Christ Church C of E First School and Nursery says, “Thank you, Frome!”

ON Friday 20^th March schools across England were shut, only to reopen on Monday 23^rd March as Childcare Hubs to provide childcare for vulnerable children and the children of key workers, especially NHS staff.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, staff from Christ Church C of E First School and Nursery have been working in partnership with Fair Frome to ensure families receive the food they need.

Gemma Jeffries, Secretary of Christ Church’s Parents, Teachers and Friends Association, said, “Not only are we looking after the children of critical workers so that their parents can do their jobs for our community, Christ Church school staff are also working alongside Fair Frome to distribute additional food parcels to families who are vulnerable, or are having to self-isolate or shield. That’s why the PTFA donated £400 at the start of the crisis so that the school could launch this initiative.”

The Christ Church team set up a JustGiving crowdfunding page, so that anyone who wanted to support the school could do so. To start with, Christ Church hoped we would raise £200 to buy extra food if supplies started to run low. But after three days, 56 people had crowdfunded £1,330!

The team at Christ Church said, “The reason we want to get food out to Frome families is because in times of need we all need to help each other out. At Christ Church, we want to make sure every family at our school feels like they are still cared for and thought about, even when the children can’t come to school as normal. We wanted everyone in the community to know that schools in Frome hadn’t just shut their doors. Christ Church has always put the best interests of the children and their families at the heart of the school and will continue to support them in any way we can.”

Rupert Kaye, Headteacher, said, “As Frome restaurants began to close their doors to customers, Christ Church began receiving phone calls offering food donations. Local businesses such as Costa Coffee, Co-op, KFC, Marks and Spencer, Marsden Foods, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, The Garden Café and Tool & Gauge Kitchen Café have been so generous! We have received lovely donations of clothing from Frome’s Nifty Needles knitting group. We have been able to add their gifts to the food provisions provided to us by Fair Frome Foodbank and pass it on to our families, some of whom are in self-isolation or shielding a family member with a pre-existing medical condition.”

Mr Kaye said, “We have all heard the message from the Government: Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives. To that, I would like to add: Protect the weak and vulnerable. Give generously. Serve and love each other. That is exactly what is happening in Frome right now. And feeding families and elderly and socially isolated adults in Frome is a team effort. I know that behind the scenes, Frome Town Council and all of the food retailers, large and small, are playing their part to ensure no one in Frome is forgotten. Whether we are in a crisis or not, Frome will always be a strong and caring community. In times of need, the people of Frome have shown time and time again that they always pull together.”