Brimrod Primary School donate Harvest Festival collection to Rochdale Foodbank as demand for its service increases

Brimrod Primary’s Head Boy Umar and Head Girl Alina with the Harvest collection for Rochdale Foodbank

A bumper donation has been made to Rochdale Foodbank by Brimrod Primary School for their annual Harvest Festival celebration this year, as demand for the foodbank's services has increased.

Children of all ages brought in a variety of non-perishable goods, including tinned fruit, tinned tomatoes, fruit juice, biscuits, tinned potatoes and instant mash, long-life milk and cereal, packets of noodles and pasta and sauce, and toiletries.

Joanne Morgan, school administrator at Brimrod Primary, said: “We had our traditional Harvest Festival on 29 September, and all the children were asked to bring in non-perishable items to donate to our local foodbank.

“In the assembly, we sang Harvest songs and discussed why we needed to donate to foodbanks and help people in our community.”

The items are donated to the local foodbank, which has seen a decline in donations this year, alongside a rise in demand. The harvest period each year is one of the most beneficial times of the year for the foodbank, alongside Christmas and the festive season.

In September, the Rochdale Foodbank provided provisions for 908 people, including 309 children.

A spokesperson said: “What is concerning is that the number of people needing to use our service remains high, and this is even before the winter months kick in and energy costs increase.

“Every month we need a huge 6,000kgs of food to meet this demand, and this is why we are grateful for every single donation we receive.

“Please spare a thought for us. If you or your workplace, school or organisation can help us meet this demand at this busy time of year by donating, every item no matter how big or small really does help us. Thank you.”

For more information on how to donate, partner as a business, or volunteer, please visit the Rochdale Foodbank website: rochdale.foodbank.org.uk/give-help