North East homelessness charity Emmaus North East have partnered with Mortimer Primary School in South Shields to design and put together a 2023 calendar to help raise money.
The charity set up a contest within the school called The Big Calendar Draw. Students were asked to draw images associated with the issues around homelessness and also including famous North East landmarks.
Emmaus North East support people who are experiencing homelessness. They aim to provide a place to stay, emotional and physical support, and work for as long as it is required. The charity, based in South Shields, was started in 2017 and has gone on to support over 100 people who have experienced homelessness.
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The chief executive officer of the charity Ruth Parker has spoken on her delight at working with the children at the school.
"We were delighted to work with Mortimer Primary School on our newly launched Big Calendar competition. The school involved all Year 6 students and even invited parents to participate. We were raising their awareness of the issues faced by those suffering from homelessness.
"Education and prevention are a key priority and even more important in the current climate due to the ever-growing numbers of homeless people and impact of the cost-of-living crisis. We weren’t disappointed, the children displayed fantastic artistic skills and knowledge of the local area. Well done to the 12 winners and all that participated."
Jonathan Douglas, the Art and Design Technology Coordinator at Mortimer Primary School, also spoke about helping the charity.
"Children at Mortimer Primary School were asked by Emmaus North East if they would like to take part in their Big Draw event. Not only did this give our staff an excellent opportunity to educate children on homelessness and the way in which it impacts upon people's lives, but it also allowed the children to actively help those in need by helping to raise funds through sales of the calendar.
"Now, more than ever, it is so important to make children aware of the needs of others and to help support people in their wider community. Being able to do that through their love of drawing was an incredibly rewarding experience for all."
The calendars will be on sale at the Emmaus North East shops at in Low Fell, Hebburn, and South Shields for £10 each. All proceeds from their sale will go towards helping homeless people.
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