Recently, pupils at Rettendon Primary School, in Chelmsford, hosted their annual harvest festival event to support Wickford Foodbank. In addition to collecting essential goods for the foodbank.

This year’s celebration, titled The Great Pumpkin Tea, featured a display of 105 pumpkins donated by The Green Barn Farm, which were individually decorated by pupils.

The pumpkins featured a range of designs, including animals such as owls and dogs and fictional characters like minions.

More than 100 members of the local community visited the school to view the display. Visitors brought essential items such as rice, pasta and tinned goods with them, which the school then donated to Wickford Foodbank. During the event, guests enjoyed an afternoon community tea and activities, including a raffle and bake sale, which raised more than £250 for the school to enhance pupils’ learning through trips and events.

Sophie Hammond, Headteacher at Rettendon Primary School, said: “We understand the important role that our school plays in our local community, and we are so proud to have been able to collect essential donations for Wickford Foodbank. It was inspiring to see the creativity of our children and to welcome so many local people to the school to enjoy themselves. Not only will the Foodbank benefit from the community’s generosity but so will our pupils, and we look forward to offering them more school trips this coming year with the money that they have raised.”

To stay updated on how the funds will be spent and to learn more about the school, visit: https://rettendon.essex.sch.uk/