Why should you donate? Not only will you be helping 100,000 of the poorest children have an opportunity for a future, but you will be satisfied to know I will be joining a group of dedicated volunteers, and together we will be straining, sweating and pushing ourselves to the limit to ensure a whole school will be built in a week!

This is going to be an immense project!!

Nelson Mandela once said: "Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world"

And so, on November 11th the lives of 100,000 of the most impoverished children in Africa will change forever. Mellon Educate’s goal for 2017 is to not only build and refurbish the schools in Cape Town but also mentor and train their teachers; improving the standard of education that each child receives and giving them a proper chance to realise their full potential in life.

My Plea! As well as donating our own money, every volunteer needs to fundraise £4,000 to meet our 2017 goals. Please will you help me?  I know we all get bombarded everyday with charity/donation requests, but working these 7 days (15 hours a day) in one of the poorest communities in Africa is going to be really tough – Physically and emotionally – and the outcome to their lives will mean more than any of us could ever imagine. It is a very worthy cause!

Big or small, every bit will help. And if you are a UK taxpayer, the charity will also benefit from 20% additional Gift Aid.

That is why I am appealing to you to dig deep, to put your hand in your pocket and give us a dig out so that we can roll up our sleeves and help lift children out of a life of hopelessness to a higher level of education, a level where they can contribute and shape their society.