Students at Nottingham Free School (NFS) donated over 50 boxes to a local foodbank thanks to a special Reverse Advent Calendar idea.
The pupils at the school – which is part of the Nova Education Trust – were dedicated in the run-up to Christmas to making a difference.
The Reverse Advent Calendar is an idea that originated in Canada several years ago, which quickly became popular in the UK.
Pupils brought in an item of food each day in the month of December ahead of Christmas and the food parcels were distributed to the Arnold Foodbank in Daybrook, which is part of the Trussell Trust.
Nottingham Free School’s ethos is ‘work hard be kind’ and this truly sums up the generosity of the students and staff.
Head of School, Mark Watts, said: “Despite the challenges we have all faced through last term, our students – with the support of staff – raised donations for Children in Need, Young Minds and UNICEF.
“My personal favourite though has to be the generous donations to our Reverse Advent Calendar.
“We took an entire minibus full of donations to our local fookbank on the last day of term before Christmas, which was a wonderful demonstration of the NFS kindness.”
Year 11 pupil, Haider Ali, said: “In these tough times, no-one should be left in the cold. This was my time to give back as I get fresh food every day and a welcoming family.
“Kind-hearted people will always spread happiness. We are go through tough times, but can overcome challenges and bounce back up.”
With foodbanks becoming a commonplace in the UK, with one in five people living below the poverty line, Nottingham Free School students made a positive and meaningful contribution during a time some families find the hardest.
Helen Lloyd, Foodbank Manager at Arnold Foodbank, said: “We are very grateful for the amazing donations we received from Nottingham Free School. We also particularly enjoyed the creative packaging the students created surrounding their advent donations.
“The school has supported us for the past few years. To have this continue when the financial situation is challenging for us all is very encouraging.”
