PRIMARY school children baked, created and crafted last week to express their thanks to key workers in Kendal.
Year five pupils from Heron Hill Primary School decided to make up ‘hampers of happiness’ for emergency service workers, care home residents, refuse collectors and many more who they thought should be shown some appreciation after a difficult year.
At this time of the year the children would usually have embarked on an enterprise project selling goods and services of their own creation to the school community to raise money for their chosen charities.
However, as an alternative they decided they wanted to give back to their community.
“They recognised that there were many groups locally who had really struggled and had had a hard time through the pandemic,” said teacher Karen Harper.
“They wanted to say thank you for the ongoing work these groups had done caring for others, looking after us, keeping our community safe, providing essential services.
“They wanted to let people know that they were thought of and valued and that their hard work was appreciated and recognised in some small way.”
Determined, the children composed and wrote letters to Kendal’s big retailers explaining their kind-hearted plans and asking for donations.
The retailers responded ‘magnificently’, according to Ms Harper, and the children set out on a mammoth bake off to get their gifts ready to give out in a Covid secure way.
Youngsters produced delicious flapjacks, ginger loaves and cookies, planted up bee cafes with pollinator friendly plants, made seed bombs collected by the children from their own wildflower meadow, painted watercolours, created fruit cordials and even sewed cushions.
One pupil, Bella said: “I liked the baking and litter picking because I knew someone would be tasting my treats and I liked helping the environment and the school caretaker.”
And another, Margot, said: “I loved it when we went to the care home and saw the reaction of the staff and a resident. They were so surprised!”
Pupils also took part in litter picking around the school and organised a whole school thank you on July 2, prior to the first national Thank You Day on July 4.
“They hope that their gifts, or ‘hampers of happiness’, can spread a little comfort and give a little pleasure too,” added Ms Harper.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here