Revd Robb Sutherland, of Holy Nativity Church, on the estates of Mixenden and Illingworth in North Halifax, West Yorkshire, has coordinated fundraising to buy a £10 Morrisons’ supermarket voucher for every child at the primary school on the estate.

He launched an appeal after seeing pictures last month on social media of inadequate food parcels for children on free school meals. The vouchers are the latest contribution by the church to help alleviate the economic impact of the pandemic in the local community.  

Throughout the year, the church has used donations and a grant from Calderdale Council to pay for meals during the October half term holiday and 350 Christmas parcels for families, supported by donations from Morrisons supermarket in Halifax. The food parcels were distributed through the school. 

The Fundraising efforts on the run up to the Christmas holidays were match funded by the Love Your Neighbour initiative helping the church to provide more support to struggling families.

Revd Sutherland, who has been Vicar at the church for the past eight years, described the economic fallout from the pandemic as an ‘escalating’ problem that will affect families for years. He said: “We have people who are losing their jobs in industries like construction and jobs such as labourers and this is having a massive impact on families on the estate. What is happening now will have an impact for many years to come.”