Michael: An inspirational young fundraiser

At Mary’s Meals, our work inspires people to use their skills and creativity in the most wonderful ways to feed hungry children. 

Michael Glover, aged 13, from Nuneaton, has raised an incredible £12,831.49 for Mary’s Meals – enough to feed 670 children for a whole school year! This is his story. 

An amazing thing about Mary’s Meals is how our work inspires people from across the world to use their skills and creativity to help feed hungry children.

Michael first came across Mary’s Meals when he saw our film Child 31. The story of an 11-year-old girl in the film – Lettie, from Malawi –   touched his heart. He says: “At first, I was just sitting there drawing, half listening… but then I looked up properly.

“She was an orphan, looking after her two brothers. They had no food, no parents, nothing. She was searching for scraps just to survive. The only thing she wished for was not to be hungry and to be able to go to school.

“That really stayed with me. Because I was also 11. I had food every day, toys, school, and people who loved me. She had none of that. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.”

Inspired by Lettie’s story and how 10p – the cost of a daily school meal – can transform the lives of hungry children, Michael wrote and recorded a beautiful poem to raise awareness of Mary’s Meals, called Ten Pence.

Inspiration for the poem struck Michael that evening after he saw the film.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about Lettie, then I had an idea! What if I could help by making something? I asked my Abuela (grandmother) if we could write a poem about how 10p feeds a child.

“I began by writing down words from the video, 'hungry, bowls, food, empty tables, far away, love' Then I tried to make them rhyme. First it was like a short story about what I had seen and then it turned into a poem.

“That’s how Ten Pence was born. I hoped if people read it, they might feel something and want to help too.”

Since then, Michael has done lots to raise money for Mary’s Meals, he’s even a young volunteer!

From bake sales to selling clothes he’s outgrown, doing a Mary’s Meals talk at his auntie’s school to a 100km walking challenge, Micheal’s dedication is truly awe-inspiring. He’s even raised an incredible £12,831.49! That’s enough to feed 670 children for a whole school year!

This month, he’s taking part in another 100km fundraising walk and he’s still going to fundraise at more bake sales, and craft fairs, and hopefully even sell figs from the tree in his garden once they’re ripe and ready!

When ask what his advice would be for young people who want to fund raise for Mary’s Meals, Michael said: “Start small. You don’t need loads of money or something big. Even 10p matters. That’s the whole point.

“Do something you enjoy, like drawing, baking, making things, or even just talking to people about it. If you care about it, others will too.

“And remember, you might never meet the person you’re helping, but what you do could change their whole life.”