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This year we have taken on a year long commitment to supporting FoodBank Aid, a local charity founded during the pandemic from one person’s garage.

FoodBank Aid’s sole aim is to tackle the daily challenge of food poverty in North London. Operating as a central donation and distribution hub, they collect and purchase food, toiletries and household goods and distribute them to food banks where the need is most. Their Hub Manager said: “As we face the worst cost of living crisis in recent memory – thousands of London households are being forced to make impossible daily choices on how to feed and provide for their families. Food banks are a lifeline. Each week food bank aid donations support 15-20 food banks across North London, which together, help around 10,000 vulnerable people including 3,000 children.”

The donation point at Chaplain Father Robert’s office

Our commitment this year as a school community was to deliver 25 car loads made up of supplies donated by families and staff to FoodBankAid. Each of these car loads helps 10 families and our initial aim was to help 250 families. The great news is that we’ve now exceeded our target and donated 26 car loads to date, and we’re now pledging to help support 300 families in the local community! We’ll still be counting our collections until the end of the academic year, and hoping to smash our target again! We want to help as many people in need as possible. Thank you to everyone involved who has donated, we count on your support and generosity.

Our littlest pupils lend their support too

You might remember another of our news stories about the Random Acts of Kindness Year 10 pupils visiting the Hub with a festive delivery last December, and as you can see, support is ongoing! This time, our Pre-Prep pupils from Year 2’s Owl Class recently paid the FoodBank Aid sorting Hub a visit. They had a chance to speak with the team of volunteers about food banks and food poverty overall in the UK. 

Highgate’s Chrysalis Partnership Officer, Louise Hall, says “We took our Year 2 class to have a crucial discussion on food poverty and how it affects our communities. It was an opportunity for the children to ask questions and understand what items food banks needed. Pupils donated foods which they had brought from home directly into the Hub. This experience we hope will continue to inspire our community focused work within the School.”

Pre-Prep pupils helping to sort the weekly collection of donations