Sherborne school to deliver Christmas boxes to families

Sherborne Primary School has rallied the local community and will deliver 165 Christmas boxes to families that receive free school meals at Sherborne Primary School and Sherborne Abbey Primary.

Families will receive a box of food from Hunt’s Foods Store, as well as toiletries, and an additional bag of food supplied by Waitrose and Sainsburys.

Every child receiving a box, will also be given a bag of presents donated by the Hidden Needs Trust to ensure they all have something to open on Christmas Day. 

Ian Bartle, executive headteacher of both schools, said: “This will mean so much to these families at Christmas, and would not have been possible without the generous donations from local businesses and the organisation skills of former mayor David Birley.

“It has been wonderful to see so many people work together on this fantastic project and shows what a compassionate town we are so fortunate to live in.”

This is the fourth year that the school has organised this project, and last year the school community fundraising to include energy vouchers during the cost-of-living crisis.

In total the appeal has raised nearly £12,000 in goods and funds to help support families who need it this Christmas.

This year they have expanded the appeal to enable them to supply boxes to families from Sherborne Abbey Primary School as well, which has been a huge undertaking, with volunteers helping to pack the boxes and bags of shopping.

Sherborne Primary School’s PTA has also stepped in to support vouchers organised by David Birley worth £60 per family, which can be used at a range of independent shops in Sherborne, with shops able to claim the money back from them.

Felicity Griffiths, Head of School at Sherborne Primary (far left), front left Ian Bartle (Executive Headteacher), next to Angus Campbell Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, with representatives of local businesses who donated (Image: Sherborne Primary School)

This week donors met at the school to see the boxes before they are delivered, and they were joined by the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset, Angus Campbell, who thanked them for their efforts.

These include food shops, cafes, butchers, as well as gift shops, so that families can use the vouchers to buy what is most needed.

School staff volunteered to deliver the boxes after school this week in their own time, to ensure all the boxes get to the families that need them.