Page 2 - link magazine

2 The Link Magazine • August 2006 Place °Tee classifieds
Pupils push for millennium goal with PM
A face to face meeting with the Prime Minister is a rare opportunity, but to also speak with Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and
Secretary of State for International Development Hilary Benn within 45 minutes would make any lobby group envious.
But good fortune and coinci- Blair is a very nice man who
dence was with nine Year 9 pupils puts people at their ease. He
from Greendown Community really wants young people's
School when they made a trip to views, so don't be struck
Parliament on 5 July to present dumb when you meet him; ► '
Tony Blair with a life sized card- you need to make every sec-
board teacher decorated with let- and count."
ters appealing to governments The Link had the exclusive ± .
around the world not to lose sight rights to report and take pho-
of the commitments in 2000 and at tos in Tony Blair's House of
the G8 summit in 2005 that by 2015 Commons' office.
every child on the planet will be The youngsters were kept
receiving an education. waiting whilst he discusse d
South Swindon MP Anne matters of import with
Snelgrove was given the 'teacher' Gordon Brown, who was
in June and promised to arrange a surprised to bump into the
visit with the PM, when she spoke group in the narrow corridor
at the annual conference of the outside the inner sanctum.
United Kingdom One World Link- He briefly chatted about their
ing Association (UKOWLA) held mission and posed for a pic- Tony Blair listens to j ii tion put by Sadie Tuttle, with Alyson Greetham, Rob
at Greendown. She said, "I was ture. Jeffries, Hayley Jeffries, Daniel Mountain holding the 'teacher,' Charlotte Hall
very impressed by the concern the Tony Blair was friendly
children have for global issues and and welcoming to the youngsters, cardboard teacher representing dous reflection on their teachers.
how they've taken the 'my friend but obviously winding down after unity and togetherness across the Greendown should be very proud
needs a teacher' campaign to their his weekly performance at Prime world. They made statements of them."
hearts. The school's growing part- Minister's Questions - including a about their concern that every child Charlotte Hall, who put the first
nership with Moriteng Wa Thutu question from Anne Snelgrove receives an education and asked question to Tony Blair, said, "he is
school in South Africa is obviously about Swindon's Churchfields the Government to do more for smaller than I thought he was, but
having a deep effect on their think- School - whilst mentally prepar- developing countries. he has a really strong handshake; I
ing." ing for meetings during the rest of The Prime Minister told the was nearly put off telling him about
When preparing for their brief the day. youngsters about the £8.5 billion our campaign."
discussion with the PM, Anne But the pupils didn't miss a beat commitment to education pro- Jesse Howard said, "Mr Blair
Snelgrove encouraged them to and made the most of their 300 grammes in poorer countries. seems to be very concerned about
speak out for their cause. "Tony seconds, telling Mr Blair about the "We're doing as much as we can to the development issues; I was im-
ensure other governments are as pressed that he raised the prob-
committed as we are to achieving lems of HIV/AIDS affecting the
the millennium development goals number of teachers."
and I will be making these points Rob Jeffries was glad to meet
again at the forthcoming G8 meet- Hilary Benn. "We invited him to
ing in Russia. the UKOWLA conference but he
"We're also very concerned couldn't come so it was great to
about tackling HIV / AIDS, because tell him about our school link with
so many teachers are dying which South Africa.
deprives children of education." "We would like to send some
The excited group returned to pupils there in two or three years;
we'll definitely be writing to him
IH from Parliament and bumped into again to see if we can get help."
their meeting room across the road
Teacher Janet Mason, Green-
Hilary Benn. They were able to
down's head of citizenship, said,
quickly tell him about their part-
nership with Moriteng school in
"it was fantastic to meet the three
South Africa. big hitters in the government's in-
Anne Snelgrove said, "the pu- ternational development policy.
pils did brilliantly. I've seen adults It's so important that the voice of
dry up in front of the PM, but the young people is heard in the high-
youngsters spoke out with such est circles and the pupils made the
confidence. They delivered a pow- most of the opportunity given to
erful message; it was a tremen- them."
The chance encounter with Chancellor Gordon Brown
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