Overflowing food bank bin reflects overflowing kindness at Huddersfield New College

Article from Huddersfield New College website

Huddersfield New College has revealed that a permanent food bank collection point for the Welcome Centre has been installed in the College’s tutorial area – and in just a few days it has been filled to capacity!

The Welcome Centre based in Huddersfield is one of the largest food banks in the north and last year gave out enough food to make 239,111 meals. As part of its support for the national #EveryMindMatters campaign, HNC is linking to this with an Every Mind Matters @HNC programme. This is supporting both students and staff to protect their mental well-being and understand the enhanced support available to them during these challenging times.

One of the ways HNC is encouraging students and staff to do this is by being kind to both themselves and to others, and recognising how even the small gestures can make a big difference to others.

Inspired by this Teacher of A Level Media Studies Gary Eastwood has organised a permanent food bank collection point. Whilst the College has always hosted special collections for The Welcome Centre at Christmas and other key times of year, this allows the College community to donate all year round. The bin, as pictured, is already overflowing with donations! Gary is pictured with student Elliot Young who had visited to make a donation.

Gary says: 

Sadly the pandemic means that the demand for food banks is likely to grow and it is anticipated that the Welcome Centre will be supporting even more people in crisis. I am very proud to work at a College that genuinely cares about the wider community. The fact that the collection point is overflowing within just a couple of days is a real reflection of this! Being kind to yourself, and to others where you can, is so important and this permanent collection point allows our community to together take small actions that together have a hugely positive ripple effect.

The collection point is located in the tutorial area.  Visit Huddersfield New College website here