NESCol introduces food bank referrals for students in need

December 8, 2020

NESCol is now a Referral Partner of Trussell Trust’s Aberdeenshire North and South Food Banks*. This means students in need can be referred to a food bank and get faster access to food parcels.

*Update: Aberdeen City North Food Bank is now included in the referral partnership for students in the city.

Students who are struggling to feed themselves or their families will be able to speak to a Student Support Tutor confidentially, who will then refer them to the Trussell Trust at their closest food bank. From the food bank, they will receive a food parcel, which contains three days of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner and some snacks). Appointments with the Student Advice and Support team can be made by emailing studentsupport@nescol.ac.uk, or booking an appointment via our student intranet, My NESCol.

Director of Learning Alesia du Plessis said:

“NESCol are committed to supporting our students by tackling poverty and inequality, and helping to ensure they have access to the food they need is one way in which we can do this. The new referral partnership means that students in need will be able to access food parcels almost instantly. This not only gives students peace of mind about where there next meal is coming from, but also allows them to receive the fuel they need to perform to the best of their ability.”

To reinforce the partnership, North East Scotland College is also collecting donations for the food banks for the rest of term as part of the #SparkleAtNESCol Winter Festival. Those more fortunate can donate food items at main reception of Altens, City and Fraserburgh Campuses, and are asked to adhere to on-campus safety procedures when doing so. More information about what food and non-food items are accepted can be found on the Trussell Trust website.