Children at schools across Ollerton celebrated harvest time by offering the fruits of their labour to those in need.

The Arts Development and Community Development Teams at Newark and Sherwood District Council teamed up with artist Clare Taylor to help pupils from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, The Forest View Academy, and The Parkgate Academy as they decorated harvest festival boxes to hold their food donations.

Many of the boxes created by the children were donated to those in need, with some being given directly to the community and some taken to local foodbanks.

Coun Tim Wendels, portfolio holder for Homes and Health at the council, said: “Learning to give back to the community when you can and to support those worse off than yourself is so important for young people, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

“To see these children working hard and spreading the smiles on their faces to others is so heartening and we’ve been delighted to help them do so.”

The council also runs a number of schemes for local food donation, including the Crop Drop initiative that enables allotment holders to donate food to food clubs, food banks, local schools, colleges, emergency food provision centres, and Beaumond House Hospice Care, Newark.

A list of local food clubs that can offer support to residents struggling in the cost-of-living crisis, some of which do accept donations, can be found at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/costofliving.