Mary’s Meals is the star of virtual nativity show

The virtual Nativity kit, which comes complete with instructions and handy hints on filming, costumes and editing, is the ideal festive resource for primary schools when many teachers have had to consider cancelling their annual Christmas play due to the pandemic.

The husband-and-wife team, who are long-time supporters of Mary’s Meals – a charity that reaches more than 1.6 million hungry children in some of the world’s poorest countries with a daily school meal – have developed two easy to memorise rhyming scripts for infant and junior school children.

These can be filmed on smartphones and assembled into a single play. This means that if children are socially isolated at home, they can still take part, united with their school friends in the final short film – perfect for sharing on social media or school websites.

Frank explained: “Everyone remembers who they were in their school Nativity play. The idea that some schools or parishes might not have one this year seemed heart-breaking, so we came up with this simple way to tell the tale anew.”

Emma Hutton, head of grassroots engagement at Mary’s Meals, said: “It comes at a perfect time as teachers are planning their Christmas activities and we’re sure the plays will bring delight to children, teachers and parents alike. We are hoping schools will spread the joy by sharing their finished films on social media and donating to Mary’s Meals if they can, especially at this time when our Double The Love campaign means public donations are being matched by the UK government to help reach more hungry children in Liberia.”

It costs just £15.90 to feed a child for a whole school year with Mary’s Meals – but their Double The Love appeal means two children will be fed for just £15.90. Give until January 31, 2021 and the UK government will match public donations up to £2 million.

To download the lockdown Nativity kit go here.