Staff donate produce to help support poorest families

TEACHERS have joined in the stalwart efforts of students who strive to support a town’s food store on a weekly basis.

Staff from Carmel College, Darlington, were among a 1,200-strong professional development day involving colleagues from 12 schools in the Hexham and Newcastle Catholic Partnership.

Each teacher brought produce to the event, staged at the Sage in Newcastle, and the collection is being donated to food banks around the region.

Carmel College’s share will help support Darlington Food Store, an initiative designed to aid people who have fallen upon hard times.

The windfall represents a massive boost to the weekly efforts of students who provide offerings to the food bank to help families across the town.

“Every week when forms have mass they bring an offering which goes to the food bank,” said RE teacher and lay chaplain Andrew Gardner.

“It is incredible to think that we need to do this in the 21st century but we do. It’s not just people who are unemployed but others who may have suffered relationship breakdowns or receive low wages and struggle to make ends meet.

“As a Catholic school we feel it is our duty to support the food store and the students do an incredible job. This bonus from the staff is a very welcome windfall.”