For a month during this summer holiday, I will be working with the SB Overseas charity, in a refugee school in the Lebanon, which supports Syrian refugee children to access education. I will be working as a classroom teacher and also taking a strategic view as to how the SB Overseas schools can be best supported to improve and to increase their capacity.

Ahead of my work in the Lebanon, I hope to raise a minimum of £1,000 which will go directly to the SB Overseas charity and be used to support Syrian children in their schools. Every donation will help make a direct contribution to supporting with this refugee crisis.

The tragedy which has unfolded in Syria over recent years is truly shattering. Millions of people have fled the country and over one million refugees have moved to the Lebanon, which is a neighbour of Syria. Most refugees live in very difficult conditions and few children have access to schools. I will be working with the Belgian charity SB Overseas to support the education of refugee children in two of their schools. I will be spending most of my time working in their main school in a very underprivileged part of Beirut. The least any of us can do is to offer our skills and experience in such a crisis. Mine is to teach and to work to support young people. It is an honour to be able to support with the Syrian crisis in such a direct way.

Upon my return to the UK at the end of August, I intend to use whatever influence I have at local and national level, to increase awareness and support for the development of education for Syrian refugee children, whose opportunity for a good education has been denied.

For more information about the SB Overseas charity, please see the link below:

SB Overseas

Please visit the SB Overseas Facebook page for weekly updates

www.facebook.com/SB.overseas.charity/