Towards the end of term we held a food and toiletries collection to support three local charities: Crowborough Food Bank, Nourish Community Food Bank (helping Tunbridge Wells and South Tonbridge) and One Big Family – Helping the Homeless (providing emergency shelter and care packages in the Medway area whenever the temperature drops).
Two Upper Sixth students, Carrie Shi and Kristina Lee, have led this process and have helped other students see the transformative power of small gestures. It has been heartwarming to see the students working so hard collecting, counting, packaging and sorting the goods.
We are still receiving donations, but at the latest count, we have collected the following:
Food
- 185kg of rice and 262kg of pasta, providing over 5000 meals!
- 100+ boxes of breakfast cereal and 115 litres of milk
- 750 tins of soup, sauces and beans and over 200 tins of veg
- 1600 cups of tea, 350 packets of biscuits and snacks and 16 litres of squash
- 25 bottles of washing-up liquid to tidy up afterwards!
Toiletries
- 90 tubes of toothpaste and 140+ toothbrushes
- 700+ nappies and 125+ packs of wipes
- 700+ toilet rolls
- 170+ packs of sanitary towels
- 400+ deodorants/soaps/shower gels
Clothing (all brand-new)
- 245+ pairs of socks
- 180+ items of underwear
- 40 pairs of jogging bottoms
- 7 fleece-lined hats
Each item on this list, from a bowl of pasta to a single new toothbrush or a new piece of underwear, helps to return a sense of dignity to an individual; the power of that action is immeasurable.
In addition, this year we ran a Just Giving page so that parents unable to donate products could donate money – at the last count we have raised a fantastic £5000! We feel that this phenomenal achievement reflects the true community spirit of the school, helping those who are less fortunate.
Thank you to everyone who has donated, and to everyone involved for your hard work and encouragement; the thoughtfulness of the students and staff is incredibly touching.
