Scots oats firm aims to feed African school for a year

As the official porridge partner of World Porridge Day 2017, the company has launched the campaign in partnership with charity Mary’s Meals.

Every time a Stoats Original Porridge Charity Pot is purchased, 7p will be donated to Mary’s Meals.

The donation from each pot will be used to feed a child in Africa for one meal, with a mug of Likuni Phala porridge.

Scots oats firm bring a smile to Mary's Meals campaign

Hannah Stewart, head of fundraising at Mary’s Meals, said: “We are extremely grateful to Stoats for helping us reach more children with Mary’s Meals, and we wish them the very best of luck in their fundraising efforts.

“Our work to feed the world’s poorest children every day they attend school would not be possible without the generosity of supporters.”

Throughout August to October, the limited edition Stoats Classic Scottish Porridge Quick Pots will feature the Pot for a Pot campaign and will be stocked in Waitrose, Tesco, Scotmid, Sainsbury’s and Asda as well as independent cafes, delis and farm shops across Scotland.

The campaign will culminate around World Porridge Day on 10 October.

By then , Stoats hope to have raised enough funds to feed an entire African school for a whole year.

World Porridge Day is a global celebration of one of Scotland’s favourite dishes and supports Mary’s Meals to provide hungry children across the world with one meal every school day.

Mary’s Meals school feeding programme is owned and run by community volunteers in the countries where they provide food.

For example, in Malawi there are over 80,000 volunteers who take turn to prepare, cook and serve the daily meal in each school.

Where possible, they always serve locally produced food which supports the local community and its farmers as well as the wider economy.

Tony Stone, managing director of Stoats, said: “We’re committed to really making a difference with our Pot for a Pot campaign.

“Following our fundraising around World Porridge Day with Mary’s Meals last year, we’re keen to build upon this further. As an oats company, we know only too well what a good source of energy and nutrition these meals are.

“It’s a very fitting and important cause for us to contribute to. Together with our customers, we hope to raise enough funds to be able feed an entire school in Africa for a year.

“So please, enjoy our porridge and do a good deed at the same time by buying our limited edition charity pots between now and October.”

Stoats is an independent company owned and operated by Tony Stone and director Bob Arnott.

The business partners, both from Edinburgh, established the company in 2005.

Mary’s Meals began in Malawi in 2002 after its founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow met a young woman called Emma who was dying from AIDS. She was sitting on the mud floor of her hut surrounded by her children.

When Magnus asked her 14-year-old son, Edward, what his dreams were in life, his stark reply was: “To have enough food to eat and to go to school one day”.

This was a key part of the inspiration that led to the Mary’s Meals campaign.

Mary’s Meals, which began feeding 200 children in one school in Malawi in 2002, now reaches 1,230,171 children with a daily meal in their place of education in 14 countries, across four continents.

It costs just £13.90 to feed a child for a whole school year through Mary’s Meals. The charity spends at least 93 pence of every £1 donated on its charitable work.

To find out more about their work visit: www.marysmeals.org.uk