The Malawi Education Link has been successfully run for 10 years, with 2 teams of Hinchingbrooke School students (totalling 44 students) being sent each year. It is always over subscribed making a selection process necessary. The lucky students who get picked to go prepare for many months, including having their inoculations and becoming involved in many fundraising events. The target to raise is usually £20000. This year (2012) the two teams managed £22000+. The money is spent purely on resources for the building of the classrooms and accommodation for the teachers out in Malawi. Each student also takes a suitcase full of donated items - clothes, toys, teaching resources, books, pencils and paper. If this Link is stopped, not only will 44 students miss out on a once in a lifetime experience, but the children in Malawi will also miss the invaluable work that the students do whilst they are out there. MEL is a small registered charity (1108460) which must operate as a school trip: it cannot afford the legal and insurance cover the LEA provides for school trips. Please sign this petition and help us send the message that this Malawi Education Link out of Hinchingbrooke School MUST continue. Thank you.