This week at Epsom College St Luke’s Chapel has been looking like a rather upmarket food distribution centre, while remaining a beautiful and inspiring place in which to worship. This was Harvest Festival Week.
Each House, and the Lower School, had collected a staggering amount of donations. Dr Elliot Lockhart and the pupil-led Charities Committee co-ordinated the collection. All the donations were brought down to Chapel last Saturday morning, where Canon Haviland and a team of pupil volunteers unpacked and decorated the Chapel.
“I think there are more donations this year than ever before,” commented Jonathan Lees, Founder and Director of the Epsom and Ewell Foodbank when he came to visit this week. In his reflection to the pupils he said that since lockdown there had been a 300% increase in requests for help.
Canon Haviland and the Chaplaincy Team have been delighted with the quantity and quality of the donations.
Canon Haviland said: “Everyone has been so generous. During these difficult times, our community has excelled in ensuring that our local Foodbank will be stocked with donations for some time. We are so grateful to the parents, pupils and staff for their generosity.” He was also very grateful to the HMMs and Matrons who co-ordinated the collections from each House.
All the donations will be boxed up and delivered to the Food Bank after Chapel on Saturday morning. At least two large vans will be needed to transport all the donations to the Foodbank.
