Mary’s Meals is a charity based in Dalmally in northern Argyll. Working from unprepossessing and super-efficient premises, its turnover, after six years operation, is now £5million per annum. Mary’s Meals is now providing 350,000 meals a day to children in, for example, countries in South America, Asia and Africa. Malawi – a particular target championed by former First Minister Jack McConnell.

The charity’s strategy is to support the potentially life changing initiatives around education by providing meals through schools. Parents make sure their children go to school to get the meals and when they’re at school they get education as well. The food keeps them alive while the education gives them skills and hope for the future. This sounds like a very successful squaring of a circle of deprivation.

It takes only £6 a year – yes, a year – to feed a child in Africa. This demonstrates the reach of the annual turnover of Mary’s Meals. It is now expanding its fundraising in to North America and with its proven careful budgeting is set to bring more children out of deprivation and into a healthy and educated life.