When schools closed earlier this year as a result of COVID-19, many families were left wondering how they would cope. Not only were children suddenly without education, but there had also been a heavy reliance on schools to keep children happy, safe, and well-fed.
In the UK, low-income families can apply for free school dinners, ensuring that their children are always provided with a healthy school lunch, and sometimes even breakfast. Without school at all, these families suddenly had to face a financial burden that they never could have expected.
Luckily for the children at one school in North East Lincolnshire, the actions of a hero teacher ensured that they were never left hungry throughout school term time.
Meet Zane Powells. The 48-year-old teacher was worried about how his students would get access to food while his school was shut. So he decided to personally take things into his own hands and make his own packed lunches for each and every child who needed one.
In an average day, Zane would wake up early and head to school for 7am, where he would put together his lunches for the children. He would then walk 7.5 miles, making his rounds over the course of two hours and stopping off at each child’s house before the morning was out.
Zane’s trips weren’t easy. He carried food in backpacks on his front and back, plus extra lunch bags in his hands. Still, he didn’t take a single day off throughout the pandemic. He knew the importance of his job.
Speaking to Good News Network, Zane recalled:
“When I started these walks I was concerned about the kids and their wellbeing and I wanted to make sure I could see them all. I needed to know if they were safe, if they were healthy, and if they had access to food.”
It turns out that food wasn’t the only thing that Zane would deliver to his students. A less anticipated delivery was homework, which Zane occasionally dropped off, much to the enthusiasm of his kids. But he’d sometimes do it while wearing fancy dress, including an all-pink ensemble with a tutu, so it was probably worth it.
After delivering more than 7,500 packed lunches over a period of 17 weeks, totalling over 600 miles, Zane delivered his final food package on July 17. He spoke of the bittersweet ending to his heroic delivery mission, saying:
“After all these months it was a bit emotional for it to come to an end—I love seeing my students and checking up on them. It’s so important to me.
“I’m just doing my job at the end of the day. My role is to help nurture and educate children, and to take care of them.”
But though one chapter has ended, another one is just about to begin for Zane. He has plans to do a charity bike ride, taking him through all of the UK’s city castles in a 1,500 mile journey. He’ll be stopping at castles in Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff and the Tower of London.
Zane will be raising money for Meals and More, a charity that helps low income families to feed their children over the UK’s 6-week school holidays.
In a fundraiser for the bike ride, Zane wrote:
“A third of children in the UK currently live in poverty and while they may have access to free school meals during term time, they are not guaranteed a nutritious evening meal during term-time or during school holidays.”
He added:
“I will do a daily log of all what happens on way round so you will be able to keep in touch and spread the word. The more money raised, the more children that will be supported in times when they need it most.”
With 100% of his £5,000 target already raised, Zane has seen donations from £10 to £150 to support his cause. Those who donated thanked Zane for being such a local inspiration and wished him good luck on his journey forward.
Zane is certainly a teacher that his pupils will remember for the rest of their lives. He’s proof that there is plenty of good to be had in a society that so often focuses on the bad.
You can donate to Zane’s charity bike ride here.
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