Food hampers handed over to Foodbank, thanks to school boy’s reverse advent calendar

A kind-hearted pupil from Crosshall Junior School encouraged parents to collect food items for the St Neots Foodbank for his reverse advent calendar project.

Johan Todd encouraged people to make donations and two hampers were handed over in a school assembly.

Reverse advent calendars are gaining in popularity as they encourage people to give presents rather than receive them as they countdown to Christmas. People collect one food item each day and then hand it over in time for the food bank to distribute to help people over the Christmas period.

According to the Trussell Trust, the organisation that runs the St Neots Foodbank, the number of people using foodbanks has risen sharply this year and referrals for three-day emergency food parcels in the two weeks before Christmas is likely to rise by 45 per cent.

“Everyone was incredibly generous and all the items were put together in two fantastic hampers,” said Arty Speroni from the school.

David Paccini, one of the trustees of the St Neots Food Bank, attended an assembly at the school on December 8 and the hampers were handed over.

Year four teacher Kimberly Howell added: “I have been so pleased with how much the children and parents have been involved with this and they have been very generous with their donations. The hampers are full.”

If you wish to donate items to the St Neots Food Bank, there is more information online about which items are needed.

INFO: www.stneotsfoodbank.org.uk.