PUPILS from two dale schools have been working hard to help those less fortunate than themselves ahead of Christmas.
Since November, pupils at Teesdale School and Barnard Castle School have been helping organise and collect donations for foodbanks in the region as part of a Tins Not Tinsel campaign promoted by Barnard Castle Women’s Collective (BCWC). Sixth formers at Teesdale School organised a collection station in their library and encouraged other students and staff to make donations.
Pupils at Barnard Castle School, alongside Revd Darren Moore, also organised a collection hub. Last week BCWC’s Andrea Ballentine helped them deliver all the donations to foodbanks at Shildon and Woodhouse Close, in Bishop Auckland.
Ms Ballentine said: “People have been so generous. At this time of the year for some people it is a choice between eating and heating.
“Lots of people, through no fault of their own, have to face a stark choice. There are those waiting on universal credit payments; the elderly and some young people who have fallen through the cracks.”
She said youngsters from Butterknowle Primary School have also made a massive contribution with two or three bags of donations being collected each week.
Businesses have also got involved. Ms Ballentine said: “We’ve also had donations from Planet Fitness in the last week, which is great.
“There are seven foodbanks in County Durham and at the moment we can only see that number increasing. We will be continuing the campaign in the new year and will let people know locations where they can drop off donations.”
