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Year 9 pupils at Stormont - Year 9 pupils from
Laurelhill College at Stormont.
A GROUP of students from Laurelhill College
have presented Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson with a child
poverty petition.
The pupils were invited to Stormont by Mr
Donaldson to learn more about the workings of the Northern
Ireland Assembly and during their visit they presented him with
a petition which contained 650 signatures supporting Save the
Children's campaign to tackle child poverty.
Pupil Angela Penney said: "We had a great
time at Stormont. We were able to give our Child Poverty
petition to Mr Donaldson and we also visited the Public Gallery
and were able to witness First Minister's
Questions. It was brilliant that we could
experience something that we would normally only see on
television.'"
Speaking about the visit Mr Donaldson
commented: "The keen interest taken by the students in the work
of the Assembly and their quick grasp of how the government in
Northern Ireland operates greatly impressed me.
DELIGHTED
 "I
was also delighted to receive the petition signed by a large
number of the students at Laurelhill College in support of the
campaign by 'Save the Children' to tackle the problems
associated with child poverty.
It is a tragic fact that across the world
some 10 million children die each year before their fifth
birthday. Many of these children die as a result of poverty and
neglect whilst others lose their lives through disease such as
pneumonia and diarrhoea.
"As a Minister, I am committed to ensuring
that our children and young people get the best start in life
and that the government invests in their health and wellbeing.
In organising this petition the students of Laurelhill College
have demonstrated the kind of caring attitude that gives us all
hope for the future."
Ulster Star
25/04/2008
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