School project grows into foodbank collection

A Westbury schoolgirl’s homework task has grown into an ongoing foodbank collection, with her family collecting donations for people in need for the past year.

Nine-year-old Zoe, who attends Bitham Brook Primary School, came up with the idea after being asked to do something kind for others as part of a school task.

Zoe, her mum Katie White and sister Hannah, who live in Warminster, have continued collecting donations for the past year, with their latest collection for Warminster Food Bank totalling 36.6kg.

Katie said, “They had something in school that they needed to do, like a homework task, to do something kind for people, like take the neighbours’ dogs out or take the bins out for the neighbours.

“I had donated to the food bank before, then Zoe asked me if we could do this for her homework and I said that would be amazing. We put it together and it just grew and grew.

“When we dropped all the food off just before Christmas it was amazing. We kept doing it and it just got bigger and bigger with more and more food. My girls are loving it and are very proud of themselves. This is quite a big thing for them.”

The family collects a range of food items from members of the community, with donations arranged through Katie.

She said, “No donation is too small – every tin, packet or cupboard staple can make a real difference to someone in our local community.

“We know people are struggling and I feel, since Covid, loads of people changed because you couldn’t be with your loved ones. I feel people forget this now and I think it’s a good thing to do and bring them together.”

Pictured: Katie, left, with her daughters Zoe and Hannah, with Warminster Mayor Jack Jones and volunteers