A leisure centre in Wythenshawe ran a back-to-school event this week to help low-income families get prepared for the new term.
Taking place on Tuesday 27 August, the event saw Wythenshawe Forum partner with several local charities to offer free back-to-school supplies for children.
The leisure facility, which is managed by Everyone Active on behalf of Wythenshawe Forum Trust, teamed up with anti-poverty charity The Brick to supply back-to-school kits, donated by Amazon UK. These included rucksacks, stationery and water bottles.
Also attending the event was Read Manchester who supplied books and stationery, along with Wythenshawe Food Bank who donated food supplies, such as bread, cereal, fruit juice and long-life milk.
What’s more, Manchester Airport provided 100 white school polo shirts suitable for boys and girls. Free family swim passes were offered by Everyone Active too.
Redeeming our Communities (ROC) and Wythenshawe Forum Trust supported the event.
With research indicating that back-to-school costs could reach up to £1,100, the community event aimed to support parents who may be struggling financially in getting their children ready for the new term.
Parents in attendance praised the initiative – with one exclaiming, “What a great idea. I wish there more events like this”. Another said, “Back to school is expensive so this is a massive help!”.
Everyone Active’s contract manager, Phil Bowers, said: “Our back-to-school event had a brilliant turnout and received fantastic feedback from the families who came.
“We know the back-to-school season can cause financial stress for families, so we’re really proud to support them in any way we can. We hope the event helped to ease the financial burden – even just a little bit – as the new term starts.
“A massive thank you to our partners for supporting this event too.”
Keely Dalfen, CEO of The Brick, said: “The start of a new school year should be an exciting time for families but with the cost-of-living crippling so many in our communities, it’s become yet another financial worry for them.
“Through the donation of these back-to-school essentials from Amazon, The Brick hopes to provide children with the quality items they need to start the new school year ready to learn and with a smile on their faces.”