WESTBURY Area Network (WAN), home of the food bank in town, has thanked local schools and community groups for their generous donations during recent weeks, as harvest festival collections of tinned goods and other long-life items have given a much-needed boost to its supplies.
Volunteers from WAN attended assemblies at both Westbury Leigh Primary School and Westbury Junior School earlier this month as part of the schools’ preparations to celebrate harvest. Both provided opportunities to share with the children the important work carried out by the food bank and highlight how important their donations will be in supporting those most in need within the Westbury community.
Mrs Debbie Grimsey, headteacher at Westbury Leigh, commented, “Learning about and understanding how to support others is key in aspiring to build a strong sense of community and belonging. We are thankful to everyone in the Westbury Leigh CofE Primary School family who has given so generously. Their harvest donations will go to the food bank and help make a difference to others.”
Representatives from WAN say they were also delighted to be invited to attend Westbury Junior School’s harvest celebrations in All Saints’ Church on Monday 17th October.
Volunteer Caroline Coker said, “It was wonderful to be able to thank the children for their support by attending the service. We received absolutely loads of donations – so many that we had to call for another car to help transport them all back to the WAN HQ! We’re grateful to Westbury Infants School and the church parishioners too for their contributions.”
Linda Hallowell, trustee of WAN added, “It has been a real delight to spend time sharing the work of the food bank with some of the young people of Westbury. We are really grateful to school staff who have co-ordinated the collections and everyone who has taken the time to engage with the work we are doing.
“This harvest time we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of all the schools, as well as churches, other organisations and individuals who have so generously helped stock our shelves. All the donations enable us to provide support for the growing numbers in our community who need a helping hand at this most difficult of times. If other community groups and organisations would like to arrange for a member of our team to come and talk about the food bank or help set up a collection, please do get in touch.”
For more information on the Westbury Area Network, including the food bank, visit www.westburyareanetwork.org
