Highfield Leadership Academy pupils spread winter warmth to local community

As the winter nights draw in and the temperatures plummet, pupils from Highfield Leadership Academy are spreading seasonal cheer throughout their community by supporting local people through its Winter Gift Programme.

At Highfield Leadership Academy, we pride ourselves on making a positive difference to society. We are committed to playing an active role in our community and helping others. This winter, we are stepping up our efforts to support the most vulnerable people in our community.

The Winter Gift Programme is an annual campaign which sees pupils and staff from every Star Academies school unite to participate in a broad range of charitable giving, acts of kindness and volunteering; all with one simple aim – to make sure no one faces the challenges of winter alone.

Throughout the campaign, we will be supporting those in our local community – young and old – who are unwell, elderly or living in care, and those experiencing homelessness, loneliness or food poverty. As well as benefitting vulnerable people, our pupils will also gain from their involvement by expanding their leadership qualities – by devising, organising and taking part in charitable endeavours – and experiencing first-hand the positive impact of helping those less fortunate.

At Highfield Leadership Academy, our pupils have been taking part in a wide range of activities to support a number of local charities and community organisations during the winter months.

To support the local community to tackle food poverty, pupils from the school have participated in ‘Bills’s Kindness Kitchen’ in partnership with Haven who donated food items for use in the kitchen. Pupils donned aprons and took over the school kitchen to carefully prepare hundreds of freshly cooked meals using food donated by Haven for Amazing Graze, a local soup kitchen serving people experiencing homelessness in Blackpool. Kind-hearted pupils, families and staff have also donated food items to support the creation of hampers, which have been distributed to local community kitchens, hostels and residents of nearby sheltered accommodation.

Later this month, a group of local residents and friends of the school will visit Highfield Leadership Academy for a community party. At the event, pupils will present each of their special guests with Christmas gifts and treat them to musical performances and games to spread festive cheer and kindness.

During the dark winter months, the school’s talented singing group, Highfield Voices, have been sprinkling joy throughout the community with pop-up performances at local care homes and community centres.

The local hospice, Trinity Hospice, is another recipient of the school’s Winter Gift Programme. An Elf Workout during pupils’ PE lessons and a cross-bar challenge contest have raised funds to support the care provided to local families by the hospice.

Anand Patel, Principal at Highfield Leadership Academy, said:

“Our Winter Gift Programme not only supports the most vulnerable members of our community, but affords our pupils the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and to experience the personal satisfaction that comes from demonstrating kindness and helping those less fortunate. It gives me an enormous sense of pride to see our pupils, parents and colleagues embrace this invaluable campaign with such incredible compassion and generosity.”