St Swithun’s and Thomas Franks: Continuing to Serve the Community Together

This week, St Swithun’s School ran its inaugural Feeding Communities event producing meals for those in the wider community. Held in the school’s dining room, sixth form students volunteered for the activity, demonstrating initiative, teamwork and a strong commitment to serving others. This successful project also strengthened St Swithun’s long standing collaboration with The Thomas Franks Foundation, reaffirming the school’s dedication to community service.

The Feeding Communities initiative was launched by The Thomas Franks Foundation in March 2020 in response to the rise in food insecurity during the pandemic. Its mission remains unchanged: to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food, free from judgement or barriers. Since then, the programme has provided freshly prepared meals and food parcels for vulnerable adults, families and children, particularly those affected by shortages, homelessness or reduced access to support services.

As part of this ongoing partnership, thirteen St Swithun’s students and two members of staff joined a dedicated production session, where they worked with perishable ingredients to minimise food waste while supporting those in need. The volunteers: Abi A, Eliza B, Izzy H, Flora L, Violet L‑S, Tiara L, Elizabeth M, Charlotte M, Ninia S, Aleisha S, India W, Alice O and Michelle W, demonstrated impressive focus and efficiency as they folded boxes, labelled containers and portioned meals evenly.

"It was a very fulfilling experience to be able to give back to the community and I would love to do it again! Doing more portions next time would be really good as we would be able to give more out. It was a very valuable experience and I can’t wait to push more of my friends to get involved with such an amazing cause.", Alice O (L6 student).

Working alongside members of The Thomas Franks Foundation, the students completed 446 containers, producing 892 boxed meals ready for distribution. Their teamwork and strong sense of purpose meant the group exceeded expectations, preparing the meals in less time than anticipated.

The Foundation currently supports 36 families within the county, who received 180 of the meals prepared during this session. Raj Singh, representing The Thomas Franks Foundation, worked closely with Simon Mayes, Head of Co‑Curricular and Partnerships at St Swithun’s, to ensure the remaining meals were delivered to local charities, including The Winchester Beacon and St Paul's Church, which runs the Have a Meal on Us.

St Swithun’s involvement in the Feeding Communities initiative reflects the school’s wider commitment to service and social responsibility. Through taking part in community projects like this, students gain valuable insight into local challenges while contributing meaningfully to efforts that improve the lives of others.

St Swithun’s is proud to continue its partnership with The Thomas Franks Foundation and to support a project that tackles food poverty with dignity, compassion and sustained action.