Kind pupils touched by plight of homeless

Students Jess Grundy (13) and Kaci Southworth (14) from Golborne High School tour The Brick, Wigan, to see the work the homeless project does

Golborne High School’s appeal to support The Brick sparked a massive response, with pupils, parents, staff and members of the community filling boxes with vital items.

The school decided to help after a group of pupils and a teacher visited the homelessness charity’s Wigan town centre base as part of RE lessons and realised The Brick supported people on the streets who were from Lowton and Golborne.

Each tutor group donated leftover Christmas presents, blankets, warm clothes, toiletries and food.

The Brick visited the school to pick up the huge amount of donations and two teenagers from the form which donated most took a tour of its headquarters to see how the items will be used.

Proud headteacher Alison Gormally said: “I am delighted that our students, parents, staff and the local community have given so generously to such a good cause.

“We are a community school and as such our commitment is to helping the community. I am extremely proud of the whole school community for their generosity and compassion towards people in need.

“Golborne High School students and staff will continue to support local charities such as Butterflies and The Brick over the next 12 months.”

Following The Brick’s visit to school year nine pupil Jessica Grundy and Kaci Southworth from year 10 accompanied the charity back to Wigan to see its work first-hand.

They saw how volunteers pack parcels of goods for the food bank to ensure individuals and families struggling on the breadline get enough to eat for three days.

They also learned how the organisation provides facilities for people to wash and shower and how the crisis intervention department encourages people to express their problems in a safe and confidential environment so they can resolve their issues and rebuild their life.

Kathleen Pitt, CEO of The Brick, said: “We are very grateful to the pupils and staff from Golborne High School who have so generously donated to us and given their time.

“Thanks to their support we can continue to offer our services to people in need and ensure that no-one in our community is left behind. We look forward to our continued relationship with the school.”