Widower raising money to boost efforts of Mary's Meals

Roger Crofts, who lives near the River Esk, is supporting Mary’s Meals, a global school-feeding charity which provides a daily meal in class to hungry children.

He has set up a fundraising page to help the charity.

His wife Lindsay, who recently died from secondary breast cancer at the age of 66, was a keen supporter of Mary’s Meals and he knew that she would welcome donations in her memory.

Mr Crofts, who was married for 24 years, said: “How do you remember your closest friend and partner of many years when she dies all too young from cancer?

“And how can you give some benefit to others much less fortunate than us?

“For me, it was easy. Although my wife dying was, and is still, proving an unwanted experience, setting up a donation stream for something I knew she would warmly welcome has helped to soften the blow.”

Child in Malawi receiving Mary’s Meals. Photo: Chris Watt.

He has been delighted by the response from family and friends, adding: “Suggesting a target of £1,000 to Mary’s Meals at the outset proved to be a real miscalculation in the best sense of the word.

“We have raised over £6,000 partly because of the warmth and love for my wife from family and friends, but also partly for the deep respect that Mary’s Meals is held in our networks.

“We know that it is such a worthwhile charity and the work that it does is so needed. It is an exemplar of all that is good about charities.”

The charity said that giving in memory of a loved one went a long way to helping Mary’s Meals feed more children in their places of education so they could “build brighter futures”.

Founded in Argyll in 2002, Mary’s Meals has grown from feeding 200 children in Malawi to now reaching more than 1.8 million children around the world in 19 countries.

The promise of a daily meal in school attracts impoverished children to the classroom, where they can gain an education that will one day be their ladder out of poverty.

Emma Hutton, the charity’s head of grassroots engagement, said: “We are so thankful to Roger for thinking of our charity during a time of deep sadness for him.

“His generosity and that of his family and friends in memory of Lindsay will help us give more hungry children the gift of food, joy and hope.

“Thanks to the kindness of those who donate or fundraise, children who might otherwise be working in fields, or begging on street corners for their next meal, can instead be sitting in classrooms with full stomachs, learning how to read and write.”

It costs £15.90 for Mary’s Meals to feed a child at school for a year, with 93p from every £1 going directly to its feeding programmes.

To find out more about the work of Mary’s Meals or to get involved, visit www.marysmeals.org.uk or @MarysMealsUKcharity on Facebook.