Pupils from Oasis Academy Short Heath hand out scarves to city’s homeless and attach messages

A group of children from a school in the heart of Erdington, Birmingham supported the homeless this week during the cold weather.

Pupils from Oasis Academy Short Heath put scarves bearing heartfelt messages such as 'I'm not lost, let me help you' and 'Remember there is always hope' hung up on the railings of the city's St Phillip's Cathedral in Birmingham.

The group of pupils caught a bus into the city centre and hung them up for anyone who is homeless to take them and use them to keep warm as temperatures around the UK begin to plummet.

The youngsters from Oasis Academy Short Heath were aged six to eleven and came up with the idea themselves after feeling they wanted to do something to help those in need.

They collected scarves, jumpers and socks and took them to St Philip’s Cathedral on Colmore Row where they talked to homeless people and handed out clothing.

Pam Atwal, Hub Leader at Oasis Academy Short Heath, said; “There had been a frost overnight and the children were saying how cold they were as we waited for the bus.”

“A couple asked, 'do homeless people really sleep outside at night time?' I think some of them thought they just sat there in the day, so it helped them to really understand.”

"We saw three homeless people as soon as we got off the bus and a couple of the children wanted to take them things straight away. They gave them socks and the homeless people were so cold, they could barely speak or get their hands out of their sleeping bags to take the items. I think that really hit home with some of the children."

At first, the pupils, who are all members of the academy’s Pupil Leadership Team, planned to tie scarves to different railings around the city, but then Olivia, aged nine, came up with a better idea.

Olivia said; “We need to make sure no-one gets left out so let's put the scarves all together in one place so they can tell each other where they are. We don't want anyone to stay cold."

A police officer came and asked the group of children what they were doing, and they told him all about their project to help the homeless.

Pam Atwal, continued to say; “They told him they wanted to help homeless people keep warm and he said thank you very much for what you are doing. It was nice that they were able to answer him themselves."

April, aged eight, said; “You shouldn't be scared, they are just like us and they're going to be really happy to see us with warm scarves and socks."