Solihull Sixth Form College has joined forces with FareShare and Sewa Day West Midlands to set up a Food Pantry on campus to help families struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Staff are making twice weekly collections of food to stock the pantry thanks to the link up with FareShare, which is a charity that aims to tackle food waste and ensure no families go hungry. Meanwhile Sewa Day West Midlands are making regular deliveries of food hampers to the College to augment the pantry.
As well as tackling the rising cost of food, the College has set up a Clothing Bank and is giving away free hygiene products to students, including sanitary products for girls facing period poverty. This is on top of the financial support already offered by the College with more than 630 students receiving a bursary of some kind. For some learners, this means getting a free bus/rail pass. For others, help in paying for equipment or the loan of a laptop is what helps most, while some students get support to pay for trips and visits.
Anisa Lokat-Fanning, Associate Assistant Principal at the College has been heading up the project. She commented:
“Everyone has been feeling the pinch financially and our learners are no different. If we can make their lives a little easier by providing food, clothing or hygiene products, we can tackle one of the causes of poor mental health and enable our young people to focus on their studies and succeed with their learning.”
The College’s package of support forms part of the Summit Learning Trust’s Base Camp offer, aiming to ensure that every child and young person who attends a Summit Learning Trust academy has their basic needs met. This includes free breakfasts, a warm, supervised space before and after school/college, health and hygiene products, free meals, free revision materials, support with travel costs, digital equipment and free cultural capital experiences.
5 June 2023