Buxton school pupils and parents rally together to raise £1,400 for food bank

Julia Wiggins, headteacher at St Anne’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, thanked parents after being ‘overwhelmed’ with donations for the Helping Hands pop-up shop, run by volunteers at The Source Café in Terrace Road.

Mrs Wiggins said she was delighted at how the school community had joined together to support those in need.

She said: “After a difficult year we wanted to do whatever we could do to help families in our town who have experienced financial hardship because of the Covid restrictions.

"Initially, we were going to ask our parents for donations of food for the local food bank but decided to also request donations of new/good condition toys and warm clothing such as coats, too.

“The collections were advertised on social media and on our school Dojo page. Our Friends of St Anne’s chair, who is also one of our governors, then rallied her volunteers and a number of before school and after school collections were planned.

"Children brought food into school and parents arrived with bags stuffed full of toys and clothes.

"We were overwhelmed by the generosity of families who donated and by the way our school community came together to support those in need in our wider community.”

Helping Hands volunteer Hannah Tarplee thanked St Anne’s and all those who donated to the appeal.

She said: “Buxton Church in the Peak very kindly offered the space at The Source for the shop to operate from and we had an overwhelming number of donations of new and very good quality toys, gifts, clothes and money donations from the local community in particular, from St Anne’s.

“All items were on sale for a minimal amount, most £1 or less, to provide families with the ability to choose the gifts and the dignity to say that they had provided for their families.

"From the beginning, we said all proceeds from the sale of items would be donated directly to the food bank in Buxton.

“We’re now pleased to say a massive £1,425.41 was raised.”