Students gather 2,533 items of non perishable food for needy people

Colyton Grammar School students have collected more than a tonne of supplies for Exeter Foodbank after a four-week appeal.

The 2,533 items of non-perishable food weighed in at 1,040 kg, exceeding a tonne for the first time since the school’s annual collections began in 2009.

The students beat their initial target of 1,000 items within just a week, before going on to break the previous school record of 2,157 items.

Led by physics teacher Louise Fitzhenry, tutor group 10 Oak collected donations from across the school on a daily basis.

Pete Scott, from Exeter Foodbank, said: “This is a fantastic effort. Sadly, this amount of food will go out of Exeter Foodbank every week - 55 tonnes were given out last year.”

Thanking the students headteacher Tim Harris said: “This is an amazing achievement.”

“10 Oak have been truly brilliant,” added Mrs Fitzhenry. “They never missed a date for stocktaking or morning collections. They have shown superb enthusiasm.”