An MP praised Sutton Coldfield schools foodbank collections as ‘remarkable efforts and generosity’, after students, parents and staff donated thousands of donations to help struggling families and homeless people and over the winter.
The Sutton Coldfield MP said: “Everyone in the Royal Town should be rightly proud of the remarkable efforts and generosity shown by pupils involved in the Sutton Coldfield schools foodbank collections, as well as the organisational determination of teachers, staff and parents.
“Literally thousands of items have been donated to the Food Bank at the Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church, making a real difference to so many people over the winter. Other appeals and campaigns organised by schools have supported individual charities and good causes.
“All of our schools have had a very difficult time throughout the pandemic and I have no doubt that local teachers will continue to face considerable challenges in 2021. I was already full of admiration for the work that has been done by our schools – but to see that they have also managed to organise so many inspirational charitable collections before Christmas was simply terrific.
“It illustrates that the schools in Sutton Coldfield not only provide a great education, they also inspire the younger generations of Suttonians to engage with the community, and care about those who have fallen on harder times.
“I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who has played a part in this remarkable effort.”
Included in the Sutton Coldfield schools foodbank collections were:
A vanload containing thousands of items donated by students at the Arthur Terry School. After the collection on December 2, the mountain of donations was so big it filled half the floorspace of the school’s hall before it was crammed into the van for delivery. The school, which is part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, also put together hampers which were shared within the community.
Plantsbrook School Sixth Former Ben Songhurst, from Boldmere, came up with a plan to put together care parcels for the homeless, containing non-food items such as toiletries and new underwear. As a result, volunteers from the Food Bank at Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church visited Plantsbrook to pick up 65 individually-wrapped Christmas parcels after the entire school community responded to Ben’s appeal.
At Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, caring students Krishan Patel, Laura Jaison and Yuan Sagala organised a collection of almost 1000 items, after they mobilised class tutors to help spread the message to all years and put up posters around the school.
And Bishop Vesey’s Giving Tree returned to the Gracehurch Shopping centre in the run-up to Christmas. Students unveiled the tree, which was donated by William Wheat and Son, in Sutton Town Centre with all the necessary COVID restrictions in the place, supporting homeless charity St Basil’s, Birmingham City Mission, the Salvation Army and the Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce’s chosen charity – the Sutton Coldfield YMCA.
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“I was already full of admiration for the work that has been done by our schools – but to see that they have also managed to organise so many inspirational charitable collections before Christmas was simply terrific,”
– sutton mp andrew mitchell