Woodrow First School gives major boost to Redditch Nightstop - The Redditch Standard

Woodrow First School gives major boost to Redditch Nightstop

Redditch Editorial 27th May, 2019   0

A PROJECT driven by Year 4 pupils at Woodrow First School has not only brought the community together but given a major boost to Redditch Nightstop.

Food and toiletries have been donated and money raised to help young people in Redditch avoid homelessness.

Not only that but pupils have learnt all about the social issues surrounding homelessness and crucially what steps need to be taken to prevent it.

“It’s been brilliant,” said Richard Kieran, headteacher at Woodrow.




“The idea came totally from the children and they all got involved and it’s just fantastic that something really worthwhile and local like Nightstop will benefit from their work.”

It came after London-based RSA Academies brought four county schools together to develop a social action project of their choice.


Six children from each school were briefed and they reported back to their year groups, the pupils at Woodrow, in something of a surprise for staff, choosing to concentrate on the issue of homelessness in young people.

“Their project wasn’t about being on the streets but rather how to prevent it which is how they started working with Nightstop, and we had one of their staff come in to talk to the children,” added Mr Kieran.

From there the children started fundraising as well as bringing in food and toiletries.

The community quickly got involved, the Spa in Batchley donating £50 and a local taxi firm offering to take the donations to Nightstop in the town centre.

Dance group Urban Strides came in to do a workshop and together pupils raised £300 for the cause.

Mr Kieran added that local beat bobbies had even offered to drive a patrol car around the area with the boot open for people to drop donations in.

Sharon Holtom of Nightstop said: “The pupils were interactive, gave their own views on how they could help and embraced ways to help and support now and going forward.

“They also want to take part in our big fundraising sleep out we are arranging in October.”

Hannah Breeze, senior programme co-ordinator at RSA Academies said: “We couldn’t be prouder of Woodrow’s Year 4 pupils for the tremendous job they have done to fundraise, organise a donations collection and raise awareness around youth homelessness in their local community.”

The project, which is supported by the Pears Foundation #iWill Fund, aims to give more pupils the opportunity to take part in meaningful social action.

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