THE Bishop of London was in the East End today meeting children who have created a vegetable garden in their school playground and to see a sculpture made from weapons left over from civil strife in Africa on show at the parish church next door, to launch the 2010 London Diocese Lent Appeal

ABOVE: The Bishop meets children at Old Ford Primary, along with the parish priest Philippa Boardman...

BELOW: Guns and bullets from civil strife in Mozambique turned into a metal sculpture for peace, on show at the parish church next door...

By Mike Brooke Picturs: Joe Lord

THE Bishop of London visited one of his East End parishes today to look at a sculpture made from weapons left over from civil strife in Africa on show at the local church, part of the Diocese swords to ploughshares’ transformation campaign.

The Rt Rev Richard Chartres then popped next door to meet children who showed him the vegetable garden they’ve created in their school playground which has helped the school’s own transformation’ into academic acheivement.

He was in the East End to launch the 2010 London Diocese Lent Appeal. His tour began at St Paul & St Mark’s church in Old Ford which is currently displaying a sculpture called Music Men made up of weapons traded in by people in Mozambique for farming equipment.

Dr Chartres then addressed the pupils at Old Ford Primary school near Victoria Park on this year’s Lent theme of transformation’ to help youngsters in derprived Third World countries.

Their own school has had a transformation’ of its own, explained the parish priest Philippa Boardman, who played host to Dr Chartres.

“Old Ford Primary has been transformed from a struggling East End school to providing outstanding education for its children,” she told the Bishop. “I hope we play our part in contributing to the transformation of children’s education in Mozambique and Angola.”

The Lent appeal aims to raise �70,000 for the Angola-Mozambique Association’s fund supporting projects to transform children’s lives in the two developing nations, most of whom don’t have the chance of education.