Star Academies charitable appeal to ease suffering during the coronavirus pandemic

Staff and pupils at Star Academies are working to support vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic as part of The Star Academies’ coronavirus appeal.

As the lockdown continues, many in our local communities will struggle. Jobs and businesses are at risk, incomes and savings will dwindle and those who are already financially disadvantaged will risk severe hardship. Without assistance, many people in our communities will go hungry and struggle to afford essentials, such as heating and toiletries.

The Star family is working together to ensure that no member suffers unnecessarily as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Working with Shine Charity, our sister charity, we have launched a fundraising campaign to help Star family members who are most in need. Help can be accessed by pupils who attend Star schools, their siblings parents and grandparents; former pupils of Star schools and their families; people and residents who live in Star school neighbourhoods; Star staff, governors, volunteers and their families.

Our pledges

We don’t think anyone should have to struggle alone, and that is why we are asking for donations to our appeal so that we can help stop suffering in our local communities.

Through our charity appeal, we will deliver five pledges to our communities:

1. All members of the Star family will be fed.
2. All members of the Star family will be able to maintain good personal hygiene.
3. All Star families will be able to stay safe and warm in their homes.
4. All Star pupils who are learning at home will receive a good quality of education.
5. All children of Star keyworkers, and vulnerable pupils, will continue to receive excellent care.

Star Family Hubs

As part of our civic response to the pandemic, we have already established Star Family Hubs in our schools across the country. Our hubs are caring for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers from Star schools, together with pupils from other local schools. We are providing these children with food and activities – over and above the Government requirements – to ensure that they are kept safe, well and happy. We have extended our opening hours and our hubs will remain open during school holidays and bank holidays to ensure that keyworker parents are supported, at all times, to continue their critical front-line work.

Our Star Family Hubs are not just for pupils. Located in the heart of our communities, our Hubs will provide:

• Food vouchers to Star family members who cannot afford to feed themselves.
• Toiletry and home hygiene vouchers to Star families who are in financial difficulty.
• Advice and support for those in fuel poverty.
• Access to technology and stationery to any Star pupils who do not have these resources in their homes.
  

PPE for health workers

Star Academies’ Star Family Hubs are also committed to protecting our health workers through the provision of PPE. As well as assisting medical staff in hospital settings, we have also provided PPE to local care-homes and other care facilities who were struggling to acquire sufficient supplies. Pupils and staff donated existing stocks of school gloves, goggles and aprons and have also created visors through their innovative use of 3D printing.

Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, urges members of the Star family to support the appeal.

He said:
This is an exceedingly worrying time for everyone in the Star family and beyond. Thousands have already lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic and thousands more are seriously ill. Now as the nation braces itself for further losses, many in our communities are already suffering financial hardship.

Challenges, brought about by social distancing and lockdown, mean that some members of the Star family are facing additional pressures at home and an uncertain future. Jobs that once seemed secure, businesses that have benefited from years of investment and hard work, now hang in the balance as the country awaits its fate.

The world has the potential to appear very cruel to those who face additional family and financial worries at this time of national emergency.

But our Star family has the power to make a difference. We are a family of over 17,000 pupils and staff with a strong track record of fundraising and helping those in need. We are committed to serving our communities, and society more widely, and wish to spread messages of kindness and empathy through our charitable work.

“With your help, we can alleviate the suffering of those in our communities at this difficult time and demonstrate the kindness that is integral to our Star family. Together, we can ensure that nobody faces hardship alone. This is why I am asking you to make the world a little kinder for those who are struggling, and, if you are able, to donate to our coronavirus appeal.

Support our campaign

We are living through a time of unprecedented global crisis. Governments cannot tackle this emergency alone. Concerted international effort is needed to control the spread of infection and deal with its social and economic impact. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to help and this charity appeal is our way to help the Star family and society more widely. Our communities need us.

As an organisation which has its roots in schools and local communities, Star Academies is well placed to help at this time of national emergency. We understand the challenges faced by children, their families and those in our local neighbourhoods. Our knowledge and community experience, combined with expert logistical support from our central team, mean that we are ideally placed to identify and help those most in need.

Our coronavirus fundraising appeal is just one of several initiatives that are being launched to help those facing difficulties in our local communities and to support parents and carers throughout the country. A telephone helpline, Starline, has been launched to help give practical education advice to parents and carers. For more information about our appeal and our charity pledges, please visit https://www.starcoronavirusappeal.org/.

With your help, we can make a difference to local people who are in desperate need. To make a donation to the coronavirus charity appeal please https://www.starcoronavirusappeal.org/donate/.

To find out how we can support you, visit our coronavirus appeal website or contact your local Star Family Hub.

Added By: Star Academies | Date Added: 6th May 2020 | Posted In: Latest News