Sponsor A School

Children waiting for Marys Meals in Malawi

Sponsor A School with Mary's Meals

Sponsoring a school is an amazing way to help us reach more of the world’s poorest children with the promise of a daily meal. Simply choose the size of school you wish to sponsor, and we will contact you to discuss your options and then allocate a school to you. And then it’s over to you – you can choose to make your donation upfront, or in stages, or you can begin to fundraise within your community.

A volunteer serving food to a child at school

Choose to sponsor:

A small school from £5,000 per year

A medium school from £10,000 per year

A large school from £15,000 per year

Alternatively, you could opt to Share A School, and join with other funders to sponsor an entire school by covering the cost of 100 children for £1,915 per year.

How Sponsor A School works

1. Fill in the form

Choose the country and size of school you wish to support and fill in the form below.

2. We match you to a school

We will get in contact to discuss your options and match you with a school.

3. Plan out your fundraising

Start fundraising for your school. Alternatively, you can make your donation upfront.

4. Read all about it

Enjoy our email updates and final report on your sponsored school.

Why choose to Sponsor A School?

Sponsoring a school with Mary’s Meals allows you to provide life-changing meals for every child in a school for a whole year. This has a huge impact, not only on the children, but on their families and wider communities. As a supporter, you will have a real sense of connection to your chosen school and to the children you are helping.

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Over the last 10 years, our pupils, parents and staff at Beachborough School have taken the children at Malawi’s Nthola Primary into our hearts. Fundraising for Mary’s Meals is part of Beachborough life, through the thoughts and deeds of our community. Children at our school feel connected with the children they are helping in Malawi, and we will continue our support through the gift of food and education so that we can change the lives and fortunes of our friends. Beachborough School

I have been sponsoring a school for a few years now and recently set up a sponsorship in memory of my late wife. As a teacher, my focus was always on enabling children to reach their full potential. I retired and met my wife, who shared the story of Mary’s Meals with me. Sponsoring a school with Mary’s Meals seemed an obvious next step for me. I believe that every child should have the opportunity to develop whatever talents and abilities they have. Sponsor A School supporter

Have any questions about Sponsor A School?

What is Sponsor A School?

Sponsor A School gives you the opportunity to provide nutritious daily meals for an entire school for a whole year. It’s an amazing way to have a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of children. We calculate the total cost to sponsor a school as the number of children enrolled in that school, multiplied by our current cost per child (for a year), which is just £19.15.

What is Share A School?

As some people may not be in a position to commit to funding the cost of an entire school, we have created Share A School which allows you to cover the cost of feeding a portion of that school (100 children) for a year.

You will still be allocated a specific school, but the fundraising target is set at the cost to feed 100 children (£1,915) and you will help cover the cost of feeding that school alongside others.

If you opt to Share A School, you will still receive our quarterly Sponsor A School email updates, as well as a final report on your chosen school at the end of the 12 month sponsorship period.

How do I make donations to my chosen school, and how can I check my total?

You can sponsor a school in two ways – some people choose to fundraise, often alongside family and friends, to cover the cost of their school. This is a great way of bringing people together to create an amazing impact. We have lots of ideas of how you can raise money for your sponsored school here: www.marysmeals.org.uk/fundraise

Alternatively, some people choose to cover the full cost themselves or with friends and family as a one-off donation, or through multiple donations or regular gifts, including Direct Debits, throughout the year.

However you choose to sponsor your school, you will be provided with a personal fundraising page (which sits on the Mary’s Meals website), where you can pay in donations and keep track of your total. You can share this with your friends, family and colleagues.

If you wish to make a donation any other way (e.g. bank transfer/Direct Debit/ over the phone) please ensure you contact us so we can allocate this to your chosen school.

Are Sponsor A School donations eligible for Gift Aid?

Yes, and this is a great way of increasing the value of your gift. Provided a donation meets the usual Gift Aid criteria, Gift Aid can be applied and will be included in your fundraising total. For questions about whether a donation is eligible for Gift Aid, please contact our Supporter Care team.

Can someone from Mary’s Meals come to my school/workplace/group to talk about your work?

Yes, we have a wonderful team of volunteers who are always happy to provide support with talks in the community. Please contact our Supporter Care team to find out more.

How is the fundraising target calculated for my school and how does this relate to the number of children fed?

Your fundraising target is the cost of feeding every child in a certain school every school day for a year. This is calculated as the number of children enrolled in that school at the start of the sponsorship, multiplied by our current cost per child (for a year) which is just £19.15.

Are the funds I raise restricted to my chosen school only?

No, your donations will be restricted to your selected country, rather than to your specific school. This is to ensure that every child in the schools which are allocated to the Sponsor A School programme can be fed, even if the enrolment number changes, or their allocated sponsor is unable to raise the funds required. This model allows Mary’s Meals to be flexible and keep our promise to all the hungry children who rely on our school meals.

If I don’t reach my target within 12 months, will the school still be provided for?

If you’re unable to reach your fundraising target, your chosen school will still be provided for and we will ensure that the children there will receive Mary’s Meals every school day. However, when you sign up for Sponsor A School, we do ask that you commit to your fundraising target as far as you possibly can.

What happens if I exceed my target during the year?

If your efforts surpass your expectations and you exceed your fundraising target over 12 months, that’s incredible news! You will not be able to put this money towards another fundraising year if you choose to re-sponsor, but please be assured that any donations above your target amount will be used to feed hungry children in the same country as your sponsored school.

Please note:

Mary’s Meals does not own any of the schools where the meals are provided, and we cannot guarantee that enrolments or circumstances of your sponsored school will remain the same from the time of sponsorship till the end of your fundraising year. There may also be rare occasions where we are unable to deliver school feeding in an area due to unexpected events. We will keep you informed of any significant changes.