Coventry: Students prepare festive meal for care home residents

Cardinal Wiseman students

A group of 50 Year 12 students at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School in Coventry, will be hosting a turkey dinner and fun and games for residents from four Coventry care homes on Wednesday, December 20.

The students, aged 16 to 17, have planned and fundraised for the event in their spare time, using bake sales to generate more than £300 in donations from the school community.

The project is being delivered in collaboration with the St Vincent de Paul Society, which supports voluntary action across England and Wales to offer friendship and support to isolated people.

Tom Stephens, Year 12 student at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, is leading the project. He said: "The SVP is an amazing charity which I am proud to be a part of, and this event is a great way to promote its message of helping less fortunate people through action.

"We hope it will make a huge difference to our guests to spend some time with them during a potentially lonely time of year, and the goal is to make a positive change in their lives."

Tom Scott-Machin, Lay Chaplain at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, said: "We are always looking to find new ways to help pupils make an impact in the community, and I think this project has been so popular with our young people because they will get to see the end result of their hard work.

"To see our fantastic year 12s so driven to make a difference and take ownership over the project has been incredible. It's bound to be a really special day, and it's all down to the way they have bought into the idea of supporting people who may be experiencing loneliness over Christmas."

Julia Fitz at the St Vincent de Paul Society said: "The SVP is all about making a difference, and this group is doing great work. I can't wait to come and see the results of their efforts."