Dixons Unity Academy launches ‘Unity Community’
Posted 27th April 2023
On Friday 21 April, Dixons Unity Academy in Armley launched a new community hub to serve the families of the school. “Unity Community” is now open every Friday morning from 09:30 until 11:15 on site at Whingate Road.
The community hub is home to a food bank, uniform exchange, lending library and a community café. The academy is also offering aid for families who need English language support when completing paperwork. Unity Community provides a parent surgery with the academy’s senior leadership team.
Dixons Unity has partnered with social impact food distribution scheme Rethink Food, which will provide the community hub with fresh food each week. A £1 voluntary donation to access the foodbank is requested. This scheme is available for families who require access due to rising supermarket costs or those who are environmentally aware and would like to support the reduction of food waste.
Ash Jacobs, Principal, Dixons Unity Academy said: “We know that many of our families are facing huge challenges at the moment and we are incredibly keen to offer as much support as we can. Working with families is such an important part of what we do at Dixons Unity - it is fantastic to now have a dedicated space in which to do this. We are looking forward to welcoming many more families into the Unity Community in the coming weeks and months."
Nathan Atkinson, Co-Founder, Rethink Food, commented: "Partnering with Dixons Unity Academy to provide food for their food bank at Unity Community is part of our commitment to tackling the cost of living, climate and food security crises. We collect, quality assure and distribute surplus food in support of families, tailored to local needs. Unity Community is one of 20 community groups and 70 schools across the UK that we serve, providing nutritious food whilst protecting the local and global environment from CO2 emissions. Being that we're a partnership of former teachers, we take pride in working with an academy who is devoted to providing help to their families and local community."