Leonardo-Finmeccanica invited local children in for lunch on Friday … and Forth 1 popped in too!

It happened in a flash. Marie Cooper, an employee at Leonardo-Finmeccanica, the electronic engineering company based at Crewe Toll, was walking through the restaurant. She had just left a meeting with Forth One’s Cash for Kids team discussing their fundraising drive, Holiday Hunger, raising money to feed children from the local area who often go hungry during the summer school holidays. 

She suddenly thought perhaps we could use our facility and get Cash for Kids to contact local organisations to invite some of the children they support in for lunch one day during the holidays.

Marie approached the business and ISS, who are responsible for our catering, and was given their full support to open the doors on Friday 15 July to feed over 150 young people from the local Edinburgh community who often have to struggle during the summer school holidays with little food at home.

Marie said: “To think that many of these children not only go hungry but can’t invite their friends over during the holidays because the expense is too great is quite heart breaking and hopefully this activity we are planning will give them a bit of a boost.”

But the inspiration didn’t end there. When Marie heard that the machine shop needed to dispose of obsolete machinery, she suggested that perhaps the proceeds of the sale of the equipment to Lapmaster, amounting to £,5,500, could be donated to this very worthwhile Cash for Kids campaign.

Marie said: “The guys were fantastic and they couldn’t do enough to support and thanks to their cooperation we have been able to add this to the £661 which employees have already generously donated and which has now been handed over to Cash for Kids.”

Forth One attended the event on Friday to show their support for the local children and the Leonardo’s fundraising efforts.

Emma Kemp, Charity Manager, Forth One said: “When I learned that the employees at Leonardo had managed to raise over £6,000 it just blew me away. The money is going to make such a difference to improving the quality of life of so many young people who are really struggling right now. The event on its own was going to be an amazing morale booster for them, but to find out that the extra funds have been gathered too is absolutely fantastic.”

Pictured: Fat Brestovca (DJ Forth One), Emma Kemp (Charity Manager – Radio Forth Cash for Kids), Ruaridh Tait (Radio Borders) and Marie Cooper, PA, Leonardo.

Leonardo Finmeccanica