'Kind and generous' students launch appeal to support homeless
Students at Rotherham Opportunities College provide a 'lifeline' to charity
Kind-hearted young students opted to think outside the (shoe)box when it came to developing a “important partnership” with a local charity.
Students at Rotherham Opportunities College, all of whom have special educational needs, were inspired to support homeless people living across the borough after spending time finding out about the work of Rotherham-based homeless charity Shiloh.
This experience inspired one student and saw Joshua Kerry share his idea with the college's Student Council, where the group of ten students agreed to launch an appeal to create emergency shoeboxes packed with food, toiletries and clothing for those supported by Shiloh.
The students – at ROC which supports young people aged 16–25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to develop independence, wellbeing and employability skills – created 18 emergency parcels which will be distributed to beneficiaries of the charity.
Sarah Smart, chief executive, Shiloh Rotherham said: “I’d like to give my thanks to all the students at Rotherham Opportunities College who have supported our work.
“We support over 700 people every year in Rotherham who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, and the shoeboxes the students have so generously donated will provide a lifeline to those who use our service.
“Partnerships like this are so important to us at Shiloh, and we are incredibly grateful for the kindness, generosity and community spirit they have shown.”
James, Kay, student engagement officer, Rotherham Opportunities College said: “We encourage all of our students to play an active role in the community – from helping out our community café at Ulley, to volunteering their time.
“What makes this initiative special is that it was one developed by the students themselves.
“Joshua put his ideas forward to our student council and that encouraged more students to get involved with the campaign.
“There’s been a great deal of support for the campaign across college, and I couldn’t be more proud of what they have achieved.”
The college - rated ‘Good’ in its most recent OFSTED inspection and outstanding rating in two areas - became a registered charity last year.