Maidenhead pool party to raise money for Ethiopian mums and children

The Advertiser is helping to run a pool party which will raise money for the most disadvantaged families in a town in Ethiopia.

Together with the Magnet Leisure Centre, the ’Tiser is helping to organise the swimming disco, which will raise funds for charity Partners for Change (PFC) Ethiopia.

The money raised at the event, on Sunday, February 2, will go towards the charity’s funding goal of £3,214.

Once this total has been reached the money will provide 30 mums in Gende Tesfa, Ethiopia, with business training to allow them to provide for their families, and also fund a breakfast club for the disadvantaged children at the school in the village.

Sarah Parfitt, of PFC Ethiopia, has been involved in the organisation of the party.

She said: “We are raising money that will fund the mums and get them to found their own businesses to keep them and their kids fed.

“Some of the kids we deal with have never had a toy in their lives.

“If they don’t get to the breakfast club they get sugared water for breakfast.”

The party is not the first to be held – the Advertiser and Magnet ran a similar swimming disco in 2016 as part of a competition, which was won by Sarah’s son, Joshua, which raised £1,000 and was attended by 100 children.

“It was a win-win, we had a lot of fun and raised money,” said Sarah.

In the lead up to the party, Sarah’s boys Jack and Joshua will be inviting as many school friends as possible to come along to the party and help raise money.

They will also be running other fundraising activities in the new year, like their Bags to School campaign, which asks people to donate their old clothes.

Sarah, from Cookham, has called on anyone who would like to help raise money for PFC Ethiopia to get in touch with their ideas.

To donate to the charity, visit bit.ly/34zRnS5

If you have fundraising ideas email Sarah on sarah_parfitt@mail.com