This week has seen pupils at the Junior School begin collecting for their Christmas Charity Appeals. We know that Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time for families, and this year it has been even more of a challenge for many.
This year we are supporting two charities which have different requirements for donations. Your donations to one or both would be greatly appreciated.
Inverclyde Foodbank – Christmas Day food parcels (Deadline: 4th December 2020)
With immediate effect, we are re-establishing our foodbank charity support, offering our donations to the Inverclyde branch after a couple of years assisting the Renfrewshire branch.
We intend to run similar initiatives as before such as Foodbank Friday along with School House and Year Group competitions. These initiatives were very successful in raising awareness of the Foodbank’s needs, and the friendly competitions kept interest levels high amongst the children.
Our first appeal will focus on Christmas Day food parcels. A Christmas Day parcel is somewhat unlike that of the normal 3-day emergency parcels provided to those in need, in that they contain some Christmas treats; treats that we may have in plentiful supply but without these donations, families using the foodbank would otherwise go without.
This year, more than ever, Inverclyde Foodbank is in need of our support. In-store collection drives have not been possible over recent months due to Covid-19, which has resulted in a substantial reduction in donations: a one day in-store collection drive (volunteers in store handing out leaflets and collecting donations) could yield upwards of 10 trolley loads, whereas the drop-off donation bins currently visible in many supermarkets only amount to approximately 2 trolley loads. It also remains highly unlikely that a Christmas in-store drive will be permitted due to continued restrictions and safety procedures.
A Christmas Day food parcel contains the following items; please note that the underlined items are those that the Foodbank list as their most needed:
- Tins of Ham
- Frey Bentos Pie (both microwave and oven)
- Tinned Potatoes
- Instant Potatoes
- UHT Milk
- Tinned Fruit
- Tinned Veg
- Christmas Pudding
- Tinned or Instant Custard
- Christmas Snacks
- Fizzy Juice
- Selection Box
- Small or Large Box of Shortbread
- Coffee
If you wish to help with the Foodbank Christmas Appeal, the deadline for donations to be handed into Reception by your child is Friday 4 December 2020.
Children In Poverty – Christmas Present Appeal (Deadline: Friday 11th December 2020)
We are once again organising a Christmas present appeal in support of the worthwhile and valuable local charity, Children In Poverty Inverclyde.
The 250 plus presents we donated last Christmas were received with absolute delight, so to say that the charity were over the moon to receive news that we’d be running the appeal again this year is an understatement! Christmas is fast approaching and with the Covid safety precautions in place, the time needed to process the receiving of our donations, sorting them appropriately and finally delivering each present to the right child has increased somewhat.
In order to support CiP Inverclyde, the charity require donations by Friday 11th December. We are, therefore, ready to accept any donations you/your child would be willing to make. We know that this is a difficult time for many families so there is no compunction to donate: if you can afford to consider buying one additional gift this year, it would be most gratefully received – thank you.
If you are able to donate, there are a few requirements to bear in mind when choosing and donating your present:
- A gift for any child aged 0-12
- Unwrapped, in a gift bag
- Write approximate suitable age on the label
- Please DO NOT specify gender on the label
For more information on this charity, please visit www.childreninpovertyinverclyde.org.uk
Thank you in advance for your support. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to discuss any aspect of this charity initiative further.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs K Aitken & Mrs J McLean
Early Years Practitioners & Foodbank Coordinators