St Andrews pupils support local foodbank

Alisdair Coles, rector of All Saints, visited Lawhead PS’s out of school club on Monday to speak about the work that Storehouse does in the area.

The children had collected dozens of bags filled with food to donate to the foodbank.

The initiative was started after a discussion between Carolyn Allan, senior childcare practioner, and P6 pupil Lily Chalmers, chair of a new club committee.

The committee was set up after the summer break to give the children at the club the chance to share their views.

Ms Allan said: “We discussed it together. We decided we would like to find out more about it and see what homeless people and people who are in need of food do at this time of year.

“Everyone is talking about Christmas – and we all eat well and get nice presents. It’s to show the children not everyone is as well off as they are.”

Lily added: “I hope homelessness doesn’t get worse than it already is. There is so much that people out on the streets don’t have that we all have, and not everyone appreciates that. I hope people appreciate what is actually happening.”

The club is now looking at other ways of supporting the club.

Mr Coles praised the pupils, saying: “Having been invited to talk to the children here, I see they’ve brought an awful lot. It’s a sign of generous families in the town who understand some of the problems people face at this time of year.”