Forest Gate schoolchildren showed their charitable side by eating a healthy breakfast on World Porridge Day to raise money for hungry children in Africa.

The pupils of the infant school in Sebert Road dressed up as characters from fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears to celebrate on Monday October 10 while parents were asked to donate the cost of a school meal to hunger charity Mary’s Meals.

The whole school, a total of 300 pupils, took part in the fundraiser and the porridge proved very popular.

The charitable youngsters, aged three to seven years old, gobbled up their porridge which came in the simple variety, or with a topping of jam or honey.

Headteacher Sarah Soyler said: “We chose Mary’s Meals partly because of the high percentage of their funds that they send to the young children and partly because they work with young children and we’re an infant school. So when I got the flyer I thought, “Yeah, we could do something with this.”’

Mary’s Meals is an international charity that sets up school feeding projects for over 500,000 children in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe where hunger and poverty prevent children from receiving an education.

Mary’s Meals also claim that 93 pence in every pound raised goes directly to the cause of fighting famine.

Parents were asked to donate the cost of a school meal to the charity’s African Famine Appeal since school meals are free for Newham primary pupils.

Ms Soyler asked other Newham schools including Langdon Primary in East Ham, Central Park Primary in East Ham, and Selwyn Primary School in Plaistow to join Woodgrange in raising money for children in poverty.

Selwyn Primary School, in Cecil Road, are the ones to beat as they have already held their version of the fundraiser and raised a total of �255.

The donations are still being counted at Woodgrange Infant School but so far the total is around �235.

Ms Soyler added: “It was lots of fun. I personally can’t stand the stuff but they loved it. Some of them were asking for more.”