More than 100 Princethorpe College pupils and staff have once again supported World Porridge Day, raising money for the Scottish charity Mary’s Meals. Championed by Sixth Form students and Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Mr Rod Isaacs, pupils have participated in a posse of Scottish and porridge fundraising fun so far, raising over £200 which will be used to support an ongoing feeding programme at Makalanga Primary School in Malawi.
For World Porridge Day Princethorpe pupils were invited to dig deep at break time and, instead of buying their usual mid-morning snack, purchase the traditional Scottish breakfast, a pot of porridge, from the College refectory. In return for a small donation they could opt for either a simple plain porridge or a deluxe, extra special, with toppings of their choice.
The Scottish theme continued at lunchtime on the school fields where only the brave participated in the William Wallace Welly Wanging Challenge. Pupils and staff paid for the privilege, the honour of their house and Highland fudge and shortbread, in an attempt to break the College record. This year the winning throw came from Benet House’s Ben Haden, OP and Teaching Assistant, whose Welly Wang reached a whopping 32.50m. Final House standings placed 1st Benet, 2nd More, 3rd Austin and 4th Fisher. Well done to all the pupils who participated.
Sixth Form Charity Prefect, Christie Wukics, dressed as a Scottish Wild Man, roamed the campus with his accompanying bears, Alex James, Natasha Rejali and Caitlin Scully, chivvying fellow pupils into donating their pennies.
Rod Isaacs explained, “We have had a lot of fun and laughter today, but more importantly our pupils know that all our fundraising is changing people’s lives. Princethorpe’s porridge pots help pupils understand the vital role that porridge plays in feeding projects to address the issue of child hunger across the globe.”
World Porridge Day, held annually on 10 October, is a fundraising event organised by Mary’s Meals in aid of starving children in the developing world. The charity provides daily meals in a place of learning addressing both the immediate needs of hungry children whilst encouraging them to go to school where they can gain an education that, in the future, can help them out of poverty. Through their school feeding programmes in 14 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean they feed over 1.3 million children every year. It costs just £13.90 to feed a child for a year.
As part of the College’s ongoing support for Mary’s Meals and Makalanga School in Malawi the College is planning an expedition to visit the area in 2020. The trip will be open to pupils currently in Years 10-12 and next week on Thursday 18 October from 7.00pm to 8.30pm there will be an information evening for interested pupils and their parents.
You can find out more about Princethorpe’s fundraising for Makalanga or make a donation here.