Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting Nanping Experimental Primary School (珠海市香洲区南屏实验小学) and by the end of the visit, after a vote within the CTC Council, we had confirmed that Come Together Community will sponsor 51 children in need to cover their school lunch fees for the remainder of this term and the full term ahead: a total of RMB 119,340 (approximately USD 16,755).

This is the first time CTC has worked with Nanping Experimental Primary School, and I wanted to share a little of what the visit involved, because the process behind a donation matters as much as the donation itself.

Why Transparency Comes First

Before CTC commits funds to any new partner or programme, I make it a priority to meet the people involved, ask the difficult questions, and satisfy myself that our standards of transparency and accountability are shared. That is what yesterday was.

I spoke at length with Principal He Xiaozhang, as well as the school’s leadership team, about the children being supported, how they were identified, how applications had been verified, and how the funds would be managed and tracked. I made it clear, as I always do, that transparency and ethics are not optional extras for CTC. They are the foundation of everything we do.

I was genuinely impressed. The school’s headmaster and local government authorities had carefully verified all 51 applications. The need is real and it has been properly evidenced.

The Children

Some of these children were sitting at lunch each day with nothing to eat, relying only on the kindness of classmates or parents nearby. Their situations vary: some come from single-parent homes where the parent is disabled, others face health challenges, and many live in families struggling with deep financial hardship.

The support we are providing covers 180 school days, from after the National Day holiday through to the end of next term. The funding will be held in the school’s charity fund and disbursed transparently, with confirmation that students are still enrolled and in need before each payment.

Next week, I am planning to visit some of the families personally, only those who volunteered, with absolutely zero pressure. These are always emotional visits. But they are also the most important thing I do. They are the reason CTC exists.

A Note on How CTC Works

Since 2011, CTC has raised over RMB 3 million for children in need in Zhuhai. Every single yuan has gone directly to the children. We take no administration fees. We pay no salaries. Every member of the CTC board and team is a volunteer, including myself.

That commitment has never wavered, and it never will.

Save the Date — Come Together Festival, 22 November

Donations like this one are made possible by the annual Come Together Charity Music Festival. This year’s 11th edition takes place on Saturday 22 November, from 3pm to 10pm, at the LETS Cultural District in Zhuhai. Please come along, bring your families, enjoy the music, and be part of something that makes a real difference to children in this city.

From myself, the CTC board, Andy Board, Sunny Sui, Luke Niederhofer, and Harry Callaghan, and our wider community: thank you for your continued belief and support. Together, we truly make a difference.

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Mark Clayton FCMA CGMA CPA KOR — Group CFO, C2W Group | Chairman, British Chamber of Commerce South China | Founder & Chairman, Come Together Community