School children from Boothroyd Primary Academy have raised over £700 for West Yorkshire Hardship Project, a charity that helps tackle homelessness in Kirklees and Leeds.
The year four school kids have spent the last few weeks raising money and preparing safety packs for vulnerable people in the community as part of their leadership projects in class. The year, which is split into three classes, each came up with their own fundraising ideas, with one classing choosing to do a charity car wash for parents and carers, and the other classes raising money through sponsored reading and writing.
One of the school’s main philosophies is its passion for helping the community. The academy that is part of Focus-Trust, a charitable multi-academy set up in 2012, strives for inclusivity and equal opportunities and works in partnership with several companies and organisations to provide as much goodwill and kindness for the people in the area as possible.
A handful of the pupils went with the school’s assistant principal and community champion to the local Asda in Dewsbury where they selected food, bottled water, and personal goods to hand over to the West Yorkshire Hardship Project, a charity that helps homeless people in Dewsbury and Leeds.
Kyrstie Stubbs, the headteacher of the academy, said: “The fact that our pupils wanted to help the homeless in the first instance made me very proud. They planned the fundraising activities themselves, I was blown away that they raised so much money.”
The community champion for the academy, Mandi Reeve, said: “Year four finished their leadership projects by giving the resources they bought with the money they raised to the West Yorkshire Hardship Project who will distribute the items.
“The kids worked very hard and were well organised. They had already worked out what to buy, how much to buy, and how much items would cost back in school, so they were well prepared. The kids were also very good at loading and unloading the van and Derek, the chairperson for the West Yorkshire Hardship Project, was very impressed with them.”
Miss Ruddy, assistant principal at the academy, said: “Year four did amazing well and a massive well done to those who came shopping with me and those who unloaded it all.”
Miss Smith, a student-teacher on placement at the school also said: “Year four have worked so hard on this project. Well done to all three classes, what an incredible donation for those in need.”
They could not do it all alone, however. The pupils had a bit of help from Pamela who works for Morrison’s J41, a huge distribution site in Wakefield that covers over 1.2 million square feet, who donated crates of dried food, tins, and fruits and vegetables.
Asda Dewsbury and the community champion for the shop Sharon Kingswood also helped and donated breakfast cereal bars that will go in food parcels handed out by the West Yorkshire Hardship Project.
Derek Hallas, the chairperson for West Yorkshire Hardship project, said: “What an amazing school and donation! A huge thank you to Boothroyd Primary Academy, Dewsbury, who have raised £717 through school and purchased lots of essential items to help those in hardship and homelessness in our community.
“Not only did they raise the funds and buy the items, but they also helped deliver these to our outreach on Bond Street, Dewsbury. Well done everyone.”
West Yorkshire Hardship Project is a registered charity who provide and support people in poverty within West Yorkshire with the care and advice that they need to survive and move forward. The project runs two outreach programmes in Dewsbury and Leeds.
The charity is also part of the Leeds Homeless Charter, a joint mission in the reduction of homelessness in the area by a group of voluntary, faith, private, and public sector organisations, all committed to working together.
The school has also recently launched an adult learning library outside their doors for parents and carers to have access to books and increase community spirit in a bid to eliminate reading poverty.
After all the hard work put into raising money and resources for West Yorkshire Hardship Project, the academy is now looking for donations of tinned food, toiletries, and backpacks to give to the charity to help more people in North Kirklees in the next few weeks.
