THE fight to give Third World children a chance to climb out of poverty has been given high-ranking local approval.

Bury South MP Ivan Lewis attended the launch of Oxfam's Education Now campaign at the Met arts centre in Bury.

The MP, pictured right, was joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, Coun Bill and Mrs Joyce Johnson (left and centre), when a special mural was unveiled. It will be on show for the next three weeks.

The huge design was created by children across the North West to help raise awareness of the Oxfam campaign, which highlights the fact that 125 million children, two-thirds of them girls, in the developing world receive no basic education. A further 150 million children drop out of school before learning basic literacy skills. Oxfam's crusade is part of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), a coalition of 400 organisations and trade unions from 180 countries, which is trying to ensure that the UN target of education for all is met by 2015.

Mr Lewis said he was delighted to support Oxfam's campaign, adding: "We have a moral responsibility to ensure that all children in the developing world have access to the quality education we in Britain take for granted.

"This is essential if we are to create a new 21st Century world built on the foundations of social justice and economic prosperity."

Katy McDermott of Oxfam said: "We are delighted that Ivan Lewis is showing his support for this very important campaign.

"Education is a basic human right and we must all urge world leaders to ensure this becomes a reality for everyone."

Visitors to the Met arts centre can view the mural until the August Bank Holiday weekend.