Schoolchildren across Tayside and Fife are helping to keep food on tables for those in need this Christmas.
Schools in Dundee, Angus, Perthshire and the kingdom have supported local foodbanks as they have celebrated the festive season – not just by donating but also helping out.
Nativity plays and Christmas concerts may have been cancelled by Covid yet again – at least in person – but charitable spirit remained aplenty.
And the tonnes and tonnes of food and cash donated will play a big part in helping feed local families, according to the manager of one foodbank which has benefited.
Dundee and Angus Foodbank manager Ken Linton said: “We receive a huge amount of support at this time of year from individuals, families, companies and businesses and particularly schools; primary and secondary.
“We are supported not just with food donations and monetary donations, but also with the benefit of senior pupils working in our warehouse on a weekly basis helping sort through our food donations and also assisting in our annual Tesco collections in November.”
He collected a cash donation from pupils at Grove Academy – which he decribed as a “tremendous supporter” – last week, and is due to return for boxes and boxes of food stuff this week.
The Broughty Ferry school raised £617 during a non-uniform day and pupils have been taking in donations of food.
School captain Angie Liu, in S6, said: “We, as a school, decided we wanted to give back to the community at Christmas time, and we know that a lot of people will be struggling for food and other necessities.”
Fellow captain Monty Monteith, also S6, added: “It’s nice to see the whole school banding together to work for a cause like this.”
Kinross High School collected for Broke Not Broken, which runs Kinross Foodbank and distributes Christmas hampers for those in need.
Schoolchildren collected around half of tonne of donations, in an effort organised by pupils Stephen Rennie, Murray Pritchard and Adam Ruiz.
How some other secondary schools have helped local foodbanks:
- Carnoustie High School is holding a festive clothing day and collecting donations of food.
- Monifieth High School took donations on its Christmas jumper day.
- Waid Academy, in Anstruther, collected more than 1,250 items on Christmas jumper day.
- Viewforth High School, Kirkcaldy, collected donations during a Christmas jumper or dress down day.
- Craigie High School, Dundee, also collected donations during Christmas jumper day.
- Bell Baxter High School, Cupar, delivered over 1,130 to its local foodbank.
- Montrose Academy collected donations of packed and canned food.
- Beath High School, Cowdenbeath, collected £538 during Christmas jumper day – joined by Shadow the emotional support dog.
🎄Christmas Jumper Day 🎄
Thank you to everyone for taking part in our annual Christmas Jumper Day. The running total of £538 will be shared between the local food bank and our Equity fund. A big thanks to Shadow the emotional support dog for joining in👏🏻🎅🏻💙#teamBeath #equity pic.twitter.com/mTrEeN19Cf— Beath High School (@Beath_HS) December 17, 2021
If you want to help your local foodbank here’s a list of where you can donate and what they need most.
Christmas cards for care home residents from kind-hearted Fintry sisters Rebecca, 10, and Scarlet, 7
