West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today joined school children in Hallow for a playground kick around to launch a superstar football match this weekend. Soccer Aid for Unicef is a charity appeal to raise money for vulnerable children. The UK government will match all public donations pound-for-pound, doubling the difference for children in danger around the world. This year the Soccer Aid appeal is bigger than ever, with people across the country fundraising through bake sales, keep-uppy challenges and the schools’ Playground Challenge. The official Soccer Aid match will take place on Sunday, June 10 at Old Trafford between an England team captained by Robbie Williams and a Rest of the World team led by Usain Bolt. Harriett visited Hallow Primary School, near Worcester, to promote the match and to encourage more local children to take part in a playground challenge to raise funds Unicef. The Soccer Aid Playground Challenge is a fun and active obstacle course to help raise vital funds to protect children in danger around the world. Pupils bring in a small donation from home to wear their favourite football or sports kit for the day as they kick, bounce or carry a ball around the Playground Challenge obstacle course they’ve designed themselves. Through its Aid Match scheme, the UK Government will match every £1 schools raise to a maximum of £5 million, doubling the difference children in the UK make to the lives of children around the world. Harriett, who is also Minister of State at the Department for International Development, attended the launch of Soccer Aid at Downing Street this week and met with team captain Usain Bolt as well as other sports people and celebrities backing the event. Harriett commented: “I want to thank Hallow Primary School and every other school up and down the country which is taking part in the Playground Challenge and supporting Soccer Aid. “It’s great to see local pupils getting active for a good cause and supporting their favourite sports stars and celebrities in what will be a great match. “The money raised will be matched by the UK Government pound-for-pound, meaning that, together, we can double our donations to children around the world.” The money raised by Hallow Primary will support Unicef’s vital work to save and change children’s lives around the world. UK government Aid Match funding will go towards ending preventable deaths of mothers and children under-five in Eswatini and Lesotho. As well as raising funds, pupils at will learn about health, education and play for other children around the world, via a set of free, curriculum-linked online teaching resources. For more information or to find out how you can get involved in the Soccer Aid Playground Challenge and access free resources visit: unicef.uk/playground Photo: Hallow Primary School pupils Will Cooper, Joe Layland, Sam Tedesco, Harry Righton, all aged ten, with Harriett Baldwin MP.