At this time of year the pressure on vulnerable families is greater than ever so across ESMS we have been collecting donations to give some extra support to those in our community who need it most.
In the Junior School, presents were collected by all of the classes in Primary 6 and 7. The Salvation Army in Granton are hoping to gather enough presents to deliver to 180 children. Thanks to the efforts of the ESMS community we managed to gather 15 sacks of presents which will make a real difference to children and families in need this Christmas.
Any excess presents are being taken to two other areas in Edinburgh, and to Perth to help support families there. The Salvation Army were extremely thankful for all of the donations.
Over the month of December, Primary 4 and 5 have been busy collecting presents too, this time for Social Bite. The children travelled to St Andrew's Square to deliver the presents to the Tree of Kindness for people who are homeless or vulnerable. The children donated items from Social Bite's wishlist, which included children's toys, hot water bottles, warm clothing and winter jackets.
The School has also been continuing to support our local foodbanks. Staff across the Schools did a collection for the West Lothian Foodbank and Sixth Formers collected over 100 kilos of food for the Edinburgh Food Project, who operate seven foodbanks across Edinburgh and provide emergency supplies and support to people in crisis.
As well as donating gifts, we have been busy this term fundraising for several different charities. At The Mary Erskine School, we have been supporting Edinburgh Women's Aid, The Chesney Trust and Scottish SPCA by wearing something festive and donating money to support these charities. At Stewart's Melville College, this term, we have raised money for Finlay's Friends, Comfort International, Steps to Hope, Rock Trust and Doddie Aid. Fundraising is still ongoing for these charities and our total amount raised will be announced in June 2023.