Hey,

I have always wanted to do something for charity and with my 16th birthday and dads 50th birthday looming around summer, we decided to join forces and instead of receiving presents on these momentous occasions we could give back to a worthwhile cause.

Mary's meals is a simple but effective charity whose aim is to provide chronically hungry children with one school meal everyday. In this way the children are encouraged to gain the education that can lift them out of poverty in later life. Mary's meals provides meals for 600,00 malnourished children around the world in continents like Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and South America.

Dad and me made a deal, I would deal with the fundraising if he dealt with the journey, little did I know dad was too optimistic about what we could achieve, planning a 216 mile cycle ride from Glasgow to Inverness over 3 days. This means many early morning cycle rides at 6.30am to fit in before school, but it will be all worth it.

Mary's meals does not just provide food for these impoverished children, they provide hope, hope for a future that they might never have thought they could achieve. Its an inspirational charity which costs only 6 pence a day to feed a child, proving even the smallest of gestures can make the biggest difference to a child's life.

Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Just Giving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

By sponsoring, you are not just giving a child a meal you are giving a child hope for a brighter future, so please donate now, and make a huge difference to the life of an impoverished child.

Sarah