Before the COVID-19 crisis, Poplar Street Primary School in Tameside received weekly FareShare GM deliveries for its breakfast and after-school clubs, providing food for children in a borough where one in five are growing up below the poverty line.
About Poplar Street Primary and Lockdown
When the first lockdown hit in March 2020, Headteacher, Iain Linsdell, knew he had to find a way to keep getting food onto the plates of his most vulnerable pupils. Thanks to the amazing efforts of its teachers and staff, the school switched to distributing food parcels to local families and has become a vital support hub for the community.
Since the first lockdown, Poplar Street distributed nearly 16 tonnes of FareShare food to local families, equivalent to over 37,000 meal portions. At the height of the pandemic, the school was delivering almost 150 parcels a week.
Our partnership with FareShare enabled us to become a different kind of community hub, so instead of families and kids coming to us, we’re going out to them. We were able to deliver high quality food from supermarkets and wholesalers straight to families’ doors. I had staff members meeting children, having that human connection and also doing a brilliant community service – and that’s what it’s all about.”
It’s keeping our community connected in a way that’s familiar and reassuring both to staff and children. It’s bringing a little bit of normality to everyone’s lives in these exceptional times. Working with FareShare is just a brilliant win-win.
Iain Linsdell, Headteacher
Iain’s tireless work to support his community has been truly inspirational and has helped us all remember how important it is to work as hard as we can to help others through the current crisis.
Watch the short film below to learn more about Poplar Street’s amazing efforts:
These stories from Poplar Street Primary during the lockdown resonate as a reminder of the strength of collective resilience and the boundless capacity for human kindness. They illuminate the path forward—where communities unite to uplift the most vulnerable, leaving no one behind.
