Admiral Lord Nelson School pupils send powerful message to Portsmouth MP Penny Mordaunt over global health and poverty

PUPILS have sent messages to an MP to highlight their concerns about global health and poverty.
Admiral Lord Nelson School students with their postcard messages for MP, Penny Mordaunt.Admiral Lord Nelson School students with their postcard messages for MP, Penny Mordaunt.
Admiral Lord Nelson School students with their postcard messages for MP, Penny Mordaunt.

More than 200 pupils from Admiral Lord Nelson School made postcards to send to Portsmouth North MP, Penny Mordaunt. The students challenged the government to take action to help address global issues of poverty, gender equality and health.

The initiative was organised by The One Campaign – a group looking to lobby governments around the world to take action to eradicate global poverty, tackle political corruption and reduce the effects of diseases such as Aids and malaria.

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Jaimie Worley, 14, said: ‘The session opened my eyes to the world’s current poverty situation and how easy it is to help and remove poverty for the better.’

The day began with an assembly on the world’s major health issues and the impact they have on developing countries. Pupils then took part in workshops which included looking at the work of Global Fund – a charity looking to reduce the impact of Aids, tuberculosis and malaria in low-income countries. 

 After taking part in the workshops, Grace Upstell, 13, said: ‘Not only are we saving lives through organisations like the Global Fund, we are encouraging equality. Many lives can be saved from diseases such as Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.’

Fellow participant Laurence Coqueral, 13, added: ‘I think Global Fund is important because they help all types of people and make the world a better place to live.’

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As part of the workshops, students also learnt how to construct campaigns to influence politicians and decision makers. This included guidance on how to communicate with local representatives in Parliament and a discussion as to why it’s important for young people to be involved in democracy.

Pupils then put into practice what they had learnt by producing postcards outlining why health is such a key global issue and how the UK has a role to play in tacking international health issues.

The event was hosted by The One campaigner, Billy Hill.

Billy said: ‘It was a pleasure to be with Admiral Lord Nelson School students who are some of the most engaged and passionate young people I’ve ever met. They sent a powerful message to their MP, Penny Mordaunt, that they care about the world they live and want our country to continue to fight preventable diseases around the globe.’