Northampton primary school ‘proud’ to support charity and teach pupils about ‘empathy and giving back’

Spencer Contact, located in Gladstone Close, fixes and cleans up donated furniture before passing it on to those in need for free.

The charity, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, helps to make a space a home with furniture and household items – and anyone can benefit from their generosity.

Having seen sad situations of people sleeping on floors, sharing plates and cutlery, and using bin bags full of clothes as chairs, the team helps individuals and families to start afresh.

As part of their fundraising efforts, husband and wife Steve and Esther Scarsbrook and their team have run the ‘Sleep on the Floor’ project since 2019.

The idea is that schools and other organisations sign up to ‘sleep on the floor’ for one night, and this helps to raise sponsorship money and awareness of Spencer Contact.

As well as this, it starts important conversations about the unfortunate situations others may face without a bed.

Having worked in education and two of the town’s primary schools previously, Esther knows there is a lack of funding for extra curricular and fun activities and wanted to change that.

For every £1 raised by a school for Spencer Contact, 10 pence is given to them in return. This has enabled the half a dozen schools who have taken part to purchase wet play toys and library books, as well as organise pizza lunches and movie nights.

The latest school to take part is Boothville Primary and headteacher Rebecca Payne said: “Teaching children the importance of supporting charities and helping others in their community is invaluable.

“By participating in events like Sleep on the Floor for a night or donating furniture, students learn not only about charity but also about empathy and giving back. It shows them that even small actions can make a big difference.

“Spencer Contact is a wonderful organisation doing meaningful work for the people of Northampton and we are proud to be supporting them.”

This collaboration was established after Spencer Contact assisted parents of students at the primary school, by providing them with the items they need to alleviate poverty.

Following assemblies and welcoming the school council to see the work they do, the Spencer Contact team were impressed by the raw and honest questions being asked. It was clear the students were interested in learning more.

“Seeing it for themselves makes it tangible,” said Esther. “They saw that the furniture wasn’t just beds and often families don’t just need one item.

“I know what it’s like when children aren’t sleeping well – they aren’t focused, energetic or motivated. This teaches the children to be empathetic towards their peers and they may not understand why someone is falling asleep at their desk.

“It teaches them that other people’s home lives can be different to their own and that being kind to each other is extremely important.”

Around 550 students from Boothville Primary School will be taking part in the challenge this Friday (March 14).

Any schools, groups or organisations interested in getting involved in Spencer Contact’s Sleep on the Floor project can reach out to Esther on 01604 587589.

For more information, you can visit Spencer Contact’s Facebook page here.