St Margaret’s Academy rallies round to help disaster areas

Apr 23 2009 by Debbie Spalding, West Lothian Courier

PUPILS and staff from St Margaret’s Academy went hungry for a day so that children in developing countries won’t have to.

Last month 107 pupils and 41 members of staff from the school took part in a 24 hour fast to raise money for SCIAF’s Wee Box, Big Change Lent campaign, with their donations going towards the charity’s work in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

This year’s campaign focuses on climate change which is hitting the world’s poorest people hardest, with each year bringing floods, droughts and hurricanes that wash away crops and destroy buildings.

SCIAF’s John Sharp visited St Margaret’s to tell pupils how the money they raise is being used to help communities adapt to and survive the changing weather.

He said: “I would like to thank everyone at St Margaret’s who have done their bit for SCIAF’s campaign. Fund-raising, taking part in a sponsored fast, or putting loose change into a SCIAF Wee Box really does make a difference.”