Celtic FC Foundation are delighted to confirm that a group of 20 volunteers will set off for Blantyre, Malawi on Sunday, October 5 to provide practical support to Scottish Charity, Mary’s Meals. Another volunteer will join the group later in the week.

We had initially planned to take the group to Kibera, Kenya in January 2014 but, sadly, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advising against all but essential travel, we had no option but to withdraw on grounds of safety. 

As each participant had worked tirelessly to raise funds in the region of £2,000, it was essential to offer an alternative experience and Celtic FC Foundation are exceptionally grateful to Mary’s Meals for providing this wonderful opportunity. 

Mary’s Meals is a global movement that sets up school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities, where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education.

They provide one daily meal in a place of learning to attract chronically poor children into a classroom where they receive an education that can, in the future, be their ladder of out poverty.

Mary’s Meals began feeding 200 children in Malawi in 2002.  Today, they are feeding over 920,000 children every school day.

The 10-day work placements in Blantyre will be provided by Mary’s Meals and involve the renovation of six of their Under-6 centres, assistance with the feeding programme and the construction and installation of a double pit latrine at one of the facilities which currently has no sanitation.

Tony Hamilton, CEO of Celtic FC Foundation said: “I would like to thank all volunteers, Mary’s Meals and Kibera Celtic Foundation for their magnificent support throughout this challenging process.

“Special thanks must also go to Scottish Citylink who are very generously providing a coach, free of charge, to transport the group between Glasgow and London Heathrow, return. 

“I’m sure the experience awaiting the group in Malawi will be rewarding, emotional and completely life changing. 

“Everyone at Celtic FC Foundation is incredibly proud of their efforts and we look forward to hearing about their experiences and the difference they make. We wish each and every one of them a wonderful trip.”

You can still support the volunteers by donating online and quoting ‘Malawi’ in the comments box: https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/celticfcfoundation