Staff donated over £150 in cash and food for pupils and their families at Cottage Grove and Milton Park primary schools.
Following the UK government’s decision not to offer free school meals outside of term time, University staff have generously donated food parcels for two local schools.
Staff from the School of Education and Sociology and St George's Hub donated over £150 in cash and food for pupils and their families at Cottage Grove and Milton Park primary schools.
We are delighted to receive food donations from the university to support our families during half term. We will add the university donations to the others we have received and will make sure that they go to our families who most need them.
(l-r) Angie Dhamaraj-Savicks drops off a food donation to Stephanie Hall at Milton Park primary school
Cottage Grove Primary school received 20 bags of groceries donated by staff in EDSOC. Milton Park Primary school received 20 bags filled with food worth £30 each, which was provided by the Southampton-based charity, Big Difference. Each bag had pasta, rice, tinned fruit and vegetables, ready to heat food, pasta sauce, tinned fish, noodles, stock cubes, tea, coffee, jam, milk and cereal.
Dr Catherine Carroll-Meehan, Head of School of Education and Sociology said: “Following the government decision, we were inspired to do some action to support children and families in local schools. My colleagues Angie Dhamaraj-Savicks and Emma Maynard are governors at two schools we have been working within the establishment of the University of Portsmouth Academy Trust. Our colleagues made generous donations and Angie contacted Big Difference, a charity she knows in Southampton. In less than 24 hours, we collected enough food to feed about 50 families for a week!”
Polly Honeychurch, head teacher of Cottage Grove Primary School, said: "We are delighted to receive food donations from the university to support our families during half term. As a school we were obviously disappointed with the government vote this week to not support our most needy children during the half term. However, we are delighted with the response of the local community. We will add the university donations to the others we have received and will make sure that they go to our families who most need them."