Big Hearts Helping Families Get Back to School
The new school year is around the corner and millions of school children and their families are preparing for the reality of schools opening amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Heart of Midlothian charity, Big Hearts Community Trust, is currently involved in a scheme that is helping during this time in the city of Edinburgh.
Getting back to school after five months will become very stressful and challenging for many children and families involved in our programmes, they posit. Here’s a summary of the range of support they are delivering ahead of the reopening of Edinburgh schools next week.
Tips to build resilience
The City of Edinburgh Council has developed a series of ‘Back to School Tips’ in consultation with the Parent and Carer Support Collaborative to help families prepare ahead of the return to schools on Tuesday August 11.
These simple tips are designed to facilitate a smooth transition for both the children and the parents/carers and maintain a positive well-being.
Big Hearts is currently sharing these advice to families and pupils involved in their ‘School’s Out!’ project and Kinship Care programme.
Schools uniforms
Big Hearts’ Family Support Officer is helping local families living in financial hardship to ensure children can start the new school year with the required clothing & footwear.
Over 12 families have been referred by their charity to Edinburgh School Uniform Bank, which provides pupils with free sets of jumpers, polos/shirts and trousers/skirts.
Food provisions
Big Hearts has been working with primary schools in South West Edinburgh to tackle food insecurities during the summer holidays.
Over 120 local children, many of them registered to receive free school meals during term time, have been receiving weekly food parcels throughout the official ‘school break’ period. The last deliveries will take place on the weekend of August 8 and 9.
Find out more about Big Hearts’ summer holidays activities here.
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