By Lauren Aarons

A South Norfolk High school has set up a food bank to ensure less well-off families can enjoy a better Christmas.

Pupils at Wymondham High Academy are being encouraged to bring in donations before the end of term next week. They want to support members of the community who had found the current climate tough, and the changes to the furlough scheme.

Head of PE Stephen Simms, and Co-ordinating the school food bank was inspired by a site team colleague who had supported the food parcel scheme that took place in half term at Wymondham Town Football Club.

Mr Simms said: ‘’I recognise that we are lucky [at the school], that a lot of families are a little bit better off, but as a teacher I don’t want to see people that can’t afford to feed themselves.’’

He added that “this shouldn’t happen in a place like Norfolk” although there was ‘no obligation to donate’

The wish-list includes non-perishable goods or ones with a longer shelf-life like pasta, rice, tinned goods, cuppa soups, cereals, long-life milk and any small Christmas sweet treats.

The academy which has around 1600 students, will compete alongside other form groups, to be rewarded with a prize for donating the most.

Since the email went out to academy parents on 26th November, Mr Simms said: [so far] I’m really pleased with how kind and generous people are’ particularly because ‘this year is tough for a lot’ he added that parents had even offered ‘supermarket vouchers’.

The academy plans to donate any surplus goods to the Wymondham Town FC Christmas hampers scheme’ as well as the local Hope Community Church Food Bank.

Staff have volunteered their free time to make up parcels, which will be distributed over three weekdays at the start of the Christmas holiday. Recipients will be given “Covid secure” slots to collect their parcels from the school gym.

If you are in need of support from the service, you can get in touch with the academy via email at: foodbank@wh-at.net