New link with local poverty charity inspires Harrogate pupils to give back to community

FAMILIES living in poverty across Yorkshire will benefit from a new charity link-up with big-hearted pupils and families from a Harrogate school.

Ashville Prep School has launched a fundraising partnership with Zarach, which was chosen by pupils to be their charity for the year.

The alliance got off to a successful start at the Prep School’s Harvest  Festival Service, when donations of non-perishable food from the pupils’ own homes were so generous, they could barely all fit in the school’s reception.

As part of the service, more than 50 members of the school’s Piccolo Choir and Junior Choir sang both traditional hymns and more modern pieces. Members of the Prep School Charity Club also led prayers and readings.

Donations were divided into parcels for distribution by Zarach, a local charity founded “to help families in crisis rise up from surviving to thriving, so children can eat, sleep and learn”.

Head of Ashville Prep School, Phil Soutar, said: “We try to instil a sense of community in all our Prep School pupils, so it really was heartening to see donations for the charity flood in and to know they will be sorted into boxes to help local people in difficulty.

“The new link-up reflects Ashville’s values of openness, respect for others and a sense of social responsibility. It is not just about raising money or gifting goods for this great charity, it’s also about raising awareness about the daily hardship faced by people in our community.

“We’re immensely proud of the thoughtfulness and empathy shown by our pupils, as we explore more ways in which we can help others and give back to our community.”

The Prep School Charity Club will continue to raise money for Zarach for the remainder of the academic year, helping to pay for “bed bundles” which include a mattress, pillow, duvet, pyjamas, sheets, toothpaste and other sanitary and bathroom products.

The bed bundles distributed by Zarach serve to help meet children’s basic needs and give them a good night’s sleep, which in turn helps them engage better in education.

Last year, the Prep School Charity Club raised more than £2,500 for Guide Dogs UK through a range of events including a pyjama party and movie night, a prize draw, and a Dine in the Dark event to gain a deeper understanding of life as a blind or partially sighted person.