Flint High School pupils kindness gains recognition from community organisation

Two young students at a Flintshire high school who created stunning Christmas cards for elderly residents have received a special award from a community aid group.

Cerys Moore and Ffion Russell, both in year 7 at Flint High School, responded to an appeal from Nanny Biscuit asking students to create cards, letters, poems, and suchlike to bring some festive cheer to some of the most vulnerable people across the region.

Cerys and Ffion were quick to take up the challenge and produced twenty beautifully decorated Christmas cards at home, each with a handwritten note inside for the recipient.

Cerys said: “I thought it would be nice to give back to people who may not be able to see family at Christmas. We had a lot of fun making the cards, discussing ideas and thinking of what we could do together as we are best friends.” 

Ffion added: “No one should be sad at Christmas. I wanted to make people happy.” 

Impressed by the girls’ kind gesture, Nanny Biscuit awarded them its ‘Heroes of the Week’ Award.  The girls received certificates and a prize of a hamper of chocolate from Helle’s Sweet Occasions in Queensferry, sponsored by CAFgas, a community interest company.

Jemma Defries, head of English, said: “When I mentioned the appeal to my year 7 class and suggested the cards could be made for elderly residents, Cerys and Ffion didn’t hesitate to help.  They worked out what they were going to do between themselves and created the cards over the course of a week.  

“They have done a great job; the cards look stunning and their handwritten notes inside each one with a message of hope, love and kindness telling the residents that they are thinking of them and wishing them a happy Christmas, are truly heart-warming.  

“I am so proud of them both. The amount of time and effort they have put into these cards is amazing.  It was a genuine act of kindness and it is wonderful that they have received this award, they deserve to be called heroes.”

Nanny Biscuit is a not for profit, multi-faceted project that aims to inspire and engage communities help meet the needs of residents.  The organisation has amassed a team of volunteers who have helped vulnerable people throughout the pandemic with practical and emotional support. 

The group has set an ambitious target of cooking and delivering 1,000 Christmas dinners on the 27th of December to feed vulnerable people across Flintshire, Wrexham, Chester and Denbighshire, working in partnership with like-minded organisations such as NEWydd Catering & Cleaning who have volunteered to cook 700 meals, and MoneySuperMarket who will cook and pay for 300 meals.

Shane Phillips from the organisation said: “We asked local schools if they would like to be part of our mission and create some Christmas cards to go with each meal we will be providing this Christmas. 

“Within a few days we had a response from Flint High School’s English department with a special mention of the incredible effort by Ffion and Cerys. Both girls went above and beyond what was asked and produced many beautiful Christmas card designs including a lovely well thought message of cheer inside for each recipient. 

“Congratulations and a huge thanks to the girls from all of us at Nanny Biscuit and, more importantly, from the local community who will benefit from their hard work and act of kindness.”

It is the second time that students from the school have been recognised with this award.  Earlier this 

year, Adele Crimes won the award for her Lockdown song, Together Hand in Hand, which she produced using lyrics submitted to the Lockdown Anthology of poems.