Northampton charity supplies 250 summer holiday food parcels for families via schools

A Northampton charity has helped disadvantaged families by providing 250 summer holiday food parcels to schools across the county.

The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation, set up by Swan & Helmet landlady Teresa McCarthy-Dixon, has been supporting the community since the beginning of the first lockdown, including supporting 51 schools throughout Northamptonshire with food bags, breakfast packages and household items that families may otherwise have gone without.

As schools break up for the six-week summer holiday, Teresa did not want families to go without, so over the past two days teachers and staff from 21 schools have collected in the region of 250 parcels to support families over the summer holidays.

Teresa McCarthy-Dixon, founder of the foundation, said: “It was hugely important to us from the very beginning that these packages found their way to families that needed help the most and one of the best ways of doing this was via the local schools.

“The school network has been invaluable to us to help find and provide these essential items to the families that need it.

“The feedback we’ve had from the teachers and staff has been incredible.”

The summer holiday packages include a range of practical household items and groceries which help those facing financial difficulties reduce their food bills during the upcoming break.

The Deputy Headteacher at All Saints Primary School added: “The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation has provided an invaluable service for our families for the past year.

“The weekly food parcels they provided throughout lockdown and now during holiday periods has ensured that we have been able to support our struggling families in their times of need.

“All our families have been extremely grateful for this support.

“The volunteers are passionate about their project and provide an efficient and friendly service."

One parent who has received a parcel for their family said: "Thank you for all the help and support you have given me and the boys throughout the difficult time we went through. “Your kindness is appreciated more than you will ever know."

Another continued: "The food parcels have been a lifesaver, thank you"

Volunteers have worked tirelessly all week to make sure the packages were ready for when schools finished for summer and now Teresa is paying tribute to her team.

Teresa added: "The staff at Earls Barton Primary School also worked together to create a fantastic cookery book of their own personal favourite recipes and sold the book to help raise funds for us which we thought was a brilliant idea.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has been involved from the schools themselves, the local community and the Swan & Helmet’s customers.

“Everyone has been so helpful and supportive of the charity and all we are doing for the local community.

"We'd also like to thank all our volunteers for working tirelessly to help collect groceries and pack bags and breakfast boxes.

“Particular recognition and thanks have to go to Vincent Doherty for the incredible number of hours he has spent packing bags for us over this week.”

Find out more about the foundation by visiting the website here. To support the work, donate to the foundation’s GoFundMe here.