and girls now account for 60% of those living in hunger worldwide.
Mary’s Meals believes education is for everyone: 50% of those who eat our school meals are girls. Our school feeding programme is helping girls access education and overcome those barriers, giving them hope of a brighter future.
At a time when there are so many harrowing stories of conflict and poverty – that often feel impossible to change – I often think of Lydia and Shewit, and the hope they have which inspires my own.
I hear time and again that a whole community benefits when girls are educated. For just £19.15, Mary’s Meals can feed a child for a whole school year. A single meal costs just 10p, so it’s possible to make a life-changing difference with a donation of any size.
As we approach the end of the school term for children in the UK, you can make a donation in honour of your child’s teacher – it’s the perfect gift for those who believe in the power of education.
With heartfelt thanks,
Shona Shea
Head of Media and Content, Mary’s Meals UK
I’ve just been nominated as a finalist by SheInspires Awards in the Agent of Change category and I am really keen to spread the word about my events to help support women who may have felt the same as me and are struggling.
I’m Rachael—founder and host of B*TCH WITH A BABY (BWAB)—the local Mother’s Sharing Circle where babies are welcome but not mandatory!
Before having my own daughter, Maebel (now 15 months), I absolutely loved attending all types of sharing circles, finding solace, sanity, and community in other women and our shared experiences. Post-baby, however, I found that I had been struggling to attend circles given my new big ol’ role and all the many physical, mental, and emotional commitments that come with it (and anything past 8 PM I just didn’t have the energy for).
Babies are great, motherhood is great, but sometimes it’s just plain lonely. That’s how BWAB was born.
I started BWAB when my daughter was 7 months old, hosting it at my local community and wellness centre in Partington. At the time, I had been struggling with post-natal depression and had completed a 6-week NHS course to help me bond with my baby. I felt incredibly inspired after this to bring something similar to my local area.
My aim was to create a safe, inclusive space where caregivers could spend 90 minutes that were totally dedicated to themselves, with their babies just coming along for the ride. I believe there’s nothing more healing than women sharing their stories—in this case, the pits and peaks of motherhood.
Each month I’ve been collaborating with a different co-host who leads an activity. From post-partum yoga to meditation and reiki, pelvic floor workshops to massage tasters – I love working with people from different skill sets – also giving a platform to new teachers.
I keep my circles affordable to ensure all can access, with gifted spaces and standard pricing starting from £5.00.
There’s no right or wrong way to turn up to one of my circles; my motto is: Bring your best self, your sh*ttiest self & everything in between.
I recently experienced pregnancy loss. While the grief was overwhelming, I’m also grateful it happened as it’s opened my eyes to the issue of loss being such a taboo. I have started hosting bi-monthly circles where women can gather in an intimate setting & share their stories in a safe space where they can feel held and validated.
From Rachael McWilliams
Dear Editor,
Mary’s Meals is a charity that serves life-changing school meals to children in some of the world’s poorest communities, across 16 countries. The promise of a good meal attracts these hungry children into the classroom, giving them the energy to learn and hope for a better future.
But with the impact of conflict, climate change and the global cost-of-living crisis creating growing challenges for families in these communities, our work is now more urgent than ever. That’s why I’m asking your readers to consider doing something powerful – setting up a regular gift to Mary’s Meals today.
Until 31 May, a generous donor will triple your first three monthly donations. This means if you sign up to give £5 a month, your donation will be increased to £15. With the price of a meal costing just 10p, a £5 monthly donation would feed 50 children every month, and 150 children a month for the first three months!
Regular gifts are the foundation of our work. They help us expand our programmes to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals, and ensure we keep our promise to the children who rely on us – like 11-year-old Grace from Zimbabwe.
Grace lives with her 83-year-old great-grandmother, Elly, who struggles to provide food due to the ongoing drought across the region. Grace often arrives at school tired and hungry, but she knows she’ll receive a hot mug of porridge when she gets there. It gives her the energy to learn and the confidence to dream.
“I can concentrate better. I can read more when my tummy is full,” she says. “When I’m older, I want to be a teacher.”
Elly adds: “Everyone is happy about the porridge. It’s the biggest difference I’ve seen in this community.”
Grace is just one of the 2.6 million children who will eat Mary’s Meals today. But too many children are still waiting. Please help us reach them by setting up a monthly donation – through Direct Debit or your employer’s payroll scheme, and together we can give more children the food they need, the chance to learn, and the prospect of a better tomorrow.
With heartfelt thanks,
Marie Doyle, Executive Director, Mary’s Meals UK
A message to my Mummy on Mother’s Day about hungry children
Dear Editor,
My name is Ethan and I’m six years old.
I first heard about Mary’s Meals at school and learned that some children around the world don’t have enough food to eat. It made me sad to think that there are children my age who go hungry every day.
When I found out that Mary’s Meals feeds more than 2.6 million children in some of the world’s poorest countries, I wanted to do something to help. So, I decided to set up a lemonade stand in my village to raise money.
I had so much fun making the lemonade and lots of my neighbours came to support me. I managed to raise £67, which is enough to feed three children for a whole school year. I feel really proud of myself.
But I couldn’t have done it without my mummy. She took me to the supermarket to buy all the ingredients and helped me set up my stand. She always supports me in everything I do.
This Mother’s Day, I want to say a big thank you to my mummy, but also to all the mothers around the world. I learned that many mothers in the poorest countries go without food themselves just so their children can eat. Or they try to find whatever work they can to be able to afford food for their family, some even volunteer as cooks at school so other children can eat Mary’s Meals too. They give up so much every day, even when they have very little, because they love their children so much.
That’s why I wanted to help Mary’s Meals, to make sure more children get the food they need and to help take a little bit of worry away from their mothers.
I hope other children and their parents will join me in supporting Mary’s Meals. You could set up a lemonade stand like I did, sell delicious sweet treats, or visit the Mary’s Meals website for more fundraising ideas.
Even the smallest effort can make a big difference as just 10p a day is enough to feed a child at school, giving them the chance to learn, grow and dream of a brighter future.
To find out more about how you can help Mary’s Meals reach more hungry children, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk
Ethan, six years old from Surrey
Dear Editor,
An estimated 21 million children across Southern Africa are currently malnourished, a shocking statistic, accelerated by the region’s worst drought in 100 years. The result of climate change and the unpredictable El Nino weather pattern, there’s little rain and harvests have failed again and again.
Shortly before Christmas, I visited Zimbabwe, one of the countries most affected, where under the beating sun lay parched fields of wilting crops.
There I met 12-year-old Shalom, who wakes with an empty stomach every day. When she opens her eyes each morning, she sees devastation in the fields surrounding her.
Her mum, Rumbidzai, used to be able to feed Shalom and her siblings by growing vegetables in small gardens at their home. They have long since dried up. The wells are dry too. Rumbidzai admitted to me: “It breaks my heart when we cannot provide for her.”
Children, families and whole communities are desperate. However, in Zimbabwe, I also witnessed a sense of hope.
Today, Shalom will arrive in class hungry, tired and nauseous, but excited about the prospect of eating nutritious Mary’s Meals porridge. Previously, she would have stayed at home because she didn’t have the energy to go to school.
Mary’s Meals, the charity founded in the Scottish Highlands, is providing a lifeline and relief to parents and families across Southern Africa that their children won’t go hungry. In Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, over 1.5 million children receive Mary’s Meals porridge every school day, attracting them into the classroom, fuelling their education and giving them hope for a better future amid this devastating drought.
Yet millions more children need urgent help. It costs just 10p a day to feed a child with Mary’s Meals. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/southern-africa and donate today to give children like Shalom the gift of hope.
Gary Armstrong
Media Manager, Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
My name is Grace and I’m 10 years old.
I first heard about Mary’s Meals from my auntie Pauline. The charity feeds more than 2.4 million children every school day in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Auntie Pauline set up the Armagh and Benburb volunteer group and I was very inspired by them all. They showed me photos of children receiving their food at school and then I saw children near me were doing sponsored bike rides for Mary’s Meals. It made me think I could help too.
I felt the need to help because if I just said: “well someone else can do it”, what if they didn’t? What if those little children didn’t get any food, what would happen then? If everyone in the world said no, nothing would happen. So, I wanted to say yes.
When I was six, I started making Christmas Eve packs which were full of goodies for children in my community.
I have raised almost £3,750 over the past four years, making and selling packs for Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day and have had so much support. Some people even send me money for Mary’s Meals and don’t want to order any packs, they just want to help.
It made me feel so good inside knowing that those little children who receive Mary’s Meals would really appreciate it and not be hungry anymore. They don’t really have the life that you and I have, their lives are much harder.
You too can do something small that can have a big impact on a hungry child. Whether you give money, time, or help to spread our message – your little act of love can give children living in some of the world’s poorest countries hope for a better future.
To find out more about how to your small change can make a big impact, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/campaigns/small-change-big-impact
Grace Morgan, 10, Mary’s Meals Supporter
My name is Mikey and I’m nine years old.
Two years ago, at church, I heard the priest talk about the charity Mary’s Meals. They feed 2.4 million hungry children across the world in school. The meals help children stay in school and give them energy to learn. I decided that I wanted to do something to help these children because I get food and it’s only fair that they should get food too.
I started fundraising and walked 10k around my local area in Barrhead, Renfrewshire with my parents after school and raised more than £800! It felt so good to make a difference that last year I walked 11k for Mary’s Meals, and this year I walked 12k. I’ve raised nearly £3,000 for Mary’s Meals over the last three years and I’m so happy!
It would be great if your readers could donate or fundraise for Mary’s Meals this Christmas. It really helps hungry children and makes their lives better.
Visitors to their website can decorate an online Christmas Tree of Hope to share with a friend for a small donation. And just now, during Mary’s Meals’ Double The Love campaign, all donations are being doubled by a group of generous donors, up to £1.1 million, meaning your donation will go twice as far.
You can visit marysmeals.org.uk to donate, create a Christmas Tree of Hope or find out ways to fundraise.
Mikey Williams, age 9, Barrhead
Dear Editor,
This week the Government released its Get Britain Working Again white paper, including measures such as stopping the benefits of young people who don’t take up work or training opportunities, alongside support to address barriers such as mental health issues.
Today’s young people have grown up during austerity, the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis. Their lives and the lives of people around them have been getting harder and harder, and many of them are struggling.
Nacro works with these disadvantaged young people in our education and housing services, and recently interviewed to them for our Truth About Youth report. We found a generation of young people who wanted to find a job and understood that hard work and education were the route to get there.
Contrary to many stereotypes the careers they wanted weren’t YouTube star or footballer. These are the country’s childminders, bricklayers, and hairdressers. However, they also reported facing many challenges; a lack of self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness and a dearth of local opportunities were just some examples.
We welcome Government’s commitment to improve access to mental health services for young people and expand on opportunities for work experience and careers advice.
If we are to get more young people working we need to break down the barriers they face, especially for those who face the most disadvantage, and this means ensuring that we have properly funded support systems and services in place that specifically help young people who are struggling.
The Government need to listen to what young people, especially disadvantaged young people, are telling them and work with them on the solution. It is our responsibility to ensure all young people have the support they need to find the bright future they deserve.
Yours, Campbell Robb
Photograph by Colin Mearns
Dear Editor,
Earlier this year, Mary’s Meals ran an appeal for children suffering in the war-torn, drought-stricken Tigray region of Ethiopia. Witnessing a truly appalling humanitarian catastrophe – one that is already taking lives by starvation and robbing children of their futures by preventing school attendance – we wanted to expand our school feeding programme as quickly as possible.
Mary’s Meals feeds more than 2.4 million hungry children in 17 of the world’s poorest countries, including Ethiopia, every school day. The promise of a nutritious meal at school attracts these children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope of a brighter future.
The response from our supporters – and potentially many of your readers – to our Crisis In Ethiopia appeal was yet again overwhelming and beautiful. Each gift given is already making a tangible difference in children’s lives, having enabled us to grow our programme very rapidly. Instead of providing 24,000 children in Tigray with daily meals – as we were previously – we are now reaching more than 110,000!
Schools on the verge of closure have new life. Hope is being reborn in the form of smiling children filling school classrooms. Lives are being saved. Dreams of a better day are once again alive.
Even in the most challenging situations, donations become simple school meals that transform everything. We can be greatly reassured that every action in support of Mary’s Meals really does have a life-changing impact on children living in poverty. And we can use this as fuel to go forward to reach the next child waiting.
On behalf of every child who is receiving our meals and has new hope for the future, I thank our supporters with all my heart.
It costs just £19.15 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals every day for a school year. If you can, please donate at marymeals.org.uk.
Thank you,
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
Founder, Mary’s Meals
(L) Fatima (R) Soni
Dear Editor,
It is a shocking thing that around the world, so many girls are missing out on an education that could be their ladder out of poverty. Only 49% of countries have gender parity in terms of primary school attendance and this has wider consequences – for the girls themselves, their families and their communities. An educated girl has far better outcomes in terms of health and her ability to earn a living.
There are many barriers which prevent girls from attending school, but often they come down to poverty. When families cannot afford to send all their children to school, they often choose the boys and the girls remain at home.
I recently met two young women in India who had grown up in a very poor community. Their parents told me that it is unusual to send girls to school and most are married off young to save money for the family.
For Fatima and Soni however, things were different because of the provision of Mary’s Meals. A nutritious daily meal in school was a huge incentive for the girls’ parents, who were struggling to feed their family, to send the girls to school. Over time, both the girls and their parents saw the value of education.
Fatima is the first girl in her community to gain a university degree and is set to become a teacher. Her sister is entering the police force. Mary’s Meals fuelled the future for these young women and with your help, we can change the story for millions more girls around the world.
Just £19.15 can provide a daily school meal for a girl for a whole year. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/her-education and make a donation which can change a girl’s life.
Jessica Faulkner
Dear Editor,
We’re calling on local people to help fill available blood donation appointments at our Norfolk House and Plymouth Grove Donor Centres, in Manchester, over coming days and weeks to help us boost our blood stock levels.
There is a particular need for O negative and O positive donors.
If you’re able to donate, please go online at www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to book an appointment.
Dear Editor,
This May we will elect our new local Police and Crime Commissioner. We at Nacro, a national charity helping people through its education, housing and criminal justice services, believe they can make a significant difference in building better relationships between the police and young people. Young people tell us that they wouldn’t call the police if they were a victim of a crime and they feel the police hold stereotypical views of young people. Yet children and young people are disproportionately likely to be victims of crime, with teenagers the most at risk group from crimes such as knife crime, which is on the increase across the country. There are also a small minority of young people who do get swept up into the criminal justice system, and the new PCCs have a role to play to reduce this number, using evidence-based approaches. We hope to see the area’s new PCCs come into their post with a goal to understand young people better, to create community initiatives alongside them, to look at what works to divert young people away from crime, and to offer support to young people already in the criminal justice system to ensure they have better options away from crime.
Yours, Campbell Robb
Nacro, CEO
Dear Editor,
Having lived through the atrocities of war, millions of Ethiopians are now facing emergency levels of food insecurity and hunger. The charity Mary’s Meals serves school meals to children in the Tigray region of the country, but sadly the stories we are hearing from Tigray are shocking. After the two-year civil war, so many children are still out of school, and many of those who are in school can’t learn due to debilitating hunger.
Before the conflict Selemon and his parents lived a happy life. Now his father has suffered a mental breakdown and is unable to support the family.
With no food at home, nine-year-old Selemon comes to school without eating anything and sits in class feeling hungry, instead of being able to focus on the lessons. He used to be bold and active in class, whereas now, he often seems to get confused when he’s asked a question. His teacher says: “He always gets sick. He even has a skin disease, which I think is a symptom of hunger. His family is one of the poorest.”
The past few years have stolen so much from Selemon. Mary’s Meals is striving to reach his community and start serving meals to the children in his primary school. Alongside our local partner, we are ready to expand our school feeding programme to more schools like Selemon’s but we urgently need more funds to do so. With your help we can reach these desperately hungry children with food and boost their chances of engaging with education again.
You can provide them with hope of a brighter future. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk to give what you can to our Crisis In Ethiopia appeal – at just 10p a meal no donation is too small.
Matt Barlow,
Executive Director, Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
Yesterday’s Government data revealed that shockingly, rough sleeping in England has risen 27% in the past year. And more than doubled since 2010.
These aren’t just statistics, they are people, thousands of people, who’s lives have fallen apart in a terrible way and haven’t had the support and back up they need at that critical moment. As a result they are sleeping on our streets each night.
This just should not be happening. One important way to reduce the number of people rough sleeping is to break the link between rough sleeping and the criminal justice system.
A third of rough sleepers have been in prison, and we know hundreds of people leave prison into homelessness every month.
This is despite the importance of stable housing in reducing reoffending. Where there are key moments like leaving prison, and someone is at risk of homelessness, we need to ensure that everything possible is done to help people find and keep a home for the long term.
Yours Campbell Robb,
Nacro, Chief Executive
Nacro, is a national charity, housing thousands of homeless people, people coming out of prison and care leavers across the country
Dear Editor,
A few years ago, a dear friend joined the Mary’s Meals team and shortly after she asked me if I had ever considered becoming a volunteer. I’d never heard of Mary’s Meals before but soon enough, after doing some research, I signed up as a volunteer.
This incredible charity provides nutritious meals every school day to more than 2.4 million hungry children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries, giving them the energy to learn and dream of a brighter future.
I’m a mother of three daughters aged nine, 11 and 13, and we are so lucky that our girls go to school each day and will grow up to be well-educated young women, something which is often taken for granted here in the UK.
My husband and I try to instil good morals and teach them that they can make a difference to those who are less fortunate than us. My daughters have attended many fundraising events with me, they’ve helped me give talks supporting Mary’s Meals and have even made and sold their own merchandise to raise money. Hopefully they’ll never forget how lucky they are.
This Mother’s Day, I’ll be asking my girls for the gift of hope in the form of a Mary’s Meals gift card. These beautiful cards cost just £19.15, which is enough to feed a hungry child for a whole school year.
You can support Mary’s Meals by purchasing gift cards from marysmeals.org.uk/shop.
I am aware that we may never get to meet the mums in other countries whose children we help, but our family knows that our small and simple acts of kindness will have a profound effect on those families.
We want to be able to make that life-changing impact on other mums across the world, as we all know how difficult being a mum can be, but equally how rewarding it is. All we ever want as parents is the best for our children.
Nina Wylie, Mary’s Meals volunteer
Dear Sir/Madam,
When utility company roadworks overrun, it’s motorists who pay the price with congestion, detours and longer journeys.
This is why I’ve announced a plan to crack down on works by utility companies overrunning. We are consulting on plans to toughen fines for utility companies if they overrun and increase the penalties for operating without a licence. Proposals include using money the utility companies pay councils to “block off” the streets, and putting it into resurfacing and improving local roads.
The result? We could generate £100 million extra each year to resurface roads and tackle potholes left behind by utility companies, while helping tackle congestion, cutting down journey times and make driving a bit easier.
This is part of the first series of measures delivered from the Government’s Plan for Drivers, a 30-point plan to support freedom to use your cars, curb unnecessary enforcement and back drivers.
This is just the latest boost for your readers who rely on our roads, who will also see the biggest ever funding increase of £8.3 billion to resurface local roads in England – improving the everyday journeys that so many people rely on.
Kind regards,
Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Roads and Local Transport
Dear Editor,
As I begin another new year, I find myself looking forward with excitement for what the next 12 months may bring.
I feel incredibly fortunate to start 2024 filled with optimism for the future. Sadly, not everyone can start the year with the same hope. Millions of children across the world, often impacted by civil war, natural disasters or drought, won’t even know where their next meal is coming from.
Many years ago, I started giving my support to Mary’s Meals, the international school feeding charity which does incredible work in 18 of the world’s poorest countries by encouraging children into the classroom with the promise of a daily school meal. Mary’s Meals provide little ones with energy, education and a ladder out of poverty, but also gives them something we often take for granted: hope for a brighter future.
I decided to set up a regular donation to the charity because I wanted to know that each month, I was helping to feed another child at school. The certainty of a regular gift enables Mary’s Meals to keep the promise to the 2.4 million children they feed every school day, while they strive to reach millions more who remain hungry.
And as your readers begin to take on their New Year’s resolutions, I’d ask them to consider adding another very important one to their list: to give the gift of hope in 2024. A gift of any size makes a huge difference – it costs just 10p to provide a nutritious meal for a hungry child.
If you set up a regular gift to Mary’s Meals before 22 January 2024, then your first two donations will be doubled as part of the charity’s Double The Love appeal.
To change a child’s life and give hope for a brighter future, please visit marysmeals.org.uk.
I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year.
Ruth Mitchell
Mary’s Meals supporter
Dear Editor,
As the countdown to Christmas begins and I start to reflect on another year, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
As a mum of a young boy, I’ve had the pleasure of watching my son experience the simple joys of childhood with energy and excitement, but I know how fortunate I am to be in this position.
For many children around the world, this isn’t the case, and millions struggle to even know where their next meal is coming from. That’s why this year, I’ve been inspired to join forces with Mary’s Meals to encourage parents to buy a Christmas gift card to help feed hungry children.
The life-changing charity serves daily school meals to more than 2.4 million hungry children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries, providing them with enough energy to focus on their education and hope of a brighter future. As a mother, I believe that every child should have this opportunity.
During the season of giving, I’m encouraging others to join me and my son as we leave out a Mary’s Meals gift card for Santa to pass on to a hungry child this Christmas – there truly is no better gift than the gift of hope for a hungry child. A gift card costs just £19.15 and will feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year.
You can also support Mary’s Meals by purchasing gift cards, Christmas card packs and other beautiful festive gifts including mugs, dog bandanas and 2024 calendars from marysmeals.org.uk/shop.
And the incredible news is that all donations – no matter the size – made from now until 22 January 2024 will be doubled, meaning your kindness will go twice as far this winter!
To give back this Christmas and help change a child’s life, please visit marysmeals.org.uk.
I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year!
Jean Johansson , TV presenter and Mary’s Meals supporter
Dear Editor,
THE BIG GIVE APPEAL Did you know that over 7,000 women – mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmas, aunties, nieces, cousins, friends – are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year?
One of those women was my mother, actress Marjie Lawrence. We lost her in 2010 when she died of ovarian cancer, just three weeks after her diagnosis.
Receiving an ovarian cancer diagnosis is devastating. The latest research from the charity Target Ovarian Cancer revealed that over half the women diagnosed struggle with their mental health as a result.
Despite this, there is a desperate lack of support and information available – from the moment of diagnosis, throughout treatment, and beyond into recovery and adjustment back to everyday life. This is not acceptable.
Women are left feeling lost, scared, and unsure where to turn. That’s why I am writing to you today to ask for your help.
Target Ovarian Cancer aims to look after every area of life for a woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer. This includes providing a nurse-led support line and group events where women can access crucial information and vital support.
The charity also produces information guides and tools to empower women with knowledge – helping them to take control of their health. These essential tools need urgent funding. From midday Wednesday 11th October to midday Wednesday 18th October, there’s a fantastic opportunity to raise these funds when Target Ovarian Cancer teams up with THE BIG GIVE APPEAL to raise up to £20,000! EVERY donation made will be matched, so it will have DOUBLE the impact. Donate £5, and it will raise £10. Donate £50 and it will raise £100.
You can still donate to this great charity after the dates above here: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002RXrIZAA1
Target Ovarian Cancer is there for everyone affected by ovarian cancer, any time they need it. Through Target Ovarian Cancer and The Big Give, more women living with ovarian cancer will be able to receive invaluable support and information – absolutely essential for the best possible outcomes.
To make a donation and have it doubled, please visit: targetovariancancer.org.uk/biggive
With best wishes, Sarah Greene Sarah Greene Honorary Patron at Target Ovarian Cancer and presenter on BBC1’s The Finish Line
Dear Editor,
Today, more than 46,000 children are sitting in classrooms across Liberia with full stomachs, eager to learn how to read and write, thanks to your readers’ heartwarming response to our previous match funding campaign supported by the UK Government.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious food in school to some of the world’s hungriest children, attracting them to the classroom, where they can gain an education and be given the chance to dream of a brighter future.
Mary’s Meals has been able to make a life-changing difference to little ones across Liberia thanks to donations to our 2020/2021 Double The Love campaign – which were matched by the UK government, up to £2million.
Hawa, nine, attends Dendewea Public School, one of 215 schools receiving Mary’s Meals because of the incredible generosity of our fantastic supporters and the UK government.
The promise of a daily meal motivates Hawa to go to school and provides her with hope. She said: “The impact Mary’s Meals has had on my education is that it makes me studious, happy to learn, and it makes me strong to work and study.
“The food that Mary’s Meals serves here has made me have hope for the future. If I did not receive the food, I would experience hunger in school.”
We wish to say how grateful we are to everyone who donated to the Double The Love campaign. Your kindness is helping us to provide lasting change for those who need it most.
You can find out more about our work by visiting marysmeals.org.uk.
Dear Editor,
I’m delighted to be helping the MS Society celebrate the amazing volunteers who help the charity support people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) across the UK. We’re looking for people in the North West to nominate volunteers who have made an impact on people affected by MS. Whether that’s through outstanding support, adventurous fundraising or tackling injustice on behalf of the whole MS community – we want to hear from you!
More than 130,000 people live with MS in the UK and symptoms are different for everyone. MS can affect how a person moves, thinks and feels. Without volunteers’ time and energy, it would be impossible for the MS Society to deliver the services and support that it does.
I became an MS Society Ambassador in 2022 but have been a lifelong supporter of the charity as my mum lives with MS. And I’m thrilled to say I’ll be hosting the virtual Volunteer Impact Awards ceremony on Thursday 30 November at 7pm to shine a light on the inspiring people who have done incredible things to support the MS community.
If readers know a volunteer inthe North West who they’d like to see get one of six special awards, please visit www.mssociety.org.uk/VolunteerAwards. Nominations close on Saturday 30 September 2023.
Ivo Graham
MS Society Ambassador and comedian.
Dear Editor,
I recently visited north-west Turkana, an extremely remote and vulnerable region of Kenya. Malnutrition is all too common here. Drought has been killing livestock – people’s main source of income – and forcing them to depend on others for their basic needs.
I work for Mary’s Meals, the school feeding charity that provides meals for 2.4 million children every school day, across 18 countries. The promise of a nutritious meal brings children into the classroom and gives them the energy to participate in lessons and work towards a better future.
We provide training, equipment, ingredients and support so communities can run the school feeding programme themselves, with volunteers turning up every school day to cook and serve the meals. In Kenya, our programme reaches more than 100,000 children living in poverty and facing food insecurity.
My visit took me to Akalaliot pre-school in Turkana, where around 300 children receive Mary’s Meals every school day, and it was a hive of activity. I wondered where everyone had come from, since for several miles there were no buildings or dwellings in sight.
I was told Akalaliot is situated between a few small villages, roughly two to three miles away. And for those living on the other side of the mountains, it’s a five or six-mile walk. Despite these vast distances, the children had come for the nutritious meal of maize and beans. As they cleared their plates and bounced to their feet with renewed energy, it was amazing to see the difference these meals are clearly making.
Being able to offer a meal to children, consistently, at school and equipping them to learn and gain skills for their future has a transformative effect on communities made vulnerable by poverty, conflict, and climate change. It costs just £19.15 to feed a child for a school year with Mary’s Meals, so even small donations can have a big impact. Until 29 September, if you’re able to set up a regular gift to Mary’s Meals, your first three donations will be tripled (by a group of generous donors, up to £150,000).
I’d like to invite your readers to visit marysmeals.org/tripled to find out more about our work – and help to bring hope to more hungry children like those I met in Kenya.
Thank you,
Alex Keay
Director of Programme Affiliates and Partners, Mary’s Meals International
Dear Editor,
As a retired teacher, I am only too aware of how precious education is and how many factors can affect a child’s experience at school.
That’s why I’m proud to support Mary’s Meals, the international school feeding charity. They do an incredible job, feeding more than 2.4 million hungry children every school day in 18 of the world’s poorest countries with a nutritious meal – giving them energy to learn and hope for a brighter future.
Mary’s Meals is a simple idea that works. The promise of a good meal at school increases enrolment and improves attendance. In communities where the charity serves its meals, far fewer children leave school early because of hunger.
I decided to set up a monthly Direct Debit to Mary’s Meals so that I can be a continuous supporter of this wonderful charity. Just £19.50 can feed a hungry child for a whole school year. I feel glad that my regular gift can help to give the organisation security of income on which they can depend, while they strive to reach the next hungry child waiting for Mary’s Meals.
This summer, with the charity’s Direct Debits Tripled campaign, your readers can make their kindness go three times as far and help Mary’s Meals feed even more hungry children. Until 29 September, anyone who sets up a Direct Debit to Mary’s Meals will have their first three donations will be tripled by a group of generous donors, up to £150,000.
I hope your readers can join me in giving a regular gift to a charity which is fulfilling the most basic needs for millions of families – feeding children in school and teaching them so that they can fulfil their potential.
Dorothy Walsh,
Mary’s Meals Supporter
Dear Editor,
As a mum of four, I know how vital it is for children to gain a quality education that sets them up for life. It is so desperately sad that not every child in the world is afforded this chance.
Mary’s Meals, the international school feeding charity, is doing amazing work in 18 of the world’s poorest countries to encourage hungry children into the classroom with the promise of a daily school meal – giving them energy to learn and hope for a brighter future.
I first became aware of Mary’s Meals when my eldest, Joseph, was in primary school and his class were doing a school project about the charity.
Inspired by its incredible work, I decided to become a volunteer for this wonderful movement that feeds more than 2.4 million children every school day.
As a parent, it is always a challenge to think of an appropriate gift at the end of a school year to show appreciation and thanks to your child’s teacher.
This year, Mary’s Meals are offering a special ‘Present for my Teacher’ digital gift cards. These cards can be bought for £5, £10, or £19.15 – the amount of money it costs to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year.
To gift this to a teacher is a thank you for their important work and a gift of hope and food for those children who need it most. To purchase a ‘Present for my Teacher’ gift card, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/shop.
Julie McGowan,
Mum and Mary’s Meals volunteer
Dear Editor,
Today, more than 141,000 children in Zambia are sitting in classrooms with full stomachs, learning how to read and write, thanks to your readers’ incredible response to a previous match funding campaign supported by the UK government.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious food at school to children living in some of the world’s poorest countries, giving them the chance to gain an education that can, in the future, be their ladder out of poverty.
Thanks to generous public donations to our 2018 Double The Love campaign – which were matched by the UK government, up to £2 million – we have been able to transform more young lives in the Eastern Province of the African country.
Of these 141,734 children now receiving a mug of vitamin-enriched porridge from Mary’s Meals, I am most encouraged to see half are girls – often the ones who face the biggest obstacles to gaining an education.
Martha, 13, is able to attend St Anne’s Primary School thanks to the kindness of both our wonderful supporters and the UK government.
Martha lost her arm in a car accident and spent a year in hospital before adjusting to day-to-day life. Despite her disability, Martha is determined to put her sharp mind to work and excel at school.
She tells us: “There are nutrients in the porridge that give me more energy for my education. When I am educated, I will do things, I will provide for my family.”
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated to Double The Love for helping us to deliver real and lasting change for some of the world’s poorest children.
You can learn more about our work by visiting marysmeals.org.uk
Karen Gray, Director of Communications at Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
This Father’s Day (18 June), I’m thinking about the happiness that being a dad brings me.
One of my favourite things about having two little ones is seeing the joy they get from the simplest of things. Two-year-old Thomas and eight-month-old Mary Anne love a trip to the local park, and they can’t get enough of peek-a-boo!
Thomas was given a toy kitchen around the same time I was doing some DIY in my own kitchen, and now he loves to play at ‘fixing’ his kitchen. Another amazing part of being their dad is watching how much joy they get from learning from what’s going on around them.
Sadly, for little ones in some of the world’s poorest countries, there isn’t the same opportunity to experience these simple joys of childhood and learning.
But, through my work at Mary’s Meals, I know the difference a daily school meal can make to change the story for these children.
Mary’s Meals feeds more than 2.4 million hungry children every school day in 18 countries around the world. The promise of a nutritious meal attracts these children into the classroom, giving them energy to learn and laugh and play with their friends – and hope for a brighter future.
This month, the charity is offering a range of beautiful gift cards for Father’s Day that will feed a child for a whole school year for just £19.15.
These gift cards are a special way to put a smile on dad’s face, while helping to give a hungry child the chance at joy that every little one deserves. To order yours, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/shop.
James Farrell,
Data Analyst, Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
As a sportsperson, I am really passionate about helping people to enjoy keeping fit. That’s why I’m delighted to support Mary’s Meals’ new active fundraising challenge, From Dalmally to Malawi.
This incredible charity feeds more than 2.4 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries every school day. The promise of a nutritious meal attracts these children into the classroom, where they can gain an education that can be their ladder out of poverty.
This April, Mary’s Meals is inviting people to join take part in a virtual journey from Dalmally, the village in the Scottish Highlands where the charity was founded, to Malawi, the country where it first served its life-changing school meals.
There’s still time to sign up and help feed children in some of the world’s poorest communities. All your readers need to do is pledge to complete a number of miles in April and ask friends and family for sponsorship.
Walk, run or swim, participants can take part in any way they choose! Everyone who takes part will receive a special Mary’s Meals medal and certificate at the end of the challenge.
I’d love to see as many of your readers as possible at the finish line!
To sign up to take part in From Dalmally to Malawi, please visit: marysmeals.org.uk/dalmally-to-malawi
Dear Editor,
With Mother’s Day around the corner, I’ve been thinking about the moments that really matter to me, as a mum of three kids.
Of course, it’s lovely to receive a box of chocolates or a big bouquet from your family. But the most special gift I ever received was simply being able to celebrate my first ever Mother’s Day with my firstborn, Lola and my own mum. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
I now have Kit and Lockie, as well as Lola, and their happiness and healthiness is what matters to me. I believe that, all around the world, all mothers are the same.
That’s why I’m delighted to be supporting Mary’s Meals this Mother’s Day. This incredible charity serves life-changing school meals to children living in the world’s poorest countries, so that they can grow up happy, healthy and well-educated.
This month, Mary’s Meals is offering a range of Mother’s Day cards that will feed a hungry child for a whole school year – for just £19.15.
To treat the wonderful women in your life and help a hungry child this Mother’s Day, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/shop
Izzy Judd,
Celebrity mum and Mary’s Meals supporter
Dear Editor,
Until now, Aleppo has been known, mostly, as a city devastated by the war in Syria. But today the world’s media is reporting a new horror there as one heart-breaking story after another emerges from the rubble in the aftermath of earthquakes that have shattered this whole region.
Children have been eating Mary’s Meals at schools in Aleppo since 2017. These nutritious meals – prepared and served by local volunteers with support from our trusted partner, Dorcas – were helping to make their young lives better. Now, the earthquake has ripped everything apart and the streets around their schools are filled with debris, the cries of people grieving, and those with no refuge from the bitter winter weather.
Despite this, the work of Mary’s Meals goes on. We are feeding thousands of hungry people – not just the children who used to eat our meals during lunch break but many others in desperate need of food.
With your support, we can keep reaching people in Aleppo with life-saving food aid. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/syria to give what you can – no donation is too small.
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
Founder, Mary’s Meals
Editor,
It’s that time of year when many of us decide to make New Year’s resolutions. From getting fit, to trying out a new hobby – or simply being more organised.
With Mary’s Meals, you can sort out your affairs for free and go into 2023 with some peace of mind.
We have teamed up with Farewill, the UK’s largest will writer, to offer a free will writing service. This is a saving of around £150 – and will mean that your savings and possessions go to the people and causes you care about.
Our free service is available whether or not you choose to include Mary’s Meals in your will – but please know that any gift, no matter the size, will bring hope to desperately hungry children.
With a gift in your will, you can help us keep our promise to the 2.2 million children who rely on Mary’s Meals – and ensure future generations learn their way to a brighter future that can one day lift their communities out of poverty.
If you would like more information about leaving a gift in your will, please visit marysmeals.org.uk/will
Dan McNally, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals
Giuseppe Dell’Anno
Dear Editor,
As a baker, I love getting together with my family over Christmas for lots of good food – including my delicious almond shortcrust biscuits, which are perfect with a hot chocolate!
These special moments really make me think about how lucky I am. That’s why I’m taking part in Mary’s Meals’ Big Family Christmas fundraiser – and I hope your readers will join me!
Mary’s Meals provides a daily meal to more than 2.2 million children every school day in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. Its nutritious meals attract desperately hungry children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and chance of a better future.
Every year, this amazing charity hosts a virtual Christmas dinner for supporters around the world. In return for a donation of £15.90 – enough to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a school year – your readers can set a place for themselves or a loved one at the Mary’s Meals Big Family Christmas table. Their name will appear online and they will receive a beautiful PDF placemat which can be passed on as a gift.
And until 31 January 2023, support for Mary’s Meals will go twice as far thanks to its Double The Love campaign. During this period, donations to the charity will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, with up to £1.5 million available.
So, for just £15.90, your readers can set a place at the virtual table and feed two children for a whole school year!
Your readers can find out more at marysmeals.org.uk
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Giuseppe Dell’Anno,
Great British Bake Off winner 2021
Dear Editor,
More than ever, Mary’s Meals is a lifeline in communities where children eat our precious daily meals. The promise of these meals draws them in to school and keeps hope alive of a better future.
However, our promise is being tested like never before. The rising price of food and fuel means that the cost to feed a child with Mary’s Meals is going up. As a result, currently the sums don’t add up.
There are more children in urgent need of help than ever before, and we want to reach them as soon as possible. But first and foremost, I ask your readers to help us to keep the promise we have made to more than 2.2 million children already receiving our meals.
I do this whilst being painfully aware that rising costs are not only putting strain on families in the places where we work, but that your readers too may be facing financial challenges.
I ask them, please, if they can, to consider making a donation that will help us to keep serving the meals on which so many young lives depend. To find out more about our vital work, please visit marysmeals.org.uk
I wish you and your readers a very happy and blessed Christmas.
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
Founder, Mary’s Meals
Judy Murray picture credit: Martin Shields
Dear Editor,
As a tennis coach, I’ve always been passionate about helping young people achieve their dreams.
That is just one of the many reasons why I’m proud to be a long-time supporter of Mary’s Meals. This wonderful charity provides 2,279,941 children in 20 of the world’s poorest countries with a daily school meal – helping them to gain an education and hope for the future.
And until 31 January 2023, your readers’ support for Mary’s Meals will go twice as far thanks to its ‘ace’ Double The Love campaign. During this period, donations to the charity will be doubled by a group of generous supporters, with up to £1.5 million available.
So, for just £15.90, your readers can feed two children for a whole school year!
I do hope your readers will give if they can. They can find out more at marysmeals.org.uk/double.
Thank you and Happy Christmas.
Judy Murray
British tennis coach
Dear Editor,
Through the promise of a daily meal at school, Mary’s Meals has been a beacon of hope for so many hungry children living through unimaginable horrors in Tigray, northern Ethiopia.
Following the relative peace of recent months, I was shocked and saddened by a letter from our long-standing partner in the region detailing yet more horror and suffering as violence has once again broken out.
The resumption of fighting is making it almost impossible for our partner to get aid to those in need, but we must not make the mistake of thinking there is nothing we can do. Mary’s Meals has been serving meals in Tigray since 2017 and, before the outbreak of war in November 2020, we were feeding 24,320 hungry children every school day.
I cannot ignore the pleas from our colleagues in Ethiopia to pray for them, speak up for them, and advocate on their behalf and I am asking your readers to please join me.
Let’s make the situation in Tigray a topic of conversation and make sure people know what is going on because it cannot be allowed to continue. And tell anyone with the power to influence exactly what our partner is telling us; we must show how humanity can prevail over injustice and cruelty.
I hope we do not look back in years to come with a heavy feeling of shame and regret because we failed to stand up for our brothers and sisters in their time of need.
For more information on how we helping to provide hope to children in Ethiopia during these desperate times of need, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
As a chef, I have the pleasure of creating dishes with so many beautiful ingredients – but I still say you can’t beat a steaming bowl of delicious porridge to kick start your day.
On World Porridge Day (10 October), I joined charity Mary’s Meals in celebrating the real difference a simple mug of porridge can make to hungry children around the world.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to 2,279,941 children in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. With the promise of a daily meal, this incredible charity is helping to attract hungry children into the classroom, where – instead of working or looking for food – they can gain an education that can be their ladder out of poverty.
In Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, a steaming mug of vitamin-enriched porridge is helping thousands of little ones to learn and grow and look to a brighter future.
It costs just 8p a day to feed a child with Mary’s Meals, meaning every donation – no matter how small – will make an enormous difference.
I’d love for your readers to join me in supporting Mary’s Meals to transform more young lives every day through a simple, tasty bowl of porridge.
You can find out more about the work of Mary’s Meals by visiting marysmeals.org.uk.
Nick Nairn, Michelin star chef and television presenter
Dear Editor,
As a chef, I have the pleasure of creating dishes with so many beautiful ingredients – but I still say you can’t beat a steaming bowl of delicious porridge to kick start your day.
On World Porridge Day (10 October), I will be joining charity Mary’s Meals in celebrating the real difference a simple mug of porridge can make to hungry children around the world.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to 2,279,941 children in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. With the promise of a daily meal, this incredible charity is helping to attract hungry children into the classroom, where – instead of working or looking for food – they can gain an education that can be their ladder out of poverty.
In Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, a steaming mug of vitamin-enriched porridge is helping thousands of little ones to learn and grow and look to a brighter future.
It costs just 8p a day to feed a child with Mary’s Meals, meaning every donation – no matter how small – will make an enormous difference.
I’d love for your readers to join me in supporting Mary’s Meals to transform more young lives every day through a simple, tasty bowl of porridge.
You can find out more about World Porridge Day and the work of Mary’s Meals by visiting marysmeals.org.uk.
Nick Nairn, Michelin star chef and television presenter
Dear Editor,
The North-South divide for students’ achievements has persisted for another year, and we expect this will again be true for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds when compared with their better-off peers. Last year, only one in three students in receipt of free school meals achieved the equivalent of five ‘good’ GCSEs or more, locking many out of further education, training and job opportunities.
Funding is urgently needed. GCSE equivalents must be protected, so that opportunities remain open to those facing barriers to learning, whilst ‘Pupil Premium’ funded support and careers advice available for younger students must be extended to those up to 19 years old. These steps are vital for young people to access work and further study. Our message is clear: As young people grapple with unprecedented challenges, we must open more doors for them, not fewer.
Elise Temple, Nacro Principal and Director of Education and Skills
Together with the MS Society I’m calling on people in the North West to nominate volunteers who have made an impact on people living with, and affected by, multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether that’s through supporting and empowering individuals, or fundraising and influencing on behalf of the whole MS community – we want to celebrate them!
More than 130,000 people live with MS in the UK and without volunteers’ time and energy, it would be impossible for the MS Society to deliver the services and support that it does.
Being an MS Society Ambassador has meant I’ve met so many superstars over the years who have done incredible things to support people like my mum, who lives with MS – and I’m delighted to say I’ll be hosting the first ever virtual Impact Awards ceremony on Wednesday 5 October at 7pm.
If readers know a volunteer in the North West who they’d like to see get one of six special awards, please visit https://www.mssociety.org.uk/volunteer-awards Nominations close on Sunday 21 August.
Scott Mills
MS Society Ambassador and broadcaster
Dear Editor,
As we approach the International Day of Friendship (30 July), Mary’s Meals is celebrating heart-warming stories of hope and camaraderie from around the world.
Mary’s Meals is a charity that serves nutritious school meals in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. The promise of a good meal attracts hungry children into the classroom where, instead of working or looking for food, they can gain an education.
As your readers will know, the classroom is also where lifelong friendships are made. Friendships like that of Fridah and Annette, from Zambia.
Fridah’s life changed forever when she fell ill with an undiagnosed illness, losing all ability to move and communicate. Luckily, she has a wonderful friend in Annette.
The two girls attend school together, where they eat Mary’s Meals. Despite the challenges she faces, Fridah is determined to get an education. She uses her toes to write and turn the pages of her books.
Fridah dreams of becoming a professional footballer when she is older. With our nutritious school meals giving her the energy to learn and play, and a good friend like Annette by her side, we hope she will achieve her dream.
It costs just 8p a day to feed a child with Mary’s Meals, meaning every donation – no matter how small – will make an enormous difference. For more information, please visit marysmeals.org.uk
Thomas Black, Head of major giving and partnerships, Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
Last week data from the Department of Education showed that the proportion of 16-year-olds who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) is at its highest level since 2012.
This is a devastating indication of the effect that years of interrupted education and the pandemic has had on our young people, on their ambitions, on their mental health. In our education centres we are aware of these missing young people, the ones that were already vulnerable, already struggling but because of the pandemic this wasn’t picked up. Unfortunately, many of those young people have now slipped through the net. We need a reunited effort to find these young people and to engage them back in education, training or employment. Once we had a national Connexions service which could do this exact task. Now we have a patchy, postcode lottery of provision to support and engage NEET young people. They deserve better than this. We need more focus and more funding for those young people who are disengaged from education and we need this funding to be extended to cover 16-18 year olds through a Pupil Premium Plus.
Elise Temple
Director of Education and Skills
Nacro (one of the country’s largest independent providers of further education and skills)
Dear Editor,
Today, more than 64 million primary school-age children miss out on an education around the world because of poverty.
Leaving a gift in your will, no matter how small, is an incredibly generous way you can help us bring hope to those desperately hungry children who often need to work or beg for food in order to survive.
With the promise of a daily meal in a place of education, Mary’s Meals is attracting hungry children into the classroom giving them the energy to learn how to read and write.
For children like 13-year-old Ballah from Liberia – who used to skip school – Mary’s Meals fills his empty stomach and is allowing him to gain a precious education so he can follow his dreams of becoming a doctor.
“Food is important,” he says. “Most days, I don’t eat breakfast and I feel so hungry I can barely study. After eating Mary’s Meals, I feel active.
“When I qualify as a doctor, I’d like to stay in Liberia and teach others how to do the same.”
With a gift in your will, you can help us keep our promise to more than 2.2 million children in some of the world’s poorest communities who rely on our nutritious meals and will be giving children like Ballah the chance of a brighter future.
If you would like more information about leaving a gift in your will, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk/will
Lori Cobley, partnership manager at Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
It’s time to make a stand.
Did you know that one in seven diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year die within two months after diagnosis? We are being failed. Enough is enough.
On Tuesday 28 June I am marching to No 10 Downing Street, alongside Target Ovarian Cancer campaigners, to hand in our open letter signed by 20,000 people. Together, we’re demanding the government takes action on the awareness crisis in ovarian cancer.
In 2019 I was working long hours in the City of London. With a daily commute, busy lifestyle and regularly visiting my sick mum, I was tired. But, like many women, I ignored this and continued on. Then one night, I felt a painful lump in my tummy. It was a tumour. I was later diagnosed with stage IIIa ovarian cancer.
For me, ovarian cancer affected my whole body. My right leg bloated due to deep vein thrombosis and a clot on my lung was discovered. I had intense surgery to drain my kidneys and remove the tumour, as well as a total hysterectomy and many other procedures. I then underwent six rounds of chemotherapy.
Ovarian cancer changed my life, and with no screening in place it is essential that we are all armed with awareness of symptoms. This means the cancer can be found earlier, and outcomes are significantly improved. No one should die because of a late diagnosis.
Four out of five women cannot name the key symptom of ovarian cancer, bloating. This needs to change.
I’m writing to ask your readers to take just two minutes of their time to learn the symptoms and spread the word to their families and friends: persistent bloating, feeling full or having difficulty eating, tummy pain, and needing to wee more often or more urgently.
Become part of this movement to make change happen in government today by campaigning to improve the lives of people affected by ovarian cancer.
With best wishes,
Catherine Hunt
Catherine Hunt Target Ovarian Cancer is the UK’s leading ovarian cancer charity. We work to improve early diagnosis, fund life-saving research and provide much-needed support to women with ovarian cancer https://targetovariancancer.org.uk
Dear Editor,
As Father’s Day approaches, I’m thinking about the joy my children bring to my life. Their energy, enthusiasm, and the happiness they take from even the smallest of things all give me hope for the future.
And hope is important. We are living through challenging times in a world devastated by war and food insecurity – as well as the cost of living crisis affecting many people here in the UK.
I support Mary’s Meals because this wonderful charity is a beacon of hope around the world. With the promise of a daily meal in a place of education, hungry children are attracted into the classroom where they have the energy to learn their way to a brighter future.
It costs Mary’s Meals just 8 pence to serve a life-changing meal to a hungry child, meaning every donation to the charity – no matter how small – can make an enormous difference.
Please join me in supporting the Hope Conquers Fear campaign, so that Mary’s Meals can keep its promise to the 2,279,941 children who rely on a daily meal.
For more information, please visit marysmeals.org.uk
Thank you.
Gary Maclean, The National Chef of Scotland and MasterChef champion
Dear Editor,
Like many Muslims, I deeply consider the causes I give to during Ramadan.
This year I’m supporting Mary’s Meals, a wonderful charity that feeds more than two million children every school day. These little ones are living in 20 of the world’s poorest countries – including India, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
Named after Mary, the mother of Jesus, it feels like a natural fit with my respect of Mary, who we know better in the Quran as Maryam (Peace Be Upon Her). So, I suggested that the charity should ask Muslims to continue to pray for the children it feeds during Ramadan and make Sadaqah (voluntary giving) so that even more hungry children can be reached.
I love the simplicity of Mary’s Meals’ mission. Its nutritious school meals attract hungry children into the classroom, giving them the energy to learn and hope for a better future.
And it’s really important to me that at least 93% of all donations are spent directly on its charitable activities. I always make my Sadaqah to organisations I can really trust.
During this blessed month, I hope your readers will join me in praying for the children who eat Mary’s Meals and consider donating to the charity.
Ramadan Mubarak,
Zahid Nawaz, supporter of Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
I’m proud to support Mary’s Meals, a charity which feeds more than two million children in some of the world’s poorest countries every school day.
With spring now upon us, it’s an ideal time for your readers to get active to help Mary’s Meals reach more hungry children. The charity’s Move for Meals campaign allows people to set their own challenge – whether that’s running, hiking or cycling – to raise funds for its work.
And with it costing just £15.90 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, it’s easy for your moves to make a difference.
Thank you!
Mark Beaumont, athlete and broadcaster
Dear Editor,
This March I am supporting Mary’s Meals’ lovely Mother’s Day campaign, Mums Make Mary’s Meals.
These wonderful women volunteer their time so that children can have a good meal and the chance of an education that can lead to a better life. Just like my mum and others here in the UK, they know the food will nourish their little ones and give them the energy to learn and play.
This Mother’s Day, you can show your love and appreciation to the wonderful women in your life by giving them a gift from Mary’s Meals – the charity has a beautiful range of gift cards and digital gifts, starting from just £15.90, that will feed a child every day for full a school year.
Please visit marysmeals.org.uk for more information about the Mums Make Mary’s Meals campaign or to buy a truly special Mother’s Day gift.
Love,
Ching He Huang MBE, celebrity chef and food writer
Dear Editor,
I wouldn’t blame the children of South Sudan if they just gave up. One third are suffering chronic malnutrition. Half are missing school. Millions are displaced. And none of them have ever known anything but war.
One of my colleagues there, a 45-year-old man, tells me he has never seen peace in his lifetime. But he has seen hope. He has witnessed the hope our colourful bowls full of maize and beans bring to some of the poorest children on earth.
Mary’s Meals feeds more than two million children every school day in 20 of the world’s poorest countries. Our nutritious meals attract little ones into the classroom, where they can gain an education that gives them hope for the future.
We are already reaching around 70,000 hungry children in South Sudan, and – with the support of your readers – we can serve our life-changing meals in even more schools. Please visit marysmeals.org.uk to find out more about our appeal.
The children of South Sudan aren’t giving up. And nor are we. We know that no child on this earth is unreachable.
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
Women are being failed as the awareness crisis in ovarian cancer deepens. Symptoms of ovarian cancer are being ignored – both by those experiencing them and their GPs.
This March, for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Target Ovarian Cancer is urging the public to sign open letters to governments across the UK and tell them what is needed to combat the crisis. We desperately need to make progress in people’s knowledge of the symptoms.
In 2010 my mother, the actress Marjie Lawrence, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just three weeks before she died. Had we and her doctors been aware of the symptoms, Marjie might be alive today. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, 9 in 10 women will survive. But two thirds of women are diagnosed late, when the cancer is harder to treat.
I’m writing to ask your readers to take just two minutes of their time to learn the symptoms and spread the word to their families and friends. The main symptoms of ovarian cancer are: persistent bloating, feeling full or having difficulty eating, tummy pain, and needing to wee more often or more urgently.
If you believe in a future where every woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival, please show your support and add your name to the open letter: campaign.targetovariancancer.org.uk/openletter
With best wishes,
Sarah Greene, Target Ovarian Cancer Patron
Dear Editor
We want to let your readers know that this is the last month for their donations to Mary’s Meals to be matched through the charity’s Double The Love campaign.
We have been enormously moved by the stories of the children who eat Mary’s Meals. Children like 11-year-old Failo, whose life is in some ways no different to that of children living here in Greater Manchester. He enjoys playing football with his friends and, in class, loves reading and writing best.
But his life can be very hard. He lives in a rural village in Zambia where there is no electricity, and his windowless home is made from mud bricks. Food is scarce and Failo relies on a serving of porridge from Mary’s Meals each morning in school – often his first meal of the day.
More than two million children in 20 countries eat Mary’s Meals every school day. The food attracts them into the classroom, where they receive an education that can, in the future, be their ladder out of poverty.
Until 31 January, donations made to this wonderful charity’s Double The Love campaign will be matched by a group of generous supporters, up to £1.6 million – meaning even more little ones will receive a nutritious meal at school. We hope your readers will visit marysmeals.org.uk/doublethelove to donate.
Love Emma and Sophie Thompson
Dear editor,
The charm of the presents under our Christmas tree lies partly in their very different shapes and sizes. Perhaps the same could be said of our own families. None of them look the same.
Take 12-year-old Hawa – she lives with her granny, an aunt and four cousins in Liberia. Often there is not enough food for her family to eat.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious food at school to children living in some of the world’s poorest countries, attracting them into the classroom where they receive an education that can, in the future, be their ladder out of poverty.
More than two million children receive our life-changing meals every school day – including Hawa.
I am pleased to tell you that, until 31 January 2022, donations made to our Double The Love campaign will be matched, up to £1.6 million, by a generous group of supporters.
Those children receiving Mary’s Meals might not have a pile of presents to unwrap on Christmas morning, but their dreams are alive and well, thanks to those who share our belief that every child should have enough to eat and go to school.
You can learn more about our work by visiting marysmeals.org.uk
Have a wonderful Christmas,
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of Mary’s Meals
Dear Editor,
Yesterday’s government figures showed that job vacancies have hit a record high of 1.2 million, an increase of 20% in the past three months. It’s seems like a no-brainer that our young people should be able to train to fill these roles.
Many of the sectors continuing to battle with skills shortages, such as construction, manufacturing, and hospitality, are reliant on Level 2 vocational qualifications as a direct route into jobs in these industries.
Yet, the Government has failed to prioritise these lower level, work-ready qualifications, instead focusing their post-16 policy and funding at qualifications of A Level standard and above.
The Government have a chance to close the skills gap and the disadvantage gap that is so significant among 16-19-year-olds, boost the economy and give young people the future they deserve. But to do this, they must ensure a wide range of high-quality, employer-endorsed options are available at all levels.
Yours,
Campbell Robb
Chief Executive
Nacro
Dear Editor,
Today, more than two million children will eat Mary’s Meals in some of the world’s poorest countries every school day.
Providing a daily meal in a place of education is helping even the most vulnerable children to attend school and concentrate in lessons, giving them the freedom to learn and fulfil their potential.
Mary’s Meals began in 2002, by feeding 200 children in Malawi. Our growth since then has been driven by so many acts of kindness from people from all walks of life, helping us reach children in the greatest need.
We are deeply grateful to all our supporters and volunteers, including in Greater Manchester – we simply could not have reached this incredible milestone without you.
We hope your readers will join us in celebrating this amazing moment for Mary’s Meals and continue to support us to reach the next hungry child.
Daniel Adams, Executive Director, Mary’s Meals.
Letter to editor:
Calling all secondary school teachers in Greater Manchester, young people are now learning about saving lives. Blood, organ and stem cell donation are now on the key stage 3 and 4 curriculum and we have some free online resources to help you teach this important topic to 11 to 16 year olds.
Your pupils can be empowered to discuss and decide about donation and we hope they’ll prompt conversations at home too. Visit www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/teaching-resources to find out more, we have detailed lessons and optional extra activities.
You can also request a speaker, many of whom have a personal story linked to donation, to attend a school assembly.
Many thanks
Alex Cullen
Nov ’17 we moved to Broadheath from Salford, having lived & worked there for 10 yrs.
In the recent yrs, Salford has progressed by leaps & bounds; the quays, the media city, the pull of intn students to the salford university, the regeneration of salford central, the leafy suburbs of worsley & monton; each one of them add value to the city.
In contrast, Trafford in general & Sale & Altrincham in particular, are largely dependent on the haloed grammar schools/faith schools/academies/prim schools, as its unique selling point.
These schools fuel inward migration from the northwest & beyond, bumping up the house prices.
Over the past two years, I have been pounding the streets of Broadheath as a Conservative activist, & I can see the slow but steady change of demographics happening here; many have come here for the schools, including me!
Many newcomers are unaware that, it was the Conservatives who have nurtured these schools, enabling them to thrive & achieve their national rankings.
God forbid, in future, if any of Alti girls, Loreto girls, Alti boys, Sale grammar etc, were to drop down the national rankings, I know it is very unlikely but; do we have a plan B?
Can we develop #TraffordCollege Broadheath, as a centre of excellence, trying to compete with Man Uni? Conservative Policy
Forum Trafford Conservatives
#resilience #sustainability #broadheath’
many thanks,kind regards,
Dr Kaushik Chakraborty resident, Broadheath
I was compelled to write having read your recent article regarding the proposed plans to demolish yet another Partington landmark.
‘The Mobil’ has served as a great little shop for those in the immediate area for many years.
I remember when it was a service station, with the chap that sat in the little cubby come rain or shine and filled your car having been alerted by the ‘ding ding’ of the rubber tube you drove over.
It was the first petrol station I used when I passed my test, and perhaps having been treated to such a personal service is one of the reasons, having felt like a VIP each visit that I now resent having to do it myself almost 30 years later!
In earlier years we often popped there for milk, bread and a 10p mix, mum’s treat for going, as it was open later than Wood Lane shops, and closer than the village.
The floor was always dusty, and there was an alien like divide with 50% of the shop (the door also rang a ‘ding ding’ on entry) having a fantastic array of sweets whilst the other half was equipped like a mini Halfords on steroids.
You needed it, they had it! It didn’t matter that the coat of dust came free with purchase. You were just glad to not have to venture out further afield.
And it even had its very own oily ‘working class’ smell. Think ‘The Mobil’ if you know, you know.
As time moved on, the car wash sprung a new sense of purpose to the site and is forever busy providing a clearly well used and wanted service to the Partington community.
Having been in recently, the shop has been kitted out inline with a decent alternative clean and bright convenience store, especially given there are a high proportion of elderly residents surrounding who have lived there for many years. Popping to ‘The Mobil’ a common Partington phrase.
To think that all that history, even of a grubby but once well loved and utilised family business will be bulldozed is very sad. More importantly it is testament to the fact that the Partington people have, all too often had to endure the loss of well valued services in the name of ‘progress’.
You cannot squeeze every ounce out of the village, without providing additional facilities the GPs, Dental Services and schools are already under pressure. There are no village pubs anymore, and don’t even remind me how the once thriving market at its old site was abolished.
Moved to the less communal edge of the car park as an after thought.
Market days were a huge part of Partington life, providing anything else you needed with the added bonus of socialising with your community.
You could easily do a few laps of the mysterious rotunda that you were never quite sure what it housed, toilets? Storage? Who knows, we were only ever allowed to circle the steps! But you could guarantee you would see at least three of your best friends, and your mum would have seen twice as many of hers.
Whilst shopping for at least one elderly neighbour and enjoying a bag of chips on the best bench behind the bushes, now a car park.
Partonians have endured long protracted periods of ‘progress’ sites left like rubble yards for years, and its face completely changed with very little say.
The loss of its identity as a village community, landmarks wiped from its history. And The Mobil perhaps is a shining example of how the village is being bulldozed, being seen as a grubby resident with no value other than to house more boxes with roofs for those who can’t afford to live in its more wealthier neighbouring towns of Sale and Altrincham.
How many will be affordable for long term residents?
Its sad that for the sake of 8 houses yet another part of Partington history, and another thriving business in an already struggling community will be killed.
Viva Le Mobil!
With Kind Regards
Carol Curtis (Formally Flanagan of Elderberry Walk)
Dear Editor,
Yesterday’s GCSE results highlight the resilience and determination of our country’s young people, who on average have missed 14 weeks of learning. At Nacro, our Further Education and Skills Centres teach some of the most disadvantaged 16–19-year-olds. Around 50% of our students started the pandemic without a digital device or Wi-Fi to study on. Yet today, despite coming to us without GCSEs in English and maths, they have gone to achieve great re-sit results, with an increase of high passes 4 and above. For them this is the golden ticket to a good job or further education.
This success has been a result of the hard work and determination of our learners, with support from our staff. But it has been bolstered by the use of the Government’s recovery tuition funding. Early analysis of our data shows that those who took part in the scheme achieved 15% higher pass rates compared to those who did not participate. We now need this funding boost to become permanent for those who need to fill gaps in learning or faced multiple barriers to education and skills. Well done to all those who are celebrating their achievements this week, in a year to remember.
Yours,
Lisa Capper MBE
Director of Skills and Education, Nacro
news4trafford.co.uk 