Pupils from Dorcan Academy cooked up a feast for the homeless as part of their charity week.

Falcon House provided 50 meals for the homeless support group Alternative Angels to distribute to Swindon’s homeless at the Wyvern Theatre Car Park last Tuesday.

The 176 students in the house held a bake sale at the school to raise money for ingredients. Two groups then made it into meals of spaghetti bolognaise and curry with rice, alongside cakes and biscuits.

Head of house Lucia Barton said: “It’s been really successful. The students worked so hard.

“It’s been great to get them actively involved in helping a charity with its work. It’s so easy to say, ‘oh here is £5 or whatever’ but to actually turn up and make something or physically do something to help will make a lasting impression on the kids.

“This really has been a student led thing and I’m so proud of everything they've done,” she added.

For the school’s charity week each house selects an organisation to support through their house council.

Jay Cleverly, 15, who is a house captain, put forward the homeless support group after volunteering with them for his bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2018.

“I didn’t realise how many homeless there are in Swindon,” he said.

“The numbers keep going up and the organisation struggles to support that many, so I just wanted to do something to help improve their lives.”

“Everyone thought it was so lovely to support a local charity,” Lucia added.

The PE teacher also asked parents for their support.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity," she said. “One parent even donated the full £60 we were hoping to raise. I could have cried, it was amazing.”

Any extra money will be donated to Alternative Angels to help them continue their work.

Lucia added: “Supporting this charity helps our pupils realise that they are very fortunate.

“We do have some deprived children here but none of them are homeless. It’s important to make them aware of the need to always help others who are less fortunate than them.”

Jane Richards who founded the support group five years ago said: “We’re so grateful for everything they’ve done.

“Having volunteers who cook for our homeless friends is a huge help to all involved.

"Some of the students came down when delivering the food, so it was good for them to see where the food was going.

“It makes me very proud because I was a pupil at Dorcan School."