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A Liversedge-based cemetery group and church have teamed up to deliver hampers to school children and their families before the Christmas break.

Friends of Liversedge Cemetery and St Andrew’s Methodist Church, with the help of B&M Store at Batley, joined forces to deliver 30 hampers to pupils at Spen Valley High School, Littletown Junior Infant and Nursery School and High Bank First and Nursery School on Thursday.

Tina Hardy, who set up the cemetery group at Clough Lane, has been leading hamper-delivers within the community for the past two years, assisted by the group’s sponsor Trevor Best, founding director of The Corpad Group at Gildersome.

However, this year, Tina was put in contact with St Andrew’s, by Coun Lisa Holmes, to tie in with the church’s generous festive-giving spree.

Tina Hardy, leader of Friends of Liversedge Cemetery, Trevor Best, founding director of The Corpad Group, and Caroline Holt, steward at St Andrew's Methodist Church.

Tina said: “It’s our third year and it was Trevor’s original idea. He is our sponsor at the cemetery group for the jumpers we all wear and he is a good friend. I was also delighted that B&M could help us out, especially Holly, the deputy manager, who put all the boxes together.

“This year, I spoke to Lisa Holmes and she asked if we would like to tie it in with St Andrew’s church. So we have delivered 10 hampers to each of the schools, where the staff then issued them out to the families they felt that needed them.

“There are so many families that are needing help, which is just overwhelming. There are so many families in desperate need.”

The contents of the festive-focussed hampers, which had a value of around £40, included a whole chicken whole, vegetables, biscuits, chocolate and Christmas crackers.

Tina Hardy, far left, Trevor Best, centre, and Caroline Holt, far right, are joined by staff at B&M Store Batley, including store manager Richard Garside, third from left, and deputy manager Holly Tyson, second from right, who helped put the hampers together.

Caroline said: “I used to be chair of governors at Highbank so I do know the situation with a lot of the families. The reason we go through the schools is because they can identify those families who really, really need it.

“The hampers will help over Christmas where it can be difficult for some families to actually be able to provide enough for two weeks.”

Trevor added: “People are in need this year more than most I suppose and it makes you feel sad because you realise that you are only scratching at the surface.”

Liversedge cemetery group and church join forces to deliver Christmas hampers