This term, students have been thinking about how the Covid pandemic has affected those in our local communities and this was a key focus for all students during our recent Founders’ Commemoration Day.  

Each year Redmaids’ High School supports several local charities through various fundraising activities, and although this year is different in many ways, supporting local charities has remained a key priority.    

As the Christmas holidays draw near, one of the focuses of our fundraising is on Caring in Bristol - a charity who we have a longstanding partnership with – and specifically raising money for their Christmas campaign, Caring at Christmas. Caring in Bristol support Bristol’s homeless by providing a place for them to shelter, however due to the pandemic, they have had to adapt the ways they support those in need, including creating Cheers Drive, an element of their Caring at Christmas campaign, and the UK’s first free food delivery service for the homeless.  

With food provided by some of Bristol’s finest independent restaurants, Cheers Drive has served around 400 hot meals every day since April, with a total of 150,000 meals delivered to those in need since the campaign began.  

Students have been busy raising money for the Caring at Christmas campaign by taking part in a House Santa Run, wearing their finest festive jumpers for Christmas Jumper Day, and creating postcards for Caring in Bristol benefactors as well as residents of local care homes.  

Today, we are happy to be handing over a school van to Caring in Bristol to support their Christmas campaign. The van will be used over the next month to distribute hot meals to the homeless who are currently being roomed in hostels and hotels around the city.  

Jon Cooper, Assistant Headteacher Sixth Form said, “We have a great partnership with Caring in Bristol and staff and students look forward to supporting them each year. Although 2020 has been a unique year, we are so pleased to still be able to support the important work they are doing in our city and we hope the school van will help them achieve their target of providing 900 hot meals a day during the Christmas period.”  

For further information on the Caring at Christmas campaign and ways to support Bristol’s homeless this Christmas, visit https://caringinbristol.co.uk/donate/