Mary’s Meals shortlisted as Britain’s most innovative charity
published this on 4:31 pm, Friday, 5th March, 2010Charities| Community News | Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping |
Every time we report on Argyll charity, Mary’s Meals, the adjective ‘innovative’ is inescapable – and now that quality is being nationally recognised.
Mary’s Meals is one of five organisations shortlisted as Britain’s most innovative charity in Third Sector magazine’s Britain’s Most Admired Charities awards.
Mary’s Meals runs school feeding projects, providing more than 390,000 of the world’s poorest children with a meal a day in their place of education. This simple act gives them essential nutrition and a reason to go to school, gaining the education that can help to break the cycle of poverty.
The programme, which now operates in 15 countries, began when Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, the charity’s founder, visited Malawi and met a young boy whose mother was dying from AIDS.
Magnus asked the boy what he hoped for in life, and he replied: ‘… to have enough food to eat and to go to school one day’. The idea behind Mary’s Meals grew from this conversation.
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow says: ‘It is a welcome compliment to be nominated for an award that highlights innovation in charities. We believe that our approach is both innovative and effective and hope that people also see our aims, of ensuring that children have education and enough to eat, as essential’.
From where For Argyll stands, as well as the innovative aid programme Mary;s Meals runs, its promotional imagination is unerring. The fund-raising initiatives are always eye-catching and fun. Who could possibly ignore them?
Other charities short-listed for the award are Tower Hamlets Summer University, St Giles Trust, Mothertongue and Motivation.
The winner, chosen by charity chief executives, will be announced at the Britain’s Most Admired Charities award ceremony in London on 16th March. Dragons Den star Duncan Bannatyne – who once decorated a mug for a Mary’s Meals fund-raising auction – will be among the guests.
The charity is currently raising money to fund its aid work in Haiti where it has been operating since 2006. To donate to this work, visit the Mary’s Meals website.
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March 6th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
As a native of Argyll and a long time resident in Oban I know of some of the immense effort that goes into charitable fund-raising here and elsewhere across Argyll & Bute. I know too of organisations working within the community and for the benefit of that community which are run efficiently and effectively by volunteers. Scottish International Relief and Mary’s Meals is one such organisation that has adopted a “can do” and an international dimension to its good works and we should endeavour, where possible, to support their excellent efforts. Based in Dalmally in North Lorn they are tireless workers for the young in many centres in the Third World.
When the earthquake struck in Haiti and the larger aid agencies were scrambling to gain access and to bring help it was no surprise to learn that Mary’s Meals had been there, already established in the poorest country in the Western world, and feeding children.
They are a credit to us all.
March 15th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I grew up and studied in Glasgow though I was born in Kenya. Last November I felt proud when I bumped into a multitude of school children when we were driving from Uganda to the Tanzanian boarder near a place called Masaka. They were all carrying nice bags and mugs on their back. Others were seated in the huge compound eating. We stopped the car and spoke to one of the teachers who informed us that they were fed by Mary’s Meals from Scotland..Imagine feeding children thousands of kilometers away. I think they deserve a prize. If they do not get it this year, it does not mean that they are not the best. UK based charities are normally given priority. I do not know why….David.