Highfield School welcomes Liphook Food Bank chair to Harvest Festival

On Thursday 8^th October, Highfield School in Liphook welcomed Glynis Blake, chair of trustees for Liphook Food Bank, to its annual Harvest Festival.

The Liphook Food Bank has benefited from the support of the Highfield School community for the past five years. Over that time, children, staff and parents have raised more than £12,000 for the food bank, as well as making annual food donations at the school’s Harvest Festival.

Glynis began the harvest celebrations by asking a simple question: “Who had breakfast this morning?” A sea of hands immediately went up across the assembly, with staff and children from Nursery to Year 8 taking part. She went on to explain that many of the families the food bank supports do not always have food for breakfast, helping children to understand how their contributions make a real difference.

Liphook Food Bank supports around 80 families in the local community. In addition to providing much-needed food, the service offers wider support, including help with finances and budgeting, planning shopping lists, and cooking lessons. The food bank relies heavily on donations and volunteers, and contributions such as those from Highfield’s Harvest Festival make a significant impact. It also receives fresh eggs from Bramshott Farm and organic vegetables from Ed’s Veg.

Glynis also spoke about the food bank’s work to become more sustainable. She explained that they are looking to source plastic-free laundry sheets, as well as environmentally friendly sponges and scourers. There was an audible “wow” around the assembly when the children heard that the sponges are made from wood pulp and the scourers from coconut.

Highfield School, a leading independent prep school in Liphook, has been part of the local community for 120 years, and giving back is at the heart of its education.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield School, said: “We place great importance on giving back. We want our children to realise their place in society and understand that not everyone has access to simple luxuries such as breakfast and lunch. Our children learn the meaning of giving back from a young age and know that giving can be monetary, through donations such as food, or by volunteering their time.”

Highfield School will continue to support Liphook Food Bank throughout the year. This includes its textile clothing bank recycling scheme, where 5p for every 1kg of clothing donated is given to the charity, and a Giving Tree at the school’s Christmas fair, where Highfield parents can select gifts for local children who might otherwise go without at Christmas.