The tears of gratitude that greet hero Zane
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE FOOD PARCEL TEACHER AS HE DROPS OFF LUNCHES AND LAPTOPS
HERO teacher Zane Powles was out on one of his now-famous trips visiting the vulnerable children of Grimsby. The 48-year-old had just dropped off five bags of food for Lewis, aged eight, and his four siblings.
“Thank you Mr Powles for dropping off my sandwiches and saving the world,” he shouts after his assistant head teacher.
Mr Powles takes a moment to check they have all been doing their work online during lockdown before heading off down the road to his next pupil. The dad-of-three is loaded down with two massive rucksacks and a black bin liner full of packed lunches.
He is clutching 12 paper bags full of school lunches topped up with extras he’s bought himself from Tesco because he was “horrified” at the rubbish allocated to their kids.
And Mr Powles, in shorts and trainers despite the biting cold, is also carrying an even heavier bag. One full of donated laptops for struggling families. The assistant head from Western Primary School, Grimsby, has already been awarded an MBE for his amazing efforts, delivering 138 meals a day to children – walking a total of 550 miles during last year’s first lockdown. He delivered 7,500 meals.
Now, with the school gates once again closed, he is back doing his special rounds, albeit with a limp, that he needs knee surgery to correct.
The former Grenadier Guard, who used to protect the Queen, has been busy protecting the children of Grimsby since the beginning of the pandemic. This week we joined dad-of-three Mr Powles, 48, on his special tour of duty. At little Lewis’s doorstep, he places the five packed lunches down and knocks, before retreating to the gate to keep a safe social distance.
Maria Tebbutt, 34, answers, surrounded by her children Lewis, Reece, six, Connor, five, Kayden, three, and Mayzee, one.
All still in their dressing gowns they are keen to say hello to their favourite teacher and grab their paper bags full of goodies.
Instead of just a ham roll, five or six carrots sticks, a piece of fruit and a small cookie, Mr Powles has added a yoghurt, a packet of raisins and a bag of crisps.
“The original packed lunch they provide is rubbish in my opinion. I would be horrified if my kids were getting that!” he says.
Lewis’s mum, Maria, spoke about how Mr Powles has been helping them survive lockdown.
“What he’s been doing is amazing, he’s our hero. It’s a big help and we’d struggle without him,” she said. “The kids are missing school so much, it was a big shock when they closed them again.”
Lewis, holding his packet of crisps,
says: “I think everyone should be more like Mr Powles. “He’s 100 per cent nice and really helpful. It’s been scary with everyone suffering but it makes me happy to see Mr Powles. Most mornings I wait for him.
“I like to thank him for saving the world and bringing our packed lunches and saving lives.”
Mr Powles’ next stop is mum-ofthree Joanna Kesson, 36, who bursts into tears when he tells her: “I’ve got a present for you. I’ve got a laptop”. Her youngest Phoebe, five, jumps up squealing with excitement and gives her upset mum a big hug. Her two boys, Paul, 11, and Alfie, nine, come to find out what all the fuss is about and grin with delight when they spot the laptop Asked why she’s crying, she says: “It means my kids are not going to get left behind. “That’s my main worry, so this laptop is a tremendous help.” She says that if they start playing up, she warns them “Mr Powles is coming in the morning. I’m going to tell him.’ Tanya Leonard 44, who has five kids, was another to get a laptop.
She has been struggling to help them learn using a broken tablet and one which is painfully slow, and explains they have lost work when they’ve tried to send it. She says: “This is amazing because it has been really frustrating for them. It’s certainly given me more sympathy for teachers. I take my hat off to them.”
Mr Powles has developed a huge fan club in Grimsby and during his rounds, a pensioner calls him over and hands him a bar of chocolate “to keep him going!”
After hearing about the lockdown last Tuesday night, Mr Powles drove straight to Tesco and loaded up a trolley with school-funded food, ready for their “amazing” team to help package them up.
He said without these supplies some families would struggle to feed their children. “Poverty is just round the corner for us,” he says. “Some homes I’ve seen have no furniture in them, with a mattress on the floor.
“I am worried about the effect this pandemic is having on some of our most vulnerable children.
“I’m so lucky to work in such an amazing team at Western and I’m proud we are a local authority school that goes over and above every time for our children. “Our motto is ‘It is the school that cares’ and I think we’ve proved that!”
What he’s been doing is amazing, he’s our hero. It’s a big help and we’d struggle without him. Maria Tebbutt
Phoebe Pho Kesson, 5, with her two brothers Paul, left, and Alfie, who received their the meals and a laptop