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School in a Bag – our SWIB 2020 charity
School in a Bag
At the Successful Women in Business Awards ceremony in June 2020, School in a Bag will become our charity for 2020/2021
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© Luke Simon
School in a Bag will later this year become the SWIB charity, so we decided to find out more about its founder and CEO Luke Simon. Following a six-and-half-year career designing gardens around the world, Luke took a year out in 2004 visiting 10 countries and secured a position as the Athletic Director in an international school in northern Thailand.
During the Christmas break on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi, Luke was caught up in the Indian Ocean Tsunami, where his brother Piers was tragically killed.
The Piers Simon Appeal (PSA) was officially launched at Piers’ memorial service to help disaster victims around the world and, to date, victims in 13 countries have been financially supported by the PSA, including funding 131 Shelterboxes.
In 2009, the PSA created School in a Bag (SIAB), an initiative that distributes rucksacks filled with stationery, learning resources and eating utensils to disadvantaged © C l a i r e C a r t e r
children around the world, giving them an opportunity
to a better education, which could be their lifeline to a future free from hardship and poverty.
The cost to sponsor a numbered and traceable SchoolBag is £20 and, to
date, SIAB have delivered over 117,767
SchoolBags to children in 45 countries.
In late 2019, School in a Bag became a standalone charity. In early 2020, School in a Bag Trading Ltd was registered to run the numerous fundraising events it carries out, including Home Farm Fest, the charity’s annual three-day music festival, which since 2006 has raised £475,700.
