Hundreds of Arbroath pupils will no longer have to shiver through their lessons thanks to the work of the town’s rotary club.
Aside from the cold weather, pupils currently have to take most lessons with the windows open. This improves ventilation and therefore reduces the chance of coronavirus transmission.
Bruce Currie, Arbroath Rotary Club spokesman, said the club was happy to “spring into action.”
He said: “When heard about the need for some warm clothing for some of the pupils of the local schools we immediately got onto it.”
Hundreds of pairs of gloves and beanie hats
He added: “The clothing was necessary due to the cold winter weather and the coronavirus requirement to increase ventilation in the classrooms.”
He said they purchased 56 insulated jackets, more than 200 lined beanies and over 200 pairs of gloves for pupils in the town.
Kirsty Thompson, principal teacher at Hayshead Primary School, accepted the donation on behalf of the local schools.
Group raises 16k since start of pandemic
Bruce said the club had been forced to work in new ways due to the pandemic.
He said: “Like a lot of similar organisations in these Covid-19 days we have had to rethink how we serve the local community.
“There are no longer any opportunities to hold traditional fundraisers such as the annual coffee morning, quiz night, Santa at Tesco, carols in the high street or even the local talent concert in the Webster Theatre.
“So many of the Arbroath Rotary Club Members – having suspended their weekly meeting and meal at the Meadowbank Inn since March last year – have donated to the Charitable Giving Activities Fund instead.”
He said the donations – alongside support from local individuals and businesses – have enabled them to raise more than £16,000 since March 2020.
He said they had supported many projects with funding.
“Other donations in the last 12 months include thousands for the Angus Foodbank, Food Parcel Old and Abbey Parish Church, the Salvation Army and Frontline Food.”
He said the group had also donated relief aid for Lebanon and the replacement of pads and batteries of the six defibrillators organised by the club in Arbroath and Friockheim.
“We also funded a completely new defibrillator at the RNLI Shed at the harbour,” he added.