Business For Youth's Sunflower Project helps community

However, a team of volunteers has done as much as it possibly could throughout the past 13 months to help others in need.

Business for Youth in Newton-le-Willows has helped to support the community throughout this devastating crisis.

Business For Youth

From March 23, 2020 through to June 26 it launched the Sunflower Project, refusing no child a free packed lunch.

In total, 33,805 packed lunches were delivered, providing every weekday for 14 weeks to children and some elderly in the area.

At its peak it delivered 622 packed lunches to 280 houses per day, using four drivers a day, always with a smile, sometimes in silly dress up costume, creating much fun, growing, colouring and design competitions in the process.

More than 500 Easter eggs were given out, accompanied by an Easter Bunny, and on VE Day the project delivered Union Jacks to every child on its list and scones, jam and cream to the rest of the family.

Business For Youth

Throughout the 14 weeks, working from Cross Lane United Reform Church, the team took many contributions every day and passed on each week to Michelle Goodwin for the St Helens foodbank.

It worked closely with local schools to create a response to help many individuals and families that were struggling and made and delivered many emergency foods and essentials parcels to families.

READ > Saints supporters advised to take Covid test for Monday's game

The next phase saw, working from Crownway Community Centre, 730 food and essential boxes made and sent to families in need throughout the summer holidays.

The project also managed to stage three recreational events, a 'TRY-IT' rugby two-day fun event, 20 children per day followed by a fun and exercise event at SKK JUDO for 25 children. There was also a family walk that incorporated an ART competition for children, drawing the Nine Arches viaduct.

Business For Youth

With some monies left, the project decided to give £300 to the pastoral services of five primary schools.

And when term restarted last September, it offered to help the council along with other groups in buying and preparing food boxes for children that were forced to isolate away from school, working from All Saints Church alongside the Rev Chris Stafford and Dr Michelle Goodwin.

A Halloween doll competition and a Christmas toy appeal were held and a “Through a Child’s Eyes “competition, where children were asked to write a story or poem in no more than 250 words about their thoughts of Covid and what they are looking forward to most of all when it’s all over. There were some touching stories.

Business For Youth

As the new year came, on January 4, the Prime minister announced the third lockdown and BFY vowed that it would offer food parcels for those that may need throughout the duration. Every Friday since it has provided food and essential parcels for up to 100 families per week.

As of April 16, it had prepared and delivered 1576 food or essential parcels throughout the third lockdown

An appeal saw Easter eggs delivered to seven schools.

Business For Youth

On behalf of the team, chairman and trustee Terry Maguire said: "We are extremely proud to have been able to offer support in our community over the last 10 years and particularly during 2020. Our group will continue to serve its community and we look forward to all future challenges.

We thank all of those in our town and all of our sponsors that have supported us this year to help us help others in our community.

"All this could not have been achieved without a lovely group of volunteers that have given up so much of their own time to provide all of the above to our community, from picker to packers to drivers, to those that made brews."

Business For Youth

He added: "The whole of the past year has been held in such a high spirited, lovely atmosphere among our group and we are extremely proud of all that have played a part in our Sunflower team.

"We hope the current positive outlook continues and we can all get back to a pleasant new normality."

The team has included Ann, Terry, David, Debie, Donna, Katie, Leon, Andie, Rachel, Sue, Zoe, Eve, Harry, Anya, Caitlin, Paul, Linda, Jim, Jackie, Alex, Laura, Michelle, Reverend Chris, Judith, Johnny Vegas and Lucia.