Macphie recently donated £150 to local school pupil, Abbie McLean, as sponsorship for a month-long volunteering expedition to Uganda. A selection of cakes and muffins were also donated to Abbie to support her fundraising coffee morning where she raised a further £425.
Since returning from her trip to Uganda, organised by her school, Grove Academy and Camps International, Abbie kindly wrote to us to tell us about her experience. Arriving in Buddaddiri, a small village in the foothills of Mount Elgon, the group of 17 eager volunteers were tasked with cementing and plastering a new school building to make it safe for its new pupils.
Abbie told us, “I really enjoyed working at the school and came to realise the true value of education to the children and people of Uganda. The work was hard but it was so rewarding to see such a positive result.”
After working hard on the school project, the group’s next challenge was a trek to Waggagi, the highest peak of Mount Elgon, before a trip to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where they helped with maintenance work to support the reservation.
Abbie added, “Thank you again for your kind donation. My teamwork skills, independence and confidence have grown immensely and I’ve confirmed my passion for helping people meaning I’ll be applying for medicine this year. I know this trip will be invaluable in my application and I can’t thank you enough for helping on the way to fulfill my dream.”
Each year, Macphie donates a percentage of profit to charitable causes. Employees are also encouraged to take part in fundraising events with support from Macphie. Most recently, a team of employees took part in Pedal for Scotland, a 45-mile cycle between Glasgow and Edinburgh, raising over £1000 for St. Andrew’s Hospice and The Beast Race, a 10km muddy obstacle course, which raised over £450 for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland.