South Tyneside primary school offers a “helping hand” to local food bank
Children from a Jarrow primary school organised a whole-school food drive and donated their collections to a local food bank.
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, collected food donations as part of their Harvest Festival five-day food drive.
The school council and teaching assistant Angela Ewin organised the event in a bid to teach their pupils about helping others and supporting the local community.
The tins and packets of food were loaded up onto trailers and walked round to Bede’s Helping Hands Food Bank on Glasgow Road.
Anna Tumelty, who is Head of School at the Ayr Drive primary, said: “Bede’s Helping Hands Food Bank supports our local community families and we are delighted to be able to support them.”
Harry Brown, who is a member of the School Council, said: “I’d like to thank all the children and their families who have helped with the drive and I think the Food Bank volunteers are brilliant for the work they do helping others.”
Bede’s Helping Hands Food Bank volunteer Tracy Beaton said: “A massive thank you to St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and the school council, Mrs Ewin and Mr Slack for donating their Harvest Festival food to our food bank.
“It was a lovely surprise when they turned up. Donations like this are what keep us going.