Schoolchildren present food bank with harvest collection

MORE than 150 families who rely on a town’s food bank have received a welcome boost thanks to the generosity of schoolchildren.

Pupils at West Park Academy, Darlington, collected a host of tinned and packet food as part of an initiative designed to promote good citizenship.

They presented it to the Kings Church food bank in Whessoe Road, which helps provide sustenance to more than 150 families every week.

Church representative Caroline Todd was invited into school to talk to the children about the plight of many families who struggle to buy food.

They heard that many parents go hungry so their children can eat. The bag of food they were given had to last a week and was designed to provide a single hot meal per day.

The academy’s PSHCE lead Gemma Chambers said: “This is the first time we have done anything like this and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of children and parents.

“I think we were all a little shocked to hear how many people in the town rely on the work of the food bank and we plan to do more to help out in the future. It has certainly raised awareness among pupils and staff of the need for good citizenship in the town.”