CNN name Mary’s Meals’ Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow in top ten Hero of the Year

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, the founder of the Argyll children’s food-aid charity, Mary’s Meals, has been named a ‘Hero of the Year’ by the international television station CNN.

The former salmon farmer, whose organisation runs school feeding projects in developing countries, was, as we reported, chosen to be a ‘CNN Hero’ in August and has now made the top ten of the award scheme that recognises ‘ordinary people having an extraordinary impact’.

As a result of the accolade, Magnus will go through to an online vote to decide the Hero of the Year and will be invited to attend an award ceremony at the Shrine auditorium (home of the Emmys) in Hollywood in November, where he will receive a prize of $25,000 in recognition of his achievements.

Magnus says: ‘I never cease to marvel at the way doors seem to open for Mary’s Meals. I know lots of heroes and I am not one of them. However I realise that this is the most amazing chance to tell more people about the difference that a meal a day, in school, can make to a child’s life’.

The shortlist for this year’s award was drawn up by a panel of high profile figures including Mohammad Ali, Sir Richard Branson, singer Ricky Martin and supermodel Alek Wek.

As a result of his initial nomination, Magnus appeared in a short film about the charity’s work feeding more than 400,000 children, which aired across CNN networks in the summer.

The film will continue to be shown online as the basis of the vote, which runs until Thursday, November 18th and the Hero of the Year will be announced at the award cermony which will be broadcast on CNN on Thanksgiving night, November 25th.

You can watch the film and vote online here.

More information about the charity is on the Mary’s Meals website where donations can be made online – and the charity can be contacted direct by emailing: louisa.mclennan@marysmeals.org or by telephoning +44 1838 200605