Sharing their community spirit, children from Newton on Trent Church of England Primary School are looking to establish a food larder in the village. The initiative follows the closure of the village’s only shop, following the owners’ retirement.
The food larder will provide a lifeline for the community by offering vital supplies in an easily accessible location. This effort not only ensures that residents will have access to necessities but also strengthens the bonds between generations within the village.
It will include food and personal hygiene items, a library and seasonal goods such as warm blankets in the winter and occasional treats baked by the children.
The intention is that the children of the school will be responsible for the maintenance and care of the larder, and residents will donate items when and if they are able to.
The children are trying to raise £1,000 to get the scheme off the ground. They are already more than halfway to achieving their total, thanks to six West Lindsey District Councillors, who have donated £600 from their Councillor Initiative Fund.
Cllr Lynda Mullally was approached by the headteacher of the school, Mrs Aimee Riley, and asked for other councillors to support the initiative.
She said: “This project is a shining example of how our community comes together in challenging times. Supporting the younger generation to help their neighbours is inspiring and demonstrates the kindness and resilience of Newton on Trent’s residents.
“We are a small village with some elderly people who cannot get out and about. We do have a bus service, which was recently reinstated, but it only runs twice a day and returns once a day.
“We are proud to support this effort and ensure no one is left without access to essential items. I would like to say a huge thank you to the other five councillors who each donated £100 to this fantastic project.”
The councillors are, Cllr Lynda Mullally, Cllr Lesley Rollings, Cllr Karen Carless, Cllr Liz Clews, Cllr Emma Bailey, and Cllr Mandy Snee, who all contributed £100 each from their Councillor Initiative Fund.
Headteacher Mrs Aimee Riley welcomed the funding, which has helped give the project a boost.
She said: “As a school, we are continually looking for ways for our pupils to support our local community and add to the wonderful social outreach work carried out by many of its residents. We ran a survey of our school community last year and were saddened to see just how much the current cost of living crisis was impacting families in our village.
“As a result, we have opened our gates several times to the community with initiatives such as a free winter meal, seasonal celebrations, community breakfasts and more. We have recently appointed a Community Lead within the school, to ensure that this hard work continues into the future.
“This larder is the first step in bringing about long-term change within the village and is only the beginning of what we hope to achieve.
“It is important to us to teach our children that, in order for your community to thrive, you need to actively contribute. They are as excited as we are to get this project off the ground and children of all ages, from 2 to 11, will have a part to play in its future success.”
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/JenkoAtaman
