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Breaking Bread: Inside Hillside High's Community Impact
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Helen Thornton welcomes us into Hillside High School in Bootle, where the stark reality of educational inequality meets unwavering community spirit. As both a teacher and Bread and Butter Thing volunteer, Helen offers a compassionate, ground-level perspective on the challenges facing students from diverse backgrounds in this vibrant school near Liverpool.
"I've got students who the only hot meal they get is here at school," Helen reveals, before describing how the school has become a lifeline for many families. With over 30 languages spoken and students from Nigeria, the Philippines, Ukraine, and the Middle East, Hillside High embodies the multicultural richness of this port city community. Yet amid this diversity lies a troubling divide between those who have and those who struggle.
What makes this conversation particularly powerful is Helen's practical insights into solutions that work. The school provides free uniforms to all Year 7 students—not just those who ask for help—eliminating stigma while ensuring every child starts secondary school with dignity. They create opportunities for cultural exchange, helping refugee children share their heritage while exposing all students to experiences beyond their immediate environment.
The digital divide emerges as perhaps the most pressing modern challenge. As education increasingly moves online, Helen questions why we expect children to complete digital homework without ensuring universal access to devices and internet connectivity. "Wi-Fi should be free for everybody," she argues, comparing it to essential utilities like water—especially when government services themselves are now "digital by default."
Throughout our conversation, Helen returns to a crucial insight: working families often struggle the most. With rising costs but stagnant wages, parents who are "working harder because they're working" face additional burdens of transportation, childcare, and limited time. It's a sobering reminder that poverty isn't simply about unemployment, but about an economic system that fails to value essential work appropriately.
Join us for this thought-provoking conversation about educational equity, community resilience, and practical solutions that make a difference. Share your thoughts with us at [email protected] or find your nearest hub on our website if you'd benefit from our affordable food club.
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By The Bread and Butter ThingSend us a text
Helen Thornton welcomes us into Hillside High School in Bootle, where the stark reality of educational inequality meets unwavering community spirit. As both a teacher and Bread and Butter Thing volunteer, Helen offers a compassionate, ground-level perspective on the challenges facing students from diverse backgrounds in this vibrant school near Liverpool.
"I've got students who the only hot meal they get is here at school," Helen reveals, before describing how the school has become a lifeline for many families. With over 30 languages spoken and students from Nigeria, the Philippines, Ukraine, and the Middle East, Hillside High embodies the multicultural richness of this port city community. Yet amid this diversity lies a troubling divide between those who have and those who struggle.
What makes this conversation particularly powerful is Helen's practical insights into solutions that work. The school provides free uniforms to all Year 7 students—not just those who ask for help—eliminating stigma while ensuring every child starts secondary school with dignity. They create opportunities for cultural exchange, helping refugee children share their heritage while exposing all students to experiences beyond their immediate environment.
The digital divide emerges as perhaps the most pressing modern challenge. As education increasingly moves online, Helen questions why we expect children to complete digital homework without ensuring universal access to devices and internet connectivity. "Wi-Fi should be free for everybody," she argues, comparing it to essential utilities like water—especially when government services themselves are now "digital by default."
Throughout our conversation, Helen returns to a crucial insight: working families often struggle the most. With rising costs but stagnant wages, parents who are "working harder because they're working" face additional burdens of transportation, childcare, and limited time. It's a sobering reminder that poverty isn't simply about unemployment, but about an economic system that fails to value essential work appropriately.
Join us for this thought-provoking conversation about educational equity, community resilience, and practical solutions that make a difference. Share your thoughts with us at [email protected] or find your nearest hub on our website if you'd benefit from our affordable food club.