Children at St Mary’s Primary School have been leaving their coats at school – but all in the name of charity.

Ipswich Star: Pupils and family from St Mary's Catholic Primary, Ipswich with Maureen Reynel from FIND and some of the food and Coats donated to the charityPupils and family from St Mary's Catholic Primary, Ipswich with Maureen Reynel from FIND and some of the food and Coats donated to the charity

The youngsters have been supporting Ipswich charity FIND (Families in Need), which both runs a food bank and helps provide emergency shelter to people living on the streets.

All donations brought into the school – including ones of food for their harvest festival – have been given to FIND to help them in their work.

Denise Lavender, who has been liaising between FIND and the school, said the children had really taken to the project.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic,” Mrs Lavender said. “The deadline’s passed and the donations are still coming in. We have been inundated.

“We’ve had about 60 coats so far from adults and children. The coats have been fantastic.

“With the harvest festival they’ve brought in lots of stuff for both local people and FIND.

“The children also had a non-school uniform day and they all paid a pound to do that, and we raised £185 from that for FIND.”

Mrs Lavender added the whole process had helped the children at St Mary’s learn about assisting people less fortunate than them.