Big-hearted Sunderland students collect 3,000 tins for homeless

Southmoor Academy youngsters with some of the tins.

Each year the pupils at Southmoor Academy hold a Tin Appeal, collecting in as many cans of food as possible for homeless people.

Simon Wareham, director of personal development at the school, said it was an amazing effort by everyone at the school.

Southmoor Academy students with the cans of food for those in need.

He said the tin appeal has been running for a number of years and is growing all the time.

All the young people across the school are keen to take part and families are always very generous when it comes to supporting charity events.

Mr Wareham, said: “Every year, students at Southmoor Academy are particularly proud to help the homeless across the whole city who need food over Christmas.

“Our Tin Appeal has been running each December for a number of years, where students bring in as many tins as they can from home.”

In transport, the students from Southmoor Academy taking the tinned food to be distributed.

He said the tins are then donated to a homeless charity which distributes them to people in the city who need them the most.

The teacher said: “Each year, students like to do better and better.

“Last year, we donated around 2,000 tins, so this year, the school set a target of collecting 2,500 tins.

“Each form group in the school was given a target of 50 tins. After two weeks, we were able to completely smash our target and collected a record breaking 2,963 tins.”

He said some of the students completely smashed their targets, with one of the form groups, Phoenix I, collecting an amazing 331 tins.

Some individual students, including Zita Carr, Year 10, and Leah Cass, Year 7, who brought in more than 100 tins each.

The proud teacher, said: “Whatever charitable work that students in the academy get involved in, they always go above and beyond and this year, it was an amazing effort.”