St Peter’s Jr, Infant and Early Years School in Batley has accessed surplus food since May 2021. They receive 39 deliveries per year, in line with school terms.

Nancy Groves told us “We use surplus food from FareShare Yorkshire to help feed between seventeen and nineteen families each Thursday. They are all on our Vulnerable List and in genuine need. Their children might be looked after or living with grandparents, while some live in single parent households. All are eligible for Free School Meals.

Our families are all incredibly grateful for the ambient, chilled, fresh and frozen foods which FareShare Yorkshire has prevented from going to waste. They bring insulated cool bags that were provided for them, and we have two freezers for this service, one donated by FareShare Yorkshire and one we purchased from the school budget. On the first Friday back at school after a school break a queue builds at 3pm because families are genuinely desperate for the food and have missed it. The Cost-of-Living Crisis has had a massive impact in this way, so we make every tray of food count through these parcels or else channel any excess bread and milk to children who rely on our Breakfast Club.

We continue to support three children beyond their primary school years because of the intensive support their family need and the commitment we as a school have to our community. Your volunteer drivers are part of our St Peter’s family also. They are ever so nice, always helping to bring the food inside the school for us.”