News

Penryn College Students Donate Hundreds of Food Items to Local Community

07 January 2019

Penryn College students provided for those less fortunate over the Christmas period, collecting hundreds of food items to donate towards The Trussell Trust – a national charity which works with local communities to help prevent hunger and food poverty in the UK.

Pupils from Penryn College’s Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural team (SMSC) delivered 60 boxes of non-perishable food items – including pasta, biscuits, tinned soup, and cereal – to Penryn & Falmouth Foodbank on the final day of the school term. 

Collection: Penryn College students gather boxes of donated food together ahead of their visit to the Penryn & Falmouth Foodbank.

Leading up to Christmas, the SMSC students raised awareness on helping people in the community – leading to an influx of food donations from their fellow pupils, along with the school’s staff.

Expressing her gratitude to those at Penryn College, Penryn & Falmouth Foodbank Coordinator, Ruth Painter, said: “On behalf of the Penryn & Falmouth Foodbank, I would like to thank Penryn College for an incredibly kind donation, which weighed in at a very impressive 465.3 kilograms. 

“We are truly grateful to all of the pupils and parents who contributed towards our charity. These donations are always welcomed by our clients in crisis, especially during the winter months, when bills are so high that affording food can become impossible.

“Without donations like this, we would not be able to help people who need to provide for themselves and their families in the local area.”

Delivery: Students offload boxes of food at the Penryn & Falmouth Foodbank.

To raise awareness of food poverty, Penryn College Head of Religious Education, Mr Parekh, who founded the SMSC team, led informative assemblies alongside the SMSC students during the Christmas period – detailing the misfortunes of others – and highlighting how big an impact donations can have.  

Indeed, reflecting on the generosity of the school’s students and staff following the collection and delivery of the food items, Mr Parekh said: “The reaction from all of the pupils was incredible – this is testament to the empathy that students at Penryn College have for others, especially those in need in the local community.

“The group of SMSC leaders did a wonderful job in organising and collecting an immense amount of food to donate to the Penryn and Falmouth Foodbank, and I am very proud of the school’s efforts in providing for others.”

If you would like to make a donation to the Penryn & Falmouth Foodbank, please visit www.penrynfalmouth.foodbank.org.uk/ for more information.