Fashion retailer M&Co support Save the Children to raise the stakes for thousands of children in Myanmar and Pakistan

M&Co/Mackays, the independent fashion retailer, is teaming up with Save the Children to raise £300,000 to help create real and lasting change for the lives of vulnerable children.

Tuesday 11 September 2007

Over the next year more than 280 M&Co stores nationwide will take part in the fundraising initiative. A donation of 5p from the sale of every item of childrenswear will be given Save the Children to help change the lives of the poorest children in Myanmar (Burma) and Pakistan.

These children face some of the worst poverty in Asia. It is estimated that every four minutes a child under the age of five dies in Myanmar from preventable diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and respiratory infections such as pneumonia. Families across Myanmar do not have access to clean water, sanitation and basic medical care with the money raised by M&Co customers Save the Children will install and maintain 114 safe water points across the region providing clean water to thousands of families.

In 2005, 70,000 people died instantly in one of the biggest earthquakes to hit Pakistan and many more were left without homes and schools. Two years on people are still rebuilding their lives. M&Co will provide funding for two fully equipped Play Buses which will be driven to communities to help the hardest to reach children in their rehabilitation. Many of the children who survived the earthquake have been struggling to deal with the physical and emotional trauma of this disaster so having the opportunity to play and be with their friends is vital for their recovery.

Iain McGeoch, Chairman of M&Co, said: "We're delighted to be working with Save the Children on this incredibly worthwhile cause that's really going to benefit the lives of children in Myanmar and Pakistan. We hope both staff and customers of M&Co will really get behind the partnership and help raise as much money as possible for these extremely vulnerable children."

Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive of Save the Children, added: "The majority of money raised by M&Co will fund Save the Children's work in Myanmar.  It's thanks to this invaluable corporate support that we will be able to introduce simple and low cost measures to reduce preventable deaths and make it possible for thousands of children to survive and thrive after their fifth birthday."

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For more information please contact Kate Hannah on 0161 249 5136 or email k.hannah@savethechildren.org.uk

Notes to Editors