A HIGH school has donated 500 kilograms of food items to a foodbank, and are seeking more donations to support other foodbanks in the area.
Queen Elizabeth High School donated 500 kilograms of dried and tinned food items to the Newcastle West End Foodbank in recent weeks, following notification that it was desperate for donations.
Mr Emerson Brown is head of year for Sixth Form and he led the students in coordinating it.
The food was collected by students from year groups 9 to 13 across a two week period, organised by Sixth Form students.
The foodbank came into school to collect the donations and they were extremely appreciative, saying: "We all know schools are always very busy places but everyone concerned found time to offer support to many, many people at a really difficult time. Their efforts will make a difference. Once again, thank you very much to all concerned."
Queen Elizabeth High School gave a special thanks to the Sixth Form students who coordinated the collection and storage of donations.
Hexham Middle School are currently seeking donations to support the Hexham Community Grocery, run in partnership with The Message Trust and Hexham Community Church, and the West Northumberland Foodbank.
Both organisations support the local community. If you would like to donate, people are asked to deliver to Hexham Middle School.
Both Hexham Community Grocery store and the West Northumberland Food Bank are in Hexham.
The Community Grocery Store helps to make food affordable for those who are struggling, by partnering with organisations like FareShare and supermarkets such as Tesco, to sell food for discounted prices which would otherwise go to landfill.
A typical shop at the Grocery Store can include baked goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen food and household items including toiletries.
The West Northumberland Food Bank supports those struggling across the Tyne Valley. It is not open directly to the public for the collection of food support, but people are asked to contact the food bank by phone, text, email or Facebook.
Newcastle West End Foodbank's website says it provided 24,100 food parcel vouchers to people in crisis between April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.
Newcastle Foodbank's website provides a list of urgently needed donations:
Fruit juice
Cereal
Instant custard powder
Tinned meat and fish
Tinned tomatoes
Pasta and curry sauces
Tinned vegetables including peas and carrots
Soup
Rice
Jam
Biscuits or snack bars
Long life milk
Rice pudding
Tinned fruit.
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