ITV launches tackle hunger togeer appeal for Rugby World Cup 05

ITV launches tackle hunger together appeal for Rugby World Cup 2015

ITV has today launched Tackle Hunger Together, its charity appeal for Rugby World Cup 2015 in support of World Rugby and its official humanitarian partner, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). An exclusive interview with Jose Mourinho, Global Ambassador for the WFP, aired on ITV's Good Morning Britain to officially announce the appeal that will run throughout ITV's coverage of the sporting tournament.

(World Food Programme: Jose Mourinho shares lunch with the schoolchildren at Nanan School, Ivory Coast)

Mourinho who was announced as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the WFP in 2014 said I have seen the huge impact of the World Food Programme's work in transforming the lives of children and working towards a world of zero hunger. Food is so fundamental to our existence that we should all play a part in trying to end hunger in our lifetimes.

Tackle Hunger Together, a partnership between ITV, WFP and World Rugby to coincide with RWC 2015 aims to raise awareness and funds for families facing hunger around the world. Globally, one in nine people do not have access to enough nutritious food to lead a healthy, active life. The appeal will focus on raising funds for providing food assistance to families caught in natural disasters or conflict and places a particular emphasis on the importance of school meals in ensuring that children get the food they need to reach their physical and intellectual potential.

Throughout the tournament, which begins on 18th September 2015 when England face Fiji, appeal films fronted by some of rugby's most iconic players will air during major games calling on viewers to support Tackle Hunger Together through fundraising and donations.

Niall Sloane, Director of Sport at ITV said ITV is incredibly proud to be bringing the biggest sporting event of the year to our viewers' homes and also we're honoured to be able to use this opportunity to make a positive difference, both at home, and away .

Money raised will go to support the work of the WFP, the world s largest humanitarian agency, whose goal is to achieve zero hunger in our lifetimes. WFP is the largest provider of school meals worldwide offering school feeding programmes that serve more than 20 million children every year. £20 can provide a hungry child with school meals for six months. WFP also provides vital food assistance to families affected by natural disasters and conflict and funds raised will go to support their emergency response initiatives. Just £50 can provide food for a month to a family fleeing an emergency and £70 can provide a family with food for six weeks after a natural disaster.

The UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID) will match up to £5 million raised by the campaign through its UK Aid Match Programme.

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: We have long believed in sport's tremendous power to drive social change, and the response of the global rugby family to our Tackle Hunger partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme has been truly amazing .

The Tackle Hunger partnership drives home the universal importance of nutritious food, said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin. If you want to be the best - at whatever you do and wherever you are - the right food at the right time is essential.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: As excitement builds for the opening game of the Rugby World Cup in just a few days, rugby fans across the country have the chance to come together to beat hunger.

The World Food Programme is making sure that millions of the poorest people around the world are getting the food and nutrition they need not only to survive but to thrive.

By matching public donations to the Tackle Hunger campaign pound for pound, we can help WFP deliver food to cut off communities, feed malnourished children and help those caught up in wars and natural disasters, saving lives and preventing hunger in the future.

As part of ITV's Tackle Hunger Together appeal there will also be a focus on families in need in the UK through a partnership with ITV's daytime programme Good Morning Britain. More details on the campaign will follow.

Notes to Editors:

About ITV Responsibility

As part of ITV's Corporate Responsibility strategy we aim to leverage our reach for the benefit of our communities, whether through raising awareness of issues, recruiting volunteers or raising money for charity. In 2015, ITV contributed over £15 million through cash and in-kind contributions to help charities and causes. In addition to this, the public helped raise a further £12 million through our appeals and campaigns to support their vital work in the UK and abroad. For more information on ITV's Corporate Responsibility agenda, appeals and campaigns, visit www.itvresponsibility.com

About World Food Programme

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

About World Rugby

World Rugby is the world governing body for Rugby Union. Successfully steering the growth and development of the global game to record levels of participation through investment driven by its flagship tournament, Rugby World Cup, and strong governance worldwide, rugby is played by over 7.23m men and women, boys and girls, in more than 120 countries across five continents. World Rugby and its official humanitarian partner, the UN World Food Programme, work in partnership to tackle hunger, highlighting the importance of good nutrition not just to play rugby but to enable children to develop both physically and intellectually,

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