Send My Friend To School

There are none better placed than children themselves to advocate for the right of all children to have an inclusive, equitable and quality education. This is the philosophy behind Send My Friend to School, a unique coalition which brings together young people, politicians, teachers and civil society in joint campaigning to demand education for all children across the globe.


The first Send My Friend campaign in schools took place 20 years ago in 2005, when pupils joined Nelson Mandela onstage at the historic Make Poverty History event in London’s Trafalgar Square. Since then, Send My Friend has campaigned on a specific education theme each year, such as gender equality, literacy, emergencies and removing barriers to education for persons with disabilities. Young people from thousands of schools have met their constituency MPs and young advocates have lobbied Parliament, met Ministers and hosted roundtables at the party conferences.


In March 2025, we’re launching our new ‘Invest in My Friends’ Learning’ campaign, calling on the Government to urgently accelerate their commitment towards Sustainable Development Goal 4. In addition to the school campaign, Send My Friend is publishing a policy report and lobbying decision makers to take greater action. There are only five years left until 2030, when countries are due to meet the Sustainable Development Goal targets. There is no time to waste. 


Since its launch 25 years ago, the campaign has succeeded in placing education firmly on the UK’s development agenda and helped to secure funding for the Global Partnership for Education and Education Cannot Wait. It’s often said that MPs only advocate for the issues that their communities care about, and many MPs have had their first interest in global education sparked by meeting passionate young constituents. We support young people to meet at least 100 MPs every year. Many MPs were newly elected in 2024 and are still identifying the issues they wish to champion. Young people are taking the opportunity to give them a strong nudge towards global education.


However, there’s little doubt that progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 has been faltering for some time. In addition, school pupils and their teachers everywhere have experienced the terrible impacts of Covid-19 and its aftermath. In this rapidly changing world Send My Friend has had to adapt. The most fundamental way we’ve done this is to bring young people more prominently into the high-level influencing spaces usually occupied by professional adult advocates. This has included meeting the Foreign Secretary, briefing the International Development Committee and participating in the COP climate change conference. In 2023, we launched the Young People’s Policy Report on Education in Emergencies. This is the first time, we’re aware of, that a policy report was specifically written for and launched by young people.


In recent years, the Campaign Champions programme has become an integral part of Send My Friend to School. We recruit 20 14-15 year old pupils every year who provide leadership and high-level advocacy for the campaign. Their training and the resources we produce for the 1,200 schools currently taking part in the campaign reflect the participatory and youth-led ethos we wish to embed. Send My Friend sets out to both transform global education and also be transformational for all the young people who take part in it.


This is never more true than in the Steve Sinnott Youth Ambassador programme. With the support of the Steve Sinnott Foundation and Oxfam GB we invite two young people from the Global South to visit the UK every year to lead high level advocacy and partnership campaigning. A particularly memorable highlight occurred on 20 September 2019, when Jessy and Isaac, the Young Ambassadors from Malawi, spoke to tens of thousands of young people gathered outside Parliament at the School Strike for Climate. Later this year we hope to welcome Queen and Santos, the 2025 Young Ambassadors from Uganda, to campaign in the UK. 


The lived experiences and values of young people in 2025 mean they are increasingly passionate about issues such as racial justice, gender equality, the climate crisis, safety, wellbeing and trauma. These resonate strongly with SDG4’s holistic aim of providing all children everywhere with an ‘inclusive and equitable quality education’. This is our strongest guarantee that the passion, creativity and commitment of young people and their teachers in the UK will continue to be heard in solidarity with children around the world as they call for greater investment in education during the next two years. 


To learn more and join Send My Friend to School visit www.sendmyfriend.org


BIOGRAPHY

John McLaverty is the former youth campaigner for Oxfam GB and a retired secondary school teacher and teacher educator. He is presently co-chair of Send My Friend to School and volunteers for Schools of Sanctuary.



John McLaverty • May 12, 2025

Empowering Student Voices: Young Ambassadors Champion Inclusive Education for All

By Ann Beatty • October 13, 2025
In our continued commitment to ensuring quality and inclusive education for every child, we’ve taken our advocacy to a new level by empowering the next generation to lead the conversation. In partnership with The Gambia Teachers Union, we recently convened the Foundation’s Young Ambassadors for a vibrant day of engagement dedicated to promoting the right to education for all. The event brought together passionate students from selected senior secondary schools across Region One, including St. John’s School for the Deaf, to explore what it truly means to make education inclusive, equitable, and accessible to every learner. 

Seeds of Hope 2025: Young People Planting Peace and Sustainability Around the World

By Ann Beatty • October 3, 2025
The Steve Sinnott Foundation is proud to celebrate the inspirational winners of the 2025 Seeds of Hope for a Better Future competition, a global initiative supported by UNESCO that brings together creativity, community, and a shared commitment to peace and sustainability. This unique project invited schools across the world from nursery and primary through to secondary and high school to explore the values of peace, cultural understanding, and care for the planet. In the face of climate change, young people were asked to tell their stories through art, performance, and digital creativity, highlighting how small seeds of action can grow into powerful movements for hope. The results have been extraordinary. Schools in France, the UK, Gambia, Haiti, and Kenya have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, with projects ranging from community gardens and sculptures to dance performances and illustrated stories. Each winner has shown how young voices and imagination can nurture peace and sustainability in ways that inspire us all. The full Awards Ceremony can be watched linked here: S eeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025 Highlights from the Winners Oak View Primary and Nursery School (UK) created Faces of Feeling, a collection of joyful sculptures already exhibited in a local gallery. Judges praised their work as supporting the wellbeing of others and embodying the idea of children as true “Seeds of Hope.” St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School (Gambia) painted Campaign for a Sustainable Banjul , reflecting real-world climate action in their city. The judges described it as “a most deserving and robust winner.” In France , the Jardin d'Enfants des Nations Unies (United Nations Nursery School) won hearts with Wind of Peace , where 5-6 year olds combined drawings, paintings, and tree planting to champion reforestation. Lyng Hall Secondary School, Coventry (UK) collaborated with Henley Green Primary and the UK Literacy Association to produce The Heart Shaped Hole – an innovative and metaphorical take on Seeds of Hope. Earlsdon Primary School, Coventry (UK) impressed with Primary Plot , a project that included gardening with the visually impaired, reflecting inclusivity and sustainability. A remarkable cross-collaboration between 21 schools across West Yorkshire, Essex, and Tower Hamlets (UK) resulted in Lights, Camera, Score , an ambitious combination of animation, music, and storytelling. CIMA Community School of Hope, Haiti shared Konbit - a video of dance and solidarity, inspiring villages to work together for peace and dignity. Daraja Academy, Kenya presented an ambitious and optimistic project integrating sustainability into everyday school life. Celebrating Creativity and Peace This year’s competition was judged by an impressive panel of artists, writers, and cultural leaders including Sir Antony Gormley, Edmund de Waal, Dame Liz Forgan, Hugh Quarshie, and Rathna Ramanathan. Their collective expertise highlighted the quality and depth of the entries, each of which showed how art can be a powerful tool for global understanding and change. The Seeds of Hope initiative is part of UNESCO UK’s Arts and Culture for Peace programme, first launched in 2022. It has grown from earlier collaborations such as the Coventry Young Ambassadors’ Islands of Peace Japanese Garden , opened in 2021 a living reminder that seeds planted in communities can continue to flourish. Highlights from the ceremony can be found here at this playlist Looking Ahead As Ann Beatty, UNESCO ASPnet UK National Coordinator , shared: “The quality of entries was extraordinary. We are delighted at the response to this amazing initiative in collaboration with our international partners.” And in the words of judge Jannette Cheong : “Young people around the world understand well the value of peace and tolerant relationships between cultures. Their creativity is an inspiration to all of us.” At The Steve Sinnott Foundation, we believe that education is the seed from which hope grows. The Seeds of Hope competition is a shining example of how young people through creativity, compassion, and collaboration are already shaping a more peaceful and sustainable future. You can access the full online awards presentation here: Seeds of Hope For A Better Future Awards Ceremony 2025

Teachers Advance in Guidance and Counselling Training in The Gambia

By Ann Beatty • August 18, 2025
The journey to strengthen the well-being and success of learners in The Gambia continues with a renewed commitment to guidance and counselling in schools. By August 14th 2025, we have successfully trained 140 educators across 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑 & 𝟒 under our Guidance & Counselling Programme. A programme designed to equip educators with the skills to support students’ academic, social, and emotional development. Region 3 Teachers Complete Level 2 Training On Wednesday, 6th August, thirty teachers from Region 3 (North Bank Region) began a three-day Level 2 Guidance and Counselling training at the Christian Council in Kanifing. This programme built on their earlier Level 1 training in Farafenni, with a focus on deepening their capacity to serve as school-based counsellors. The training concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony, recognising the teachers’ commitment and marking an important step in their professional development. These certificates symbolize more than an achievement; they represent each teacher’s readiness to provide psychosocial support, guidance, and mentorship to learners across their schools.