Words by Smiley Team
Taking gigantic steps for children in the North East Lincolnshire town of Grimsby, primary school teacher Zane Powles has been delivering free meals to his pupils while schools are shut.
In the first lockdown, he walked over 550 miles to deliver over 7,500 meals and carried about 4 tons in weight. Now in our third lockdown, Powles has delivered more than 10,000 meals and walked over 750 miles. After walking so extensively, he even gave himself a knee injury for which he is seeking treatment.
Some might wonder why he would go to such lengths to deliver the meals by foot. But there is a special reason why he chooses to remain out of the car, and it’s not, as you might think, to lessen his environmental impact.
“People have offered me a lift but I walk because it’s so important,” he explained. “By walking I pass people on the roads, families who I can ask how things are and check up on them. The ones I don’t deliver to have asked me for support with using digital devices and with their online learning.”
He added: “The kids love it. They wave at me from the window, then they’ll wait till I back away from the door they come to the door and chat with me. It expanded beyond the food, to incorporate positive mental health through tackling loneliness. I also support children with their education, delivering learning packs for the children.”
One in four children in North East Lincolnshire lives below the poverty line, a proportion that has risen since 2015 and which is expected to have mounted even further due to the pandemic, something of which Powles is well aware.
As a teacher at Weston Primary School, he does his utmost to support the children in his care, as well as others from surrounding institutions.
At Christmas time he collaborated with local companies to offer a Christmas hamper to at least 250 families of deprived children from his school and three other schools in the area.
Over the summer holidays, he took on an epic cycling challenge, travelling 1,300 miles in 16 days and raising £11,000 for Meals and More, a charity that provides food to children over the holidays.
Thanks to his hard work delivering free meals to children, he was awarded an MBE in October.
To support the efforts of those like Powles, providing free meals for children in need, you can donate to Meals and More. Your money will go towards their valuable work providing young people with healthy hot meals while they’re not in school.
