Youngsters Enjoy Very Special Christmas Lunch

Over 200 pupils and staff from St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Market Harborough have enjoyed a very special Christmas lunch today.

They were able to all get together for the first time in months, as the school hall and kitchen remain closed because of dangerous concrete and pupils are having to eat lunch in separate classrooms.

Harborough Town Football Club hosted the festive event for free, town-based architect firm YMD Boon funded the catering – provided at a discount rate by Keythorpe Event Catering – coach firms Ausden Clarke and Wilsons transported everyone there and back for no charge and donations from Co-Op, Waitrose and Specsavers helped make the day extra special.

Santa made a surprise appearance too and these pupils from St Joseph’s spoke to HFM before sitting down for their lunch:

An appeal to ensure the school could have a Christmas lunch was launched a few weeks ago and received a fantastic response.

Headteacher Bernadette Dabbs told HFM she really wanted the school to be able to unite for Christmas:

Katie Ford from YMD Boon helped co-ordinate the arrangements for today’s lunch:

Maz Hayton from Harborough Town FC told HFM the club was delighted to get involved:

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien was at the lunch after first sharing the school’s appeal for help: