At the start of this school year, Unity College challenged their students to raise food donations for Burnley FC in the Community’s Foodbank. Knowing how much students thrive on friendly competition, the college launched a month-long initiative called ‘Battle of the Tins’, encouraging each year group to collect as many tins as possible.
Burnley FC in the Community launched their foodbank in early 2021, responding to growing local need during the COVID-19 pandemic. By July that year, the initiative, run in partnership with Burnley Together, had already supported over 10,000 people, including thousands of children.
Since then, donations have dropped by more than 90%, and Burnley FC in the Community now relies on purchasing the majority of its food supplies to continue feeding over 12,500 people annually.
Last week, Burnley FC in the Community’s Foodbank team visited Unity College to meet some of the incredible students who’ve been donating food. Together, they raised an outstanding 780 tins.
Foodbank Manager Nathan Norris said, “We’re so grateful to Unity College for launching this initiative. It’s one of the biggest donations we’ve received in a long time, and knowing the students truly embraced the challenge means so much. We hope this project leaves a lasting legacy in Burnley and inspires more schools to get involved and take on the challenge themselves.”
Headteacher at Unity College, Ms Richardson added: “What started as an idea from our Heads of Year to inspire community spirit has grown into something truly special. The teamwork, competition, and generosity shown by our students and staff have been incredible to see.”
If you would like to get involved in Battle of the Tins, whether you’re a school or a business, please get in touch on N.Norris@burnleyfc.com