DOZENS of food items were donated to the Durham Foodbank from pupils in Barnard Castle.

Staff and youngsters at Teesdale School collected a vast array of edible goods for donation to the initiative, which delivers emergency food parcels to people and families, in County Durham, who are facing times of hardship.

A group from the school also volunteered at the main distribution centre, in Chester-le-Street, to help prepare the parcels for delivery.

Angela Pine, from Teesdale School, said: “It was an invaluable experience and our pupils gained a lot of insight into the crisis faced by people all around us.

“Not only did they find how a food bank operated, but also it opened their eyes to the many different circumstances that can lead to people needing a helping hand.”

Year seven pupil, Evie Peacock, added: “It made me feel really good about myself to know that the food we collected and the emergency parcels that we helped to prepare will be going to help a local family in crisis.”

The school will continue to support the Durham Foodbank and will be launching another collection in the New Year.