DONATIONS from school meals have helped to feed orphans in Zambia.

Schools across the county joined a fundraising day to help Oxfordshire based charity Cecily’s Fund.

On one day in April, 5p from 12,500 roast meals sold by Food With Thought, Oxfordshire County Council’s school catering service, was given to the Witney charity.

Cecily’s Fund helps educate and feed orphans in Zambia by providing a nourishing meal every school day for more than 700 pupils in a deprived part of the country’s capital, Lusaka. It costs just 5p to provide one school meal in Zambia.

The donation from the school meals fundraiser and an additional donation from Food With Thought raised more than £650.

A cheque was given to the charity at its New Yatt offices, in Witney, this week.

Les Redhead, Food with Thought’s operations manager, said: “This is a great way to introduce Oxfordshire children to the lives of some children in Zimbabwe — we are proud to have helped raise funds and plan to hold the fundraising day annually.”

Cecily’s fund was set up in 1998 in memory of Cecily Eastwood who lived in Stonesfield, west Oxfordshire. The 19-year-old was killed in a traffic accident while on her gap year volunteering with orphans in Zambia.

Sabita Banerji, spokesman for the charity, said: “We were absolutely delighted that Food with Thought did this for us and particularly as it links schools in Oxfordshire with us and lets them know about the work we are doing for schools in Zambia.”