Chartwells partners with Mary’s Meals to launch ethical scheme

Providing over 600,000 meals every year to children across the globe, Mary's Meals sets up school feeding projects in some of the world's poorest communities, where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education. In partnership with Mary's Meals, Chartwells has produced an easy to use resource pack for use in school assemblies and lessons. Linked with several areas of the curriculum, this pack explores topics such as access to food, healthcare and education in the UK in comparison to the lives and daily challenges faced by the children that Mary's Meals supports. The new scheme is open to all primary and secondary schools within Chartwells' local authority contracts. Schools that engage with the project will be awarded points for each school meal purchased. These points will be then be converted into meals to feed the children at Chimvu and Goliati primary schools in Malawi, Africa. The aim of this initiative is to provide the 3,159 children in these schools with free school meals, giving them the fuel they need to concentrate in their lessons and helping these communities to find a route out of poverty. Commenting on this initiative and Chartwells' support for Mary's Meals, John Carlin, Business Director for Chartwells said: "Chartwells is fully committed to delivering healthy, tasty and nutritious meals and we are immensely excited to work with Mary's Meals, supporting the nourishment of children in Malawi. "Providing children with the right food is vital for building healthy bodies and sharp minds, helping students concentrate on learning throughout the school day. This initiative will give school pupils here the opportunity to better understand the importance of health and wellbeing, and make a valuable contribution to other children's lives." Tony Begley, Mary's Meals Education co-ordinator added: "Mary's Meals is delighted to work with Chartwells on this innovative ethical school meal initiative. This scheme offers so many learning opportunities for schools, providing pupils with the chance to learn more about the impact of food on their health and wellbeing and learning, while, at the same time learning about the many challenges faced daily by the children supported by Mary's Meals. "They will then have the unique opportunity to actually help Mary's Meals feed the poor children of Chimvu and Goliati Primary Schools in Malawi, simply by choosing to take a school meal. A powerful gift indeed!"