More than 70 Beaver Scouts from across Southgate took part in a project to send clothing and school essentials to some of the poorest countries in the world.

The scouts took part in a fun day at Scout Park in Bounds Green, helping fill backpacks with a whole host of goodies from clothes to educational materials.

The rucksacks, filled by the six to eight year-olds will be sent to Malawi, in Africa as part of the Backpack Project run by relief charity Mary’s Meals.

Seven-year-old Felix Aswell, from the 23rd Southgate Beaver Colony, said: “I liked learning about the problems children in other countries have. I am very lucky.”

As well as helping children in Africa, the Beaver Scouts learnt some German words, planted daffodil bulbs and learnt about Canadian beavers and other wildlife.

Charlotte Addison, six, from the fifth Southgate colony said: “The best thing was colouring the pots and planting the bulbs in them.”

Southgate District Beaver Scout leader Laura McManus, who organised the day, believed it was great to see so many girls and boys coming together to have fun and help others.

Mary’s Meals ambassador Richard Harrison was delighted with the efforts made by the children and feels this has educated the youngsters.

He said: “Very often families cannot afford to buy basic things like pencils and copy books, or even suitable clothes for their children to wear to school. And so their children miss out on school and an education.

“A simple backpack with educational materials can be a lifeline to these children as studies show that an education is the best way a chronically poor child can escape poverty in later life.”