OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD 2019

This year, through a campaign called Operation Christmas Child, run by the UK charity Samaritan’s Purse, our school has joined with thousands of other schools up and down the country in wrapping, packing and sending shoe boxes full of gifts – things like cuddly toys, games, balls, hats, gloves and scarves, stationery and hygiene items – to children in need around the world.

Through this campaign, we want to teach our St. Edward’s children about generosity for others, and compassion, to make them aware of the fact that there are children elsewhere in the world who have nothing, and give them the opportunity to do something practical, yet so simple, that can make such a difference. 

Many thanks to all our parents for their extremely generous gifts in the shoe boxes for the Samaritan’s Operation Christmas Child appeal. 139 shoe boxes will now be shipped internationally to children in need and will contribute to making their Christmas special. Thank you for your support!

MACMILLAN COFFEE DAY SEPTEMBER 2019

Cancer affects all of us either directly or indirectly, so it was so lovely and touching to see us all coming together to raise money for such a great cause close to all of our hearts. Together we raised £240!

LENTEN APPEAL 2019

Lent is a time to reflect and think about those less fortunate then ourselves. Part of what makes St. Edward’s school so special is the generosity of our students and their families and friends. Each year group held a fund raising event to help raise money for Mary’s Meals. Mary’s Meals is a charity that believes that every child deserves an education and enough to eat.

A thank you from Mary’s Meals…

Dear Staff & Pupils

Thank you so much for your donation of £1,780.00 to Mary’s Meals, which will be used to provide life-changing meals for children in their place of education.

Supporting our school feeding programmes is a great way of helping hungry children to learn and giving them the best chance of a future free from poverty.  

The daily meals we provide are enabling thousands of children to attend school and work towards their dreams. Children such as 14-year-old Chimza Harry, who attends Mwalamba Primary School in Malawi.  

Chimza – whose full name, Chimwemwe, means joy – lives at home with his mother Lucia and three siblings. The family ran out of food stores soon after last year’s harvest, having only managed to grow one bag of maize.  

He said: “I feel weak in the mornings when I walk to school. I feel lethargic, but I am excited to go to school because I will eat here, and learn.”  

Chimza is top of his class and has been every year since he started school.  

However, as the eldest male living in the household, he feels duty-bound to help support the family and is adamant that he would not be at school if it weren’t for the phala (porridge).  

"When I eat the phala I get the strength to eat, study, walk home, and work.  

“If there was no phala, I would have left school, because I know when I am hungry I cannot listen properly, I cannot learn. I would like to finish my education and become a doctor. I would like to help my people - the people around my village - to see a doctor in hospital faster."  

Chimza’s academic achievements show he is right to be ambitious. Thanks to your generosity, he and thousands more children have the chance to realise their dreams. On behalf of the 1,425,013  children who currently receive Mary’s Meals, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  

Yours sincerely,  

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow

CEO, Mary's Meals