A student who is to help Tanzanian schoolchildren attend school every day has been awarded a Hurst Show grant towards his trip.
Charlie Vaughan, who goes to Ranelagh CofE School at Bracknell, will be planting cash crops to be sold to buy food to provide a free meal for schoolchildren every day.
“I will be supporting a project run by the charity Better Lives, which aims to improve access to education,” said the Hurst youngster.
The free meals had improved attendance in primary schools to 95%.
In schools taking part in this programme, the percentage of children passing the exam to move from primary to secondary school has increased from 35% to 85%.
“This means more children stay in education after the age of 11,” he added. His trip would be carbon neutral and they would not use single-use plastics.
Charlie will also help deliver parts for prosthetic limbs to be used in Africa to make new limbs for those in need. This work is by charity Legs4Africa.
Hurst Show and Country Fayre’s grant was towards Charlie’s fundraising for the 24-day visit this summer, staying in rural communities.
The show had invited applications for grants from people they might not otherwise have known about.
The 2023 Hurst Show donated just over £17,000 to good causes which also included Hurst’s St Nicholas Primary, St Nicholas Church, St Nicholas Pre-School, and 1st Hurst Air Scouts, and also Just Around the Corner, the Red Diamonds and Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice.
Other grants were given to Hurst Hookers for their next crochet and knitting project; Hurst Cricket Club for new stumps and Berkshire Woodturners for a new gazebo.
Contributions were also given towards Age Concern Twyford’s new bus; Twyford Volunteers’ new IT system and Colleton School PTA’s Teletubby Hill playground equipment.
A show spokesperson said: “We would love to be able to raise enough funds to do the same again this year. Please come along and support this year’s fundraising event on June 29 and 30.”
The show says it is a non-commercial event and is a great value-for-money family day out. Visit https://hurstshow.uk for details.
