AN Enfield councillor has taken the challenge of living off £1 a day to raise money for charity.

Culture chief Bambos Charalambous is hoping to raise £500 for the charity Positive Women, which helps orphaned and vulnerable children in rural parts of southern Africa.

He has already bought in his food rations, spending £4.96 on 1kg of rice, 500g of porridge oats, a loaf of white bread, 250g of butter, ten slices of cheese, one large tomato, three tins of peas, one tin of sweet corn, three tins of spaghetti in tomato sauce, and ten vegetable stock cubes.

Of the charity challenge, he said: “It is going to e a real struggle, I am not allowed any free food offered to me, so I am going to knuckle down and experience what it is like for people who only have a £1 a day to live off.

“In rural Africa, there are countries like Swaziland which has the highest rate of HIV in any country and life expectancy of just 38.

“They have huge problems for a country barely three times the size of Enfield, and it makes you aware of how lucky we are to be living in a relatively affluent area.”

Cllr Charalambous’ challenge runs from today to Friday, May 6, and coincides with the annual ceremony to elect the new Mayor of Enfield – usually accompanied by a buffet reception afterwards which he will not be able to partake in.

He joked that as well as raising money and awareness, he may be able to shed a few pounds in the process.

The Positive Women £1 a day challenge is being taken by people across the UK this week, and has been backed by Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman.

If you would like to sponsor Cllr Charalambous on his challenge, you can go to http://my.livebelowtheline.co.uk/Bambos to donate money.