A half-term treat is being handed to more than 10,000 schoolchildren and secondary students across Newcastle thanks to delivery support from Newcastle United Foundation – the official charity arm of Newcastle United.
In a bid to enrich the lives of young people spending their February half-term at home, Newcastle City Council and partners have created fun-filled activity packs, stuffed with sports equipment, puzzle books, phone chargers, family games, mental wellbeing advice and activity booklets.
To ensure thousands of children and teenagers can enjoy their break from school in lockdown, the Council called on Newcastle United Foundation’s dedicated staff and community teams to volunteer their time towards delivering each pack.
Dozens of Foundation colleagues using their own transport and following strict Covid-19 protocols and safeguarding measures began the distribution process on Friday and will continue to support deliveries across the next two weeks.
To limit contact within this lockdown period, Foundation staff are collecting activity packs from various locations in Newcastle’s West End and delivering them in bulk to schools and community centres across the city.
Steve Beharall, Head of Newcastle United Foundation, said: “As always, our teams are only too happy to volunteer their time and be part of an incredible effort across the city to support our children and young people during half-term.
“Everyone is facing so many unique challenges at the moment, but we know younger generations are missing out on their school routines, socialising with friends and seeing family members at such a pivotal stage in their education and development.
“Our Foundation is dedicated to supporting everyone across the North East and we will continue to serve communities most in need in any way we can throughout this pandemic and beyond.”
Two types of packs have been created to cater for younger age groups and teenagers to ensure everyone can enjoy their break from school in lockdown.
Councillor Paula Holland, Newcastle City Council cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: “Children and young people in Newcastle deserve a huge amount of admiration for all they have endured this past year. Few generations have experienced such widespread and continued disruption to their normal routines.
“We’re really pleased to be able to support schoolchildren across Newcastle to help them stay active and look after their physical and emotional wellbeing during this challenging time and provide an engaging offer.
“I’d like to thank the Newcastle United Foundation and the city’s schools for their continued support with this project and for their perseverance during the pandemic.”
The Foundation will not be visiting home addresses to deliver the activity packs and will be adhering to all recommended Covid-19 safety procedures and safeguarding measures to protect city communities.