Wick school’s harvest helps needy families and the homeless

Children with their harvest of goodies at White Meadows Primary School, WIck

For the past couple of weeks, youngsters from across White Meadows Primary School, in Whitelea Road, have been learning about the annual harvest festival.

The children have taken the festival ethos to heart and have been donating all sorts of delicious gifts, from fresh fruit and vegetables, to tinned goodies and pasta.

Year-four pupil Ethan Fletcher, eight, was one of those chosen to help pack up the goodies.

He said: “I feel really, really happy that I’ve been able to help out.

“We’re doing this because some people are not getting a lot of money because they have to pay for their homes and can’t always afford to buy food. So this is just a nice way of helping them.”

The whole school has been involved in this year’s community drive.

White Meadows’ flourishing gardening club for pupils grew their own food, from beetroot and carrots to turnips and apples.

And on Thursday afternoon the school delivered this year’s crop of food to The Ark, in New Road, Littlehampton – a project which supports homeless people and families, in need of a helping hand, across the area.

Tina McFarlane, year-one leader, praised all the pupils and their parents for donating.

“This year, people have gone the extra mile,” she explained. “The parents, children and all the school’s community have worked really hard to donate lots of lovely gifts for The Ark, in Littlehampton.”

Mrs McFarlane added this was a tradition that the school was keen to promote, on a yearly basis.

She said: “We have done something for harvest every year. It’s a great opportunity for us to raise awareness with the children that there are people out there less fortunate than themselves.

“We know this food will be put to really good use. Some of the families in the school need that extra help during tough times and this will really do that.

“So the children have gained a real understanding of what life can be like for other people outside of the school’s walls.”

Two boxes packed full of supplies was donated to The Ark, which is run by homeless charity HOMElink.

As well as food parcels, The Ark provides clothes and sleeping materials for those in need.