Schoolchildren Spread Christmas Joy With Homemade Gifts

- Children from Beaumont Lodge, Forest Lodge, Sandfield Close and Stokes Wood primary schools build care packages for car experienced young people in Leicestershire
- The pupils designed and filled their packages with necessity items, while also decorating their gifts in fun and engaging sessions 
- Over 15 care packages were dropped off at Park Lodge Projects, where Leicester City in the Community regularly delivers sessions to their residents

Over the festive season, Key Stage 2 students from Beaumont Lodge, Forest Lodge, Sandfield Close and Stokes Wood primary schools have been hard at work designing and crafting their own Christmas care package to send to Park Lodge Projects residents.

Park Lodge Projects supports accommodation for young homeless people between the ages of 16 and 25, offering an invaluable sanctuary, especially during the winter months.

Keen to give back to their community – and with the support of Leicester’s charitable arm – the schoolchildren designed and decorated each package, which included items ranging from day-to-day essentials to food supplies.  

After sending her gifts, Jazzmine, a Year 4 pupil at Forest Lodge Academy, discussed how the month-long project has enhanced her understanding on the importance of community.

“We have been learning about people’s lives and the way they live, and we have been learning about a place called Park Lodge,” she said.

“It has really helped me to appreciate the stuff that I have. I appreciate that I have a roof over my head and that I have a loving and caring family.”

The social action project brought two Leicester City in the Community programmes together – Premier League Primary Stars and Our City, Our Children – as part of a vision designed to offer support, both logistical and emotional in nature, to as many local people as possible.

Meanwhile, AK, a Park Lodge resident, expressed her gratitude upon receiving the care packages, which had been created by schoolchildren from across the county.

“There are no words for it, everyone just needs to be thankful for what they get, not a lot of people get stuff like this,” she said.

“I am grateful for what I have got now and I am grateful for who I am now, because if kids can do this, look what us adults can achieve too.”

Watch the story from inception to delivery by clicking HERE.

You can also find out more about Premier League Primary Stars and social action projects undertaken by Leicester City in the Community by emailing glenn.short@lcfc.co.uk.