Actor John Michie, best known for his role in TV series Taggart and soon to be appearing as the new landlord of the Rover's Return in Coronation Street, has been a Plan sponsor for over 25 years.
He spent a large part of his childhood living in Kenya, and still has strong emotional ties to the country. When he decided to become a sponsor in 1985, by chance he was paired with a child in Kenya and has continued to sponsor children there ever since.
Thursday 16th June is the International Day of The African Child – a day which commemorates the bravery of thousands of black school children who took to the streets in Soweto on this date in 1976 to demand better quality education.
"Education is really important to me – I’m a big supporter of comprehensive education in this country," John tells us. "The reason for that is because it’s inclusive. We should be aiming to give all African children inclusive education with no discrimination on race, colour, sex or religion."
On his reasons for becoming a sponsor with Plan, John says: "When you get your first well paid job, you want to do something with this privileged position. I looked around for a charity and came across Plan.
"I really liked the personal contact with someone and you see where the money is going. I like how the money doesn’t just go to one child but is helping whole communities.
"I looked at a few charities and decided Plan was for me and I was for them – and that hasn’t changed in 25 years."