Pupils hold festive charity drive for Waltham Forest’s vulnerable communities
Kind-hearted pupils are spreading festive cheer to local vulnerable children and those living on the borough’s streets this winter.
Pupils at the school have organised a collection of toys which will be donated to a local baby bank run by Lloyd Park Children’s Charity.
Last year, the baby bank was used more than 1,000 times by families who urgently needed support.
Sarah Meeks, Fundraising and Communications Officer at Lloyd Park Children’s Charity, praised the children for their thoughtfulness. She said:
“A lot of the parents who visit us have absolutely nothing, so for each of their children to receive a gift will mean so much to them. That excitement of having a present to open on Christmas morning, of having a toy to play with, will definitely put a smile on their faces. We are so grateful to the children at Eden Girls’ School for helping us to make a difference to these families.”
The pupils have also been working with the homelessness charity, Crisis UK, to collect items, such as warm winter coats and toiletries, to provide comfort to local homeless people who are enduring the cold winter nights without a roof over their heads.
The charitable work forms part of the school’s annual Festive Winter Gift Programme, which takes place across all 28 schools that are part of the multi-academy trust, Star Academies.
Shahina Ahmad, Principal of Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest, said that the programme is an important part of school life as it helps pupils to learn about the spirit of goodwill. She said:
“We are very proud of our pupils and have chosen to support people within our local community. They have all worked tirelessly to make a real difference to vulnerable people who are in desperate need. As a school, we are committed to playing an active role in our community and helping others and we hope that our annual Winter Gift Programme will touch the lives of many local people this winter.”
Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said:
“At Star Academies, we are committed to nurturing our pupils to develop a genuine desire to support those less fortunate than themselves. The festive season is one of the times in our school calendar when we step up our efforts to offer a helping hand to those in need. Once again this year, it is extremely heartening to see our pupils, parents and staff embrace our Winter Gift Programme by reaching out into their communities to put smiles on the faces of the most vulnerable. Together, we want to ensure that no one in our community is without company, a card or gift at the time of year when our country is celebrating a national holiday.”
Added By: Star Academies | Date Added: 19th Dec 2019 | Posted In: Latest News