Battersea primary school gives back to food surplus charity that helps feed students
A Battersea primary school has celebrated harvest festival by collecting donations for a food distribution charity.
On the last day of the Autumn term, pupils at St Mary’s RC Primary School dedicated a day of goodwill to City Harvest, raising money and collecting much needed food for the charity.
Year 6 students, and teachers, helped City Harvest’s driver to load the van with the goods they had collected as a school community.Â
The school has been a recipient of surplus from City Harvest every Wednesday since September 2020.Â
The partnership was started because of an increased demand for food for vulnerable families, key workers’ children, and breakfast clubs throughout the pandemic.
St Mary’s Associate Head Teacher, Claire Mitchell, said: “We have chosen to support City Harvest as it has supported our families for a few years now, initially through providing us with food to enhance our breakfast club offer and now for weekly food collections for our families who need that support.Â
“Our families always look forward to the weekly selection of both basics and more varied choices to help feed their families. Recent times have been tough for some – and the weekly support is a shining light to all those who access it. We can’t thank City Harvest enough.”Â
Since 2014 City Harvest has delivered surplus food, at an average of 18,000 meals a month, to Wandsworth charities and community projects.
City Harvest enables food companies with surplus to have an immediate positive social impact with a free sustainable solution.  Â
Recipient groups include homeless shelters,  hostels, soup kitchens, mental health charities, the elderly, community kitchens,  schools and domestic abuse refuges. 
The charity tripled in size in 2020 to meet the demand of people facing food poverty, and is now distributing free food for more than 1 million meals a month. Â
City Harvest Senior Food Sourcing Manager, Dan McAlpine, thanked the school for their help.
He said: “This Harvest Festival, we have had an urgent need for ambient food items to redistribute to our recipient projects as we head into winter.Â
“Support from our local community, especially the efforts of St Mary’s students, really helps to make a difference.”
You can find out more about how you can support City harvest by heading to www.cityharvest.org.uk/city-harvest-festivalÂ
Pictured top: City Harvest driver Solomon Abraha with Year 6 students from St Mary’s RC Primary School
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