Students, staff, parents and carers at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy joined together through our academy-wide 'St Peter's Pantry' campaign, launched before the Easter holidays, to encourage every tutor group across the school to donate a range of much-needed household staples and toiletries.

With tutor groups earning points based on both the quantity and variety of items donated, the initiative quickly became a collective effort embraced across the Academy.

Donations included baked beans, tinned vegetables, soup, cereals, pasta, rice, pasta sauces, powdered milk, soap, toothpaste and nappies, all of which will now help support local individuals and families experiencing hardship.

Supporting our local community

The collection was handed over on Wednesday 22 April to representatives from Friends of Di’s Kitchen, a Wolverhampton-based charity which provides weekly meals, food bags and essential supplies to an average of 975 people each week, including around 470 children. Founded in memory of local community volunteer Dianne Henry, the charity continues to offer vital support to those in need across our city.

Three of our students also played an active role in sorting the donations into categories before assisting with delivery.

Service in action

Miss Lord, Head of Religious Education at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, said:

"This initiative gave our students a meaningful opportunity to put compassion into action and recognise how small acts of generosity can make a significant difference when a community comes together.

Marking Lent and Ramadan in this way allowed us to reflect on the shared values of service, kindness and responsibility to others. We are incredibly proud of the response from our students, staff and families, and of the willingness shown to support those in need across our city."

The food drive reflects our academy value of Service and forms part of our ongoing commitment to helping students develop social responsibility, empathy and an understanding of the needs of the surrounding community.

At St Peter’s, we are proud to provide opportunities for our students to look beyond the classroom and make a meaningful contribution to the city they call home. This latest appeal is a strong reminder of what can be achieved when a community works together to support others.