Two local charities have benefitted from the season of goodwill so far, after generous residents and businesses donated to the good causes.
Child poverty charity Level Trust received an anonymous £1,000 donation after the Luton News articles about their work and Pictons Solicitors gave an early Christmas present of £2,000 to Age Concern Luton.
Level Trust is working to help children living in poverty in Luton, starting with a project to provide uniform, shoes and winter coats to the 8,500 children thought to be going without since the council stopped the school uniform grant in September.
Jane Malcolm, chair of Level Trust said: “The £1,000 was posted through my office door in cash, in an envelope. It’s going to help us do our first school shoe pilot scheme at St Matthew’s Primary School in High Town. We will be able to give them 50 free school shoe vouchers – without that money we probably wouldn’t have been able to start doing that yet so it’s great.”
St Matthew’s was chosen as they have a very high level of children receiving free school meals –46 per cent – and are a very large, diverse school.
Level Trust has raised £2,500 so far and has another primary school and a secondary school in mind for the next set of vouchers.
As well as funding for breakfast and uniform, Level Trust plans to provide activities for children during the school holidays.
Jane said: “One boy went on our pilot scheme last summer. His family are really struggling with poverty and he spends his entire summer sat at home on the PlayStation because his family can’t afford to do anything else with him.
“He was raving about our activity days and the school said he was much better behaved after that summer.”
Level Trust are holding their first fundraising event at Ramada Encore on December 19. For details go to www.leveltrust.org or call 01582 402200.
Jane said: “It’s not nice to think that in your town people are struggling. Our donations so far show people really do care and want to help.”