BDAT is proud and excited to be working with charity, Zarach to help pilot the roll out of a programme to tackle bed poverty in Bradford.
Seven schools across the Trust (Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, Bradford Forster Academy, Christ Church Academy, St Johns, St Philips, St Oswald’s and Westminster) took part in leading the roll-out of the initiative to provide families with additional and much needed beds in time for Christmas.
Of the 200 beds delivered in the City, 123 beds have already been delivered to BDAT families and we look forward continue working with the charity in to 2024.
Zarach is a Leeds based charity, set up by a primary school teacher to tackle bed poverty in 2018. This Christmas they wanted to extend their work wider across West Yorkshire and approached BDAT to help them start to work in Bradford. The way it works is simple – BDAT schools help identify those families in most need and provide the initial link to the charity; Zarach then do the rest delivering bed bundles including sleepwear, duvets and pillows to those families who will benefit most.
A recent study published by End Child Poverty suggests that two in five children in Bradford are living in deprivation, in an area that has the highest rates of child poverty across the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
James Clarke, BDAT Head of Safeguarding said: “We aren’t complacent to think it can’t happen to any family at any time, because things happen in people’s lives that can have an impact on them. There is statistical data that would show some schools are in more deprive postcodes than others, but our commitment is to all of our pupils, regardless of which school they attend.”
To find out more about Zarach visit www.zarach.org To view the latest ITVX coverage of the Zarach roll out in to Bradford, featuring St Oswald’s CE primary school click here.
To read more and watch the news broadcast click here.