Plan - SMART's chosen charity:

When SMART started to look for a charity to support we wanted our fund raising efforts to really make a difference. We needed to know that that every single penny raised from our fund-raising activities would go directly to helping to change people's lives; a charity where precious funds were not used up in administration costs; a charity where we could specifically choose where our donations went.

Following a long search we discovered the Plan charity - the international humanitarian child-centred development organisation. To date SMART's staff have raised a fantastic sum for the charity through various fund-raising activities; this has made a significant contribution towards building a school for children in Ghana. This project was successfully completed during 2008. The new Plan project that will be supported by SMART is to help raise almost £90,000 to support children and young people in Mvuti village, Tanzania.

Founded 70 years ago, Plan is one of the largest child-centred community development organisations in the world. They work in 62 countries on projects and initiatives that address the causes of poverty and its consequences for children's lives. They work with children, their families and communities to build a world where children are safe, healthy and capable of realising their full potential.

SMART's fundraising goals & achievements

SMART's staff are highly pro-active in continuing to raise funds for Plan with regular social activities and events including song and dance shows, pop concerts, race nights, staff 'dress down' days and various sponsored events throughout the year. Our most recent major fundraising event was when we supported SMART Team Manager Edward Carter's sponsored run in the Royal Park's Foundation Half Marathon. Ed successfully raised in excess of £2,000 for the Plan charity (more info about Edward's achievement). The staff at SMART also held a Halloween Dress Down Day that raised a further £250 for the Plan charity (more info).

Plan projects supported by SMART

Sangara Secondary school in Mvuti village, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
SMART's support of this project will help Plan to raise much needed funds to provide safer education and employment in Mvuti village, Tanzania. We aim to help Plan reach their target of £89,636 within the first year. Here at SMART we believe that all children throughout the world deserve the best start in life possible, and that includes access to education. We work in close association with Plan to improve the lives of some of the world's poorest children - those children who often have no chance of learning to read or write. We are therefore very pleased to support the Sangara Secondary school Project. More information

Child Sponsorship
Following the successful hand over of the Essandohkurom school project, SMART is keen to continue its support of the Plan charity through Child sponsorship - as 80p in every pound donated to Plan in sponsorship goes directly to helping children. This enables us to help make a lasting difference to the lives of the world's poorest children and their communities. But unlike many other forms of giving, a sponsor can actually see the difference its sponsorship is making. This is made possible by the personal connection shared with the sponsored children. This long term relationship encourages children's confidence and can often be a rewarding and enlightening experience.

Completed Plan projects supported by SMART

Essandohkurom School Project
Following a field trip to Ghana, all of us at SMART were keen to support Plan's 'Essandohkurom School Project' - an ambitious project to build a much-needed school and ultimately improve schoolchildren's lives. The project was officially completed and handed over to the community during Spring 2008. More information

Call SMART today on 01270 503291
to find out how you could help to support this vital charity work
through our many charity fund raising events held throughout the year.

Click here to find out more about the Plan Charity and its latest news.