2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games on song to help children

There are 70 days to go until the 2014 Commonwealth Games – and the organisers want to use the event to help change the lives of children around the world.

The Commonwealth is made up of 53 member countries that contain 30 per cent of the global population. The one billion children of the Commonwealth span countries from Scotland to the Solomon Islands – yet they often face similar issues such as poverty, exploitation and exclusion which can lead to them not being in school and learning.

So the host city of the 2014 Games – Glasgow in Scotland – has teamed up with UNICEF to make an impact on children's lives.

The organisations will work together to help protect children from poverty and disease, provide life-saving food and vaccines and give children the chance to take part in sport – many for the first time.

They will also support children across Scotland to learn about their rights, creating safer and more inspiring environments to learn and feel valued.

Raising money for UNICEF's work is a song featuring schoolchildren from Glasgow. Let The Games Begin is available on iTunes and 79p of the £1.29 download cost goes directly to UNICEF to help change children's lives in Scotland and around the world.

The song is performed by East40, a group of children from schools in the city's east end, helped by members of the bands The Vaccines, Franz Ferdinand and Frightened Rabbit.

The video features schoolchildren from Glasgow and many of the countries in the Commonwealth.

Tom Burstow, UNICEF'S 2014 Games Director, said: “The Games and the power of sport offers a unique opportunity to make positive differences to the lives of children in Scotland and throughout the Commonwealth.

“We're delighted that our partnership with Glasgow 2014 is being celebrated and supported by this song – a project which has always had brighter futures for young people at its very heart.”

You can download the song Let The Games Begin on iTunes.