£10 million appeal target (From Stroud News and Journal)

£10 million appeal target

A STROUD schoolboy hopes to raise £10 million for tsunami victims by organising a national non-uniform day from his bedroom.

Alex Farrow, 15, from Dudbridge Hill in Stroud, wants every secondary school pupil in the country to donate £1 in exchange for wearing their normal clothes.

The ambitious Marling pupil, who is also the youth MP for Stroud, is co-ordinating the campaign with other young politicians from across the country via the internet.

"If every secondary pupil in the country gives just £1 we can raise £10 million," he said. "Even if only half take part it will still raise £5 million, which is still a pretty impressive amount.

"This disaster was such an awful thing to happen - everyone feels they have got to give something. Hopefully this will show that young people in the UK do work hard and do things for those less fortunate."

The national non-uniform day is planned for Friday, January 21 and Alex hopes as many schools as possible will be taking part.

Marling School has already pledged its support and head Roger Lock said the school were delighted that one of its pupils was playing such a leading role in the fundraising campaign.

"Alex is unique," he told the SNJ. "He has a wealth of talent and is a very caring individual.

"The school has given a lot of thought to the devastation, not least the number of children like themselves who have been orphaned. It is good to see this sort of attitude in our young people."