Trimley St Mary Primary School and Felixstowe Hockey Club set up food bank for hungry children
A community has rallied around a village primary school after staff realised many pupils were going hungry.
Teachers from Trimley St Mary Primary School put out a plea on social media asking for help in setting up a food bank.
However, nearby Felixstowe Hockey Club came to the rescue after its chairman organised collections at its clubhouse.
These will take place until Christmas at its site just off Maidstone Road.
Many of the players are former pupils of the school and have committed to receiving donations.
Hayley Lloyd, the acting headteacher for Trimley Primary, who also plays for the club, said they could not continue to have children unable to learn because they are arriving to school on empty stomachs.
She added: “Staff initially offered to run it themselves but could not afford to keep it stocked, so I had no choice but to reach out to the local community to help us set up a food bank.
"This is an incredibly tough time for parents, teachers and for pupils and we’re in a horrible situation where children are sitting in freezing cold bedrooms and missing school because there’s no food in the house.
“I’m immensely grateful to the local community and to the hockey club for doing this collection for us, so we can ensure our pupils are fed and ready for the school day.”
Donated items include pasta, cereal, sauces, and sweet treats.
Hayley said teachers often see the impacts of child poverty first-hand, which has been made worse with the cost-of-living crisis.
Pupils arriving to school in an unfit state to learn as they are cold and hungry not only affects their day-to-day wellbeing, but could also have impacts on their future, she added.
Felixstowe Hockey Club chairman Kevin Beckett is also a former pupil at Trimley Primary.
He said he was shocked when he saw the school's plea, and knew the team would be thrilled to lend a hand.
Kevin added: “We set up a drop-off point on a table in the clubhouse for donations to be made.
"Everyone is welcome to make a donation and every item goes to the school."
