Beyond the School Gates
What does School mean to you?
While schools are primarily places of learning, their role in communities has grown and evolved, especially since the pandemic.
If pupils are to fulfil their potential, schools need to be rooted in their communities. As the African proverb rightly states, “it takes a village to raise a child.”
In Dundee, most primary schools have access to a School and Families Development Worker.
With a broad remit, this city-wide team supports Head Teachers in raising attendance and providing parental support. But they cannot do this alone. They work in partnership with a range of different agencies, and that’s where Dundee Bairns come in.
So how does the charity work with schools?
As part of its Fun and Food programme, Dundee Bairns delivers thousands of meals across the city during the Easter, Summer and October holidays. Quite literally providing fun and food, children can access food and experiences they may otherwise miss out on, especially during expensive school holidays.
Through Tayside Contracts and a committed band of volunteers dropping off lunches, Dundee Bairns supports a range of services from nurseries and P7-S1 transition events to community fun days, day trips and playschemes.
But, despite an emphasis on food poverty, Dundee Bairns offers more than food alone. Through its voucher referral scheme Cosy Bairns, the charity provides vouchers to families requiring clothing support. Since 2020, over 8,000 vouchers have been handed out to nursery, primary and secondary pupils across Dundee, meeting their basic right to warm clothing.
And through the new Bairns At Home programme, schools can also identify families who might need help with everyday items others take for granted, from beds and bedding to kitchen items, toiletries, and nappies. With the added benefit of reducing waste, these items are changing lives rather than ending up in landfills.
What difference does it make?
Dundee Bairns supports families across Dundee, including in Linlathen and Mid Craigie.
Doug Millar, School and Families Development Worker at Rowantree Primary School, started working with Dundee Bairns in 2017, when the charity provided a two-course hot meal for around 30 children as part of the Tea Club programme.
Doug said, “To me, Dundee Bairns brings the best out in people. Their projects give people and businesses a platform through which they can make a difference, and it’s a privilege to see how that ripples down to the young people in our school and the wider community. Their efficiency and dedication are relentless, everything is handled with discretion and dignity, and we are exceptionally grateful for the support they provide to our community.”
One of the schools to benefit from Fun and Food is St Fergus RC Primary School in Ardler.
Keith Gibson, School and Families Development Worker explained, “School holidays can be incredibly challenging for families so, through Dundee Bairns, we can offer a range of free activities, including lunch. Families are being pushed to their limits, so knowing their child is enjoying themselves and having a nutritious meal is huge.
“There’s perhaps a perception that we’re only talking about unemployed parents but we’re seeing a growing demand from working parents who are struggling to make ends meet. There’s no doubt that the demand and the diversity of families is growing each year.
“On an operational level, Dundee Bairns makes it so easy for us, which saves us previous time and effort. Our families face enough barriers as it is, so by us applying for funding and completing referral forms, we keep it simple and make that difference. Volunteers delivering the food always arrive with a smile on their face – they want to help and make it easy.”
At Claypotts Castle Primary School, Cath McBennett is also indebted to the charity which provides Fun and Food funding for their holiday clubs in Easter, Summer and October.
Cath said, “Each day of the holidays, between 70 and 100 pupils will come along to enjoy lots of different activities, from physical activities to arts and crafts, combined with a nutritious packed lunch. We simply could not offer this without Dundee Bairns because of the volume of children who attend.
“Our holiday provision allows young people to socialise and keep that connection to the school, a safe place that’s familiar to them, and the trusted adults at school. Summer, in particular, is such a long break. If their link to school was broken for almost seven weeks, some pupils would struggle when they come back. Of course, the club is also a huge help in allowing parents to keep working.”
Outside the holiday period, Dundee Bairns also plays a significant role within the Claypotts Castle Primary School community, from funding a four-week cooking and baking course for around 60 primary six children to providing vouchers through the Cosy Bairns programme. The school is also an active supporter of the Bairns at Home programme, allowing families in need the chance to choose everyday household items from a community cupboard, often freeing up money to buy essential food.
And, aside from the impact on the schools, what difference do schools make to Dundee Bairns?
Genna Millar, Project Manager, explained, “With everything we do at Dundee Bairns, it’s crucial that we reach those in need but we can’t identify these individuals and families on our own.
“Without our schools’ buy-in through the School and Families Development Workers, we wouldn’t have the information we need to carry out our services across Dundee. They are absolutely integral in building relationships and ensuring that help gets to those who really need it. We love nothing more than hearing the impact our service makes on families and the wider school experience.”
