School meals effort hailed

Staff at Wallace High in Stirling have done their bit in feeding local families during the Covid-19 crisis.

The trained staff from a number of departments across the school have volunteered to prepare and deliver hot meals once a week, making use of food stock that would otherwise have gone to waste due to school closures as a result of lockdown.

After the food has been cooked, it is distributed to families who have requested the service via the school’s existing support scheme.

The programme kicked off on April 30 - with chicken pasta bake and chilli on the menu - to around 21 families, with a second delivery made on May 7.

Convener of the council’s children and young people committee, Councillor Susan McGill, said:“Using food that would have gone to waste to support local families is a fantastic idea by Wallace High and another example of our dedicated education staff going above and beyond to help those in need during the current crisis.

“As a participatory school in the Scottish Attainment Challenge, Wallace has unique support measures in place, including the Wallace Hub, and the food deliveries will allow it to keep breaking down barriers to learning.”

The initiative is being delivered by a range of staff from across the school, including members of the senior management team, health and wellbeing faculty, pupil support workers and wider school volunteers.

Families receive a menu on the forthcoming Thursday and have the choice to opt in or out, with instructions contained on safe storage and reheating.

The programme is also being supported with additional food items from Lidl.

The committee’s viceconvener, Cllr Christine Simpson, added:“A huge well done to all the staff at Wallace High who have volunteered their services to support their local learning community in this innovative and practical way.

“Without the outstanding commitment of our schools and learning staff, we wouldn’t be able to support children and families via free childcare hubs, free school meal deliveries and flexible learning during these unprecedented times.

“They have all risen to the challenge and we are hugely proud and grateful to them all.”