Festive cheer all round from Noss Primary – kind kids raise money and donations for Caithness Foodbank

Children at Noss Primary School in Wick have shown how big-hearted they are at Christmas by raising money and donating items for the local food bank.

Two cheques were handed over to Caithness Foodbank volunteers last week along with 10 boxes of foodstuffs that kids had collected as part of a reverse advent calendar exercise.

A school spokesperson said: "The children have worked ever so hard to raise the money and they have learnt that not everyone is as fortunate as themselves in our local area. They have recently been learning about kindness and they wanted to make a difference in our community."

David Miller and Amy Durward from the Caithness Foodbank were presented with a cheque from P4Y and P4G for £295. The children created bags of "reindeer dust" – made from oats to attract Santa's reindeer and help feed garden birds too – and sold them around classes as a fundraiser for the food bank in Wick. The money will help buy food and special treats for the facility's service users over the festive period.

There was more to come though and an even bigger cheque was handed over by children from Noss Primary School Pupils' Council.

Highland Gift Shop on Bridge Street was asked by the school's Parent Council to print the children's Christmas designs onto cards and gifts. Every pupil created their own Christmas design, which was made into a card. Every pupil received a free card, and parents then decided if they wished to purchase more.

Darren Campbell from Highland Gift Shop said: "One-hundred percent of profits are given to the school parent council with a magnificent £431.50 raised from Noss Primary and a further £300 from Newton Park Primary School. It has been a very challenging but rewarding experience, and I am amazed by the vast talent the children have."

Highland Gift Shop provides gifts all year round, for all occasions, and is "happy to help any local and national charity raise awareness and funds".

Currently, it has a pop-up shop in Wick (at the former Blythswood Care shop on Bridge Street) until December 23 which includes items from Scrub & Shine with Shellie (Body Shop at Home consultant) and Pure Trinity Hand crafted gifts as well as hand-knitted clothes.

There was more to come from the Wick school, however, and Noss Primary 3 Yellows did a reverse advent calendar and gave items each day to the Caithness Foodbank. The kids picked numbers from a bag and took a donation in on the particular day the number matched with.

Headteacher Fraser Thomson praised the children for their selflessness and said: "What the classes have done for the food bank in Wick, with their acts of kindness, is nothing short of exceptional at this time of year when families are struggling."

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.