As part of their ‘Stronger Starts’ programme, Tesco has donated £1,000 to the Inverness Royal Academy to create a clothing bank, after concerned teachers approached the company with their concerns for pupils.
Dedicated teachers noticed many of the students were arriving at school in the morning with inadequate clothing on certain occasions, such as during snowstorms or non-uniform days.
They urged the parent council to apply for funding from Tesco and were delighted to be awarded with the grant.
The creation of the clothing bank now gives pupils discreet access to school uniform items, sports kits, appropriate outdoor clothing and accessories, casual clothing for dress down days and formal wear for special occasions such as Christmas dances.
Lauren O’Connor, a teacher at the school said: “During the aftermath of the pandemic, pupils were required to take their break times outside and classroom windows were to remain open during the winter months to ensure ventilation. I began to really notice how many pupils didn’t have appropriate clothing.
“We now have a stock of pre-loved uniform items and warm jackets thanks to the funding from Tesco, and we will be able to support more families comfortably.”
In addition to the clothing bank, teachers are now able to provide pupils with access to a ‘grab and go’ breakfast item before morning registration class, plus snack boxes within classrooms, which pupils are encouraged to take from when they don’t have lunch with them.
Julie Douglas, a member of the Inverness Royal Academy parent council, said: “The funding we received from Tesco has allowed us to better support pupils and their families, who are incredibly grateful for the helping hand.
“We aim to ensure that every pupil has a good school day and knows that if they are in need of anything, we are there to support them.
“On behalf of the whole school, we’d like to thank all of the team at Tesco for helping us create such a vital project.”
Claire DeSilva, Head of Community for Tesco, said: “At Tesco we believe it’s incredibly important to support local schools, community groups and charities throughout Scotland, including in and around Inverness and the Highlands.
“We hope this funding will help to make a difference to the pupils of Inverness Royal Academy and their families and reduce the stress that can be caused by the school routine combined with the current cost of living crisis.”
Tesco Stronger Starts aims to make a positive difference in local communities and works in partnership with Groundwork and Greenspace to support grant applicants in Scotland.
For more information on the Stronger Starts scheme, please visit https://www.tescoplc.com/sustainability/communities/strongerstarts.
