STRUGGLING local families have received a boost thanks to kind pupils and staff from a Port Glasgow secondary school.

An appeal was organised at St Stephen's High in aid of Inverclyde Foodbank and St Vincent de Paul Society.

Staff and students were asked to bring in donations of food to help people over Christmas and new year.

There was a huge response, with over 30 crates of goods handed over to the foodbank and over half a dozen boxes donated to St Vincent de Paul.

The appeal was organised by geography teacher Mhairi McFarlane and John Girkins, who is principal of religious education.

Miss McFarlane said: "Due to the rising cost of the school day being an issue for many families and one in three children in Inverclyde living in poverty it was decided that pupils would not be asked to bring money to the school.

"Instead staff and pupils were asked to bring donations for the foodbank.

"In return they were given a raffle ticket and the raffle was drawn on the last day of term.

"The response was overwhelming.

"During the last week of term staff and pupils took 35 crates of food to the Inverclyde foodbank as well as eight boxes to St Vincent's Di Paul."

Pupils in S4 played a key role in the charity drive by sorting and packing donations.

The school would like to thank everyone who contributed to the collection.