Children at St Marie’s School, Sheffield, helping refugees with Baby Basics and Afghan Welcome charities

First, Sheffield youngster Aryia Smith become involved as a volunteer helping refugees from Afghanistan.
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Now her whole class at school has got involved with putting together parcels to help youngsters who have arrived in the UK after fleeing he country following the Taliban takeover.

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Aryia is a regular volunteer helping the charity Baby Basics Sheffield, based near Millhouses Park. She has been making and selling bracelets to her friends and neighbours to raise £150 to buy a clothing bundle through a project called Afghan Welcome.

Pupils at St Marie's Catholic primary in Fulwood package clothes for kids in Afghanistan through the Baby Basics programPupils at St Marie's Catholic primary in Fulwood package clothes for kids in Afghanistan through the Baby Basics program
Pupils at St Marie's Catholic primary in Fulwood package clothes for kids in Afghanistan through the Baby Basics program
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Her mum was a volunteer with the charity, who now works for them, and Aryia has been involved for several years now, helping out at their warehouse.

This week her entire class at St Marie’s Catholic Primary School, on Fulwood Road, near Broomhill, got involved, helping to pack up clothing bundles for Afghan refugee children at their school,

The charity Baby Basics is sending out clothes, prams, toys and toiletries to youngsters who have arrived in the UK after fleeing Afghanistan on emergency flights from Kabul with nothing other than the clothes they were wearing.

Pupils at St Marie's Catholic primary in Fulwood package clothes for kids in Afghanistan through the Baby Basics programPupils at St Marie's Catholic primary in Fulwood package clothes for kids in Afghanistan through the Baby Basics program
Pupils at St Marie's Catholic primary in Fulwood package clothes for kids in Afghanistan through the Baby Basics program

The chief executive of Baby Basics, Cat Ross, was at the school on Thursday.

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She said: “When we found out she was fundraising we approached the school about getting involved and they were happy to do so. Aryia and her classmates got involved and the school is looking to do some work with us again in the new year.

"The children were brilliant and it was lovely to see a group of eight year olds get involved, so lovingly packing the clothes.”

The Afghan Welcome project is focusing on the urgent need for warm clothing as winter draws in for around 7,500 Afghan refugee children who are about to experience winter in the UK for the first time.

Most of the families arrived with only the clothes on their backs and perhaps some hand luggage and do not have anything warm to wear. Afghan Welcome is asking people around the UK to sponsor a clothing bundle so that the charity can quickly get good quality, new, winter clothes to each Afghan child who needs them.

Bundles include jumpers, underwear, coats and hats.

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Any excess donations will be used for clothing to support the 35,000 vulnerable children across the UK that Baby Basics supports each year.

Local journalism holds the powerful to account and gives people a voice. Please take out a digital subscription or buy a paper. Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor

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