Pupils take inspiration from Rashford as school teams up with Foodshare
PINKNEYS GREEN: Generous youngsters at a Maidenhead junior school have been packing food for needy families supported by the town’s foodshare charity, writes Kieran Bell.
Courthouse Junior School, in Blenheim Road, has become an official drop-off location for Maidenhead Foodshare, which is based out of the old Tesco unit in the Nicholsons Centre.
Pupils were encouraged to bring in donations and ended up collecting more food than anticipated, leading to a search within the school to find extra space to temporarily store the supplies.
More than 700 families in the Maidenhead area rely on food donations to make ends meet and head teacher Toby Little said his pupils decided to get to work when they heard this number.
Youngsters also took inspiration from a certain England and Manchester United footballer to help with their campaign.
Mr Little said: “Our families have been so generous. Over the last term we’ve been learning about Marcus Rashford’s campaign to end child hunger.
“We've been teaching our children that when we help others, we help ourselves and that even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference.
“We’re proud of our children for wanting to help, and glad that this is a longterm partnership with Foodshare that extends beyond the harvest season.”
Courthouse Junior staff member Kim Stevens added: “The people we are collecting for don’t always know if they will have enough food for the week.
“For many of us, the pandemic highlighted the important role that Foodshare has in our community.
“When we come together like this, the impact of what we do is greater, not just on those we help but also on the children we are teaching.”
As well as at Courthouse Junior School, you can also donate supplies to Maidenhead Foodshare at the back entrance of Unit 65 in the Nicholsons Centre; Quench Bookshop and the Co-op FuneralCare in town.
For a list of most-needed items, see page 2 or visit www.foodshare.charity