Devon players help raise £7 million for Mary’s Meals through Postcode Lottery

Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News

Players in Devon have helped raise more than £7 million for the international charity Mary’s Meals through the People’s Postcode Lottery.

The funding supports the charity’s mission to provide daily school meals to some of the world’s poorest children, helping ensure they are well-fed and able to attend school.

Thanks to the contributions of lottery players, 478,968 children are now receiving a meal every school day through Mary’s Meals programmes. In total, more than 39 million meals have been served across 16 countries as part of the partnership.

Laura Chow, head of charities at the People’s Postcode Lottery, praised the generosity of players who have supported the charity over the past decade.

“It’s fantastic to know that for a decade our players have supported the essential work of Mary’s Meals – and have now raised an incredible £7 million to help children across the globe access nutritious meals,” she said.

“This funding helps children in some of the most underserved communities go to school well-fed, ready to learn, and full of hope for a brighter future.”

Mary’s Meals began with a simple initiative in a shed in the Scottish Highlands and has since grown into a global charity serving daily meals to more than three million children.

Over the past ten years, support from People’s Postcode Lottery players has helped expand the charity’s reach significantly. By 2015, Mary’s Meals had reached the milestone of feeding one million children, with further programmes launched in Ethiopia and Syria in 2017. Most recently, the charity began operations in Mozambique in 2024.

Gemma Love, philanthropy and institutional partnerships manager at Mary’s Meals, expressed gratitude for the continued support from players in Devon.

“We are incredibly grateful to People’s Postcode Lottery players in Devon, whose ongoing support is helping us reach more children than ever before with a daily school meal that encourages learning, brings hope and changes lives,” she said.

Mary’s Meals continues to expand its work internationally, providing meals in schools and helping children gain access to education in communities where poverty and hunger often prevent them from attending class.

Find out more here : https://www.marysmeals.org.uk

( Photos: Pixabay Library 📸 )