High school students have come together to ensure that the older people in their community have a Christmas to remember.

Twelve S6 pupils and three members of staff from Inverclyde Academy have spent the last 5 weeks putting together 119 hampers to hand out to the tenants at five Bield developments in Greenock.

Thanks to their fundraising efforts, the students have been able to create one hamper for each flat at Carwood Court, Crosshill Gardens and Armadale Court Retirement Housing Developments and a communal hamper each for Very Sheltered Housing Developments Rowan Gardens and Jamaica Court.

Margaret Lacey, Development Manager at Carwood Court said: “It is a lovely gesture and the tenants are truly delighted with the hampers they have received. It has really raised their Christmas spirits.

“We had no idea the pupils and staff at Inverclyde Academy were doing this, so when they called to inform me I was slightly taken back.

“I have been working for Bield for six years and nothing like this has happened before, everyone is so grateful for the effort they have put in.”

The Christmas Hampers were made up of food items including mince pies, cream crackers, soup, tea, sweets and jam were delivered to the tenants of Scotland’s leading care and housing provider on the 16^th and 17^th December.

Lyndsay O’Shea, English teacher at Inverclyde Academy, Claire McGuiness, Modern Studies teacher, and Ross McClement, P.E. teacher are leading the project.

The staff, who have been teachers in the school for five years, said: “The pupils decided as part of their Princes Trust XL Qualification that they wanted to do something for the local older people this Christmas. This is when they came up with the idea of putting together Christmas hampers.

“They handed out a list of food and asked teachers to make donations. They also held fundraisers including a teacher versus pupil basketball game and made Sock Snowmen to raise money to buy food supplies.

“The pupils loved handing the hampers out, they felt like they were helping enrich the lives of the tenants and it was great to see the happiness they brought.

“We hope to be able to continue working with Bield in future projects.”

Margaret added: “From everyone at Bield we would like to say a huge thank you to all the pupils and staff who were involved.

“It is so brilliant to see the younger generation taking part in projects like this and we would love to continue working with them in the future.”

The pupils who took part in the project are: Zoe Davidson, Hollie Williams, Amy Kelly, Rachel Scott, Jiamie Leigh Cummings, Jennifer Drainer, Saskia Mulholland, Darren Munro, Emma McQueen, Dario Zavaroni, Reece Cairns, Madeleine Coxshott.

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