Bancrofts Insight Newsletter Autumn 2019 Final

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C OM M U N I T Y
3
Epping Forest Food Bank
Sustainability
Aria Bapna, 5N
Rohan Kondel, U6S
We wanted to get more involved in the food bank than
just dropping off our donations, so Mrs. Channer, some
Sixth Formers and I visited and participated at Epping Forest
Food Bank.Whilst unpacking all the supplies we met the lovely
people who make sure the Epping Forest Food Bank runs
were shown how all the items were sorted and
catalogued and even had a try ourselves! We learnt that the
food was distributed to many local areas as a pack of three
days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food.
A common misconception about food banks is that they
continually give people food, while in reality a voucher is needed
from a referral agency. And they provide more than just food —
they work alongside agencies such as Centrepoint to help get
people’s lives back on track.Together they not only help adults but
also children, and as of June 2019, more than 25,000 meals have
been received by children in Epping Forest.
If you would like to get involved or support the food bank for
more information please see .
Over the last academic year, Mr Foley and the Bancroft’s
School Sustainability Team have taken on the challenge of
making the school environment more sustainable.The most
prominent venture of the year is, by far, the success of our
sustainability garden.
Sustainability members, along with members of the Bancroft’s
Prep Sustainability Organisation, spent multipleWednesday
lunchtimes rejuvenating our given area of land in the Southern
Garden. Our processes included having to turn the soil patch
and planting the seeds for our fruits and vegetables.This coincides
with Bancroft’s aim of reducing our food miles as we sought to
buy local produce. Our garden has produced a variety of produce
from raspberries to brussel sprouts. However, the main product
we harvested was our potatoes. During the “Great Potato
Harvest”, the Sustainability Team were able to harvest over 35kg!
We also wanted to get some economic benefit out of the project,
and so, we sold our produce.This leads to how Bancroft’s is being
sustainable outside of the Bancroft’s Bubble.
TheWorld Land Trust, a UK-based non-profit environmental
organisation, was established in 1989. One of its main initiatives
is the Dakatcha Project in Kenya. DakatchaWoodland is a
threatened coastal forest. It is an extensive ecosystem and
multiple rare and endangered species inhabit this area, for
example, the Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew which is the
prey to snakes, lizards and birds.The extensive deforestation
that has taken place in Dakatcha makes loss of habitat the
main factor for loss of life. For every £100 donation, Nature
Kenya will purchase one acre of forest.When Dakatcha falls
under the ownership of Nature Kenya, this will ensure that
the area will become a certified nature reserve.
So far, the project has been able to purchase 272 acres of
land in Dakatcha, however more support is needed. It is our
pleasure to announce the sales of our homegrown potatoes,
Bancroft’s School have purchased an acre of land in the
Dakatcha region
Our firstWell-BeingWeek inspired us to focus some of our
efforts on trying to improve the well-being of the community
decided the school body would donate to our local
food bank. It was rewarding for us to know that we would be
helping improve the well-being of people beyond our friends
and classmates.