CARING students and staff at a Keighley school have been doing their bit to help families in need.

Since the beginning of lockdown, staff members at Holy Family have been supporting families from the school community with weekly food parcels.

As Christmas approached and many people found themselves in difficult circumstances, the effort was stepped-up and more-substantial hampers were produced.

Initially the venture was run on a relatively small scale with support from the school’s regular partner, the Rethink Food charity, but it rapidly grew – with donations arriving through Saima Hussain at the Cougars Community Foundation and from the Albert Goubay Foundation.

Working with locally-based businesses including Strawberry Fields grocers and Kitcheman butchers, school staff have delivered 100 hampers to families.

Claire Kane, associate assistant head at Holy Family, said: “The response from staff, the diocese and local businesses has been fantastic. People have given-up their time, donated items and packed and delivered hampers.

“We try to live-up to our name at Holy Family – we are a family and we wanted to ensure that those who have struggled during the pandemic have something to smile about at Christmas.”

Families have each received a hamper of food to make ten meals, together with a cook book.

Sarah Godfrey, a teacher in resource provision, said: “The school has a long history of supporting the most vulnerable in the community through projects such as our shop in the Airedale Centre. We are unable to run the shop at present so we are really pleased to continue providing students with the opportunity to serve their community whilst gaining valuable life and educational skills.”

Members of hfs6, the school’s sixth form, have also been doing their bit for the community.

They nominated Keighley Salvation Army’s food bank as their charity for the latter part of the autumn term.

Students gathered food and gifts through November and the first weeks of this month, before packing the items and delivering them to the Salvation Army’s High Street base.

Fiona Brown, pastoral assistant to hfs6, said: “As a body our students have always maintained a strong community spirit and the food bank has been something simple but positive they could really get behind, while many of our usual activities were curtailed because of Covid precautions.

“ I am really proud of their spirit and their willingness to look beyond their own horizons.”

Keighley Salvation Army and other food banks in the area have seen unprecedented demand for their services since the start of the pandemic, with increasing numbers of people struggling.