Charity receives funding boost from people's postcode lottery

A charity that provides school meals to some of the world's poorest children has received a £25,000 funding boost from the People's Postcode Lottery.

Scottish-based Mary's Meals runs feeding programmes in 15 countries to help chronically-hungry youngsters gain an education.

Bosses said some of the financial boost will be used to give daily meals to 9,000 boys and girls around the globe throughout an entire school year.

The remaining money will support the growth of the charity's work, including delivering projects in staff development.

The founder and chief executive of Mary's Meals, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, said: We are incredibly thankful to players of People's Postcode Lottery for sharing in our belief that every child should have enough to eat and an education.

"Together, we are giving hungry children the chance to fulfil their hopes and dreams for the future.

"The generosity of players means that 9,000 hungry children will eat a meal in school today and, looking to the future, many more young lives will be transformed by this wonderful gift.''

Callum Aitken from the People's Postcode Lottery joined players of the lottery in Dalmally, Argyll, to mark the news.

He said: "It's incredible that players of the lottery have raised more than #1.2 million to date for Mary's Meals.

"I think it's really great that winners of the lottery have had an opportunity to meet with a charity they are helping to support to understand the impact of funding.

"Mary's Meals has gone from strength to strength since its beginnings in Dalmally and everyone at the lottery is humbled to play a part in this charity's story.''

Mary's Meals began feeding 200 children in one school in Malawi in 2002 and now reaches 1,257,278 children.