Wills Primary pupils bring Christmas cheer to hundreds

The festive spirit came alive at Wills Primary School on Monday as the Early Act Helping Hands group delivered nearly 300 gifts and monetary donations to charities. 

The students’ acts of generosity, spanning donations, carolling, and year-round outreach, underscore their commitment to building a kinder community.

The initiative, part of the school’s cherished annual tradition, supported organisations such as the Salvation Army, Christ Church Parish Church, Living Waters Community, St Patrick’s Cathedral, St Dominic’s Care Ministry, and the Barbados Cancer Society.

“This morning, that’s what we did,” said Shelley Roach, a teacher at Wills Primary and one of the patrons of the Early Act Helping Hands group. “We presented those [gifts], and we also do fundraising throughout the year. So Helping Hands does fundraising throughout the year. So the Helping Hands also presented cheques to all of these places.”

Adding to the Christmas joy, the group plans to bring music to the community. 

“We are actually going out tomorrow [Tuesday],” Roach said. “The group is going to sing at Turtle Beach Hotel and then at the Loving Care Nursing Home.”

The carolling has become a cherished tradition. 

“We do that every year as well,” she added. “We will walk down to Turtle Beach, and then we will walk back up to the nursing home, and we will sing for them, and we will present them with the gifts. We will be singing at Lanterns on Saturday evening as well.

But the group’s charitable efforts extend well beyond the holidays. A key part of their work involves feeding the needy and distributing care packages. 

Some of the members of the Early Act Helping Hands of Wills Primary School with the school’s Co-Principal Julia Franklin (back row: second left), shortly after Monday’s presentation.

“The kids bring in food for sure, and toiletries, and we partner with Living Waters Community,” Roach explained. “We parcel it all off, and then they go to Heroes Square, and yes, and we feed alongside Living Waters—the older ones . . . the class fours. We take them with us.”

To accompany the meals, the group provides care bags containing essential items. 

“We put together little bags of toiletries, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and those kinds of things, and as the Living Waters group gave the food, we gave them their little bag of goodies as well,” she told Barbados TODAY, adding the experience left a lasting impression on the students. “A lot of the children were quite moved, and they said they didn’t realise how many people there were who were so needy, and they were amazed at how appreciative some of them were.”

Helping Hands has also built a meaningful partnership with the Precious Touch Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Recalling past efforts, Roach said: “We’ve given computers, and we’ve sent children to Disney. We had a little boy, I’ll never forget, who wanted a yellow Lamborghini. We got him one of those toy cars that he could sit in and move. He was in his glee.”

Other initiatives have included themed celebrations to bring joy to children.

Patron Emeritus of the Early Act Helping Hands of Wills Primary School, Alice George (centre), with Patron Shelley Roach and Secretary Juliette Evelyn.

“We gave a little girl a whole kitchen set as well,” Roach said. “A little girl wanted an Elsa party. So right out here on our pasture, we did that party for her with all her friends and so on, and all the children from the school came and whatnot.”

Looking ahead, the group, which has grown from five members at its inception to 70 today, plans to restart its Halloween event in collaboration with Precious Touch. “We used to do a house-to-house costume party through Graeme Hall. We gave the children [from the foundation] their tickets, and they would come and go through the neighbourhood and get their treats and so on from house to house.

“Precious Touch, they would come, and some of their volunteers would give of their time to help out with running it and in the different stalls.”Alice George, patron emeritus of the group, described the event’s impact, stating it was a welcome sight. 

“Something you can’t purchase, the happiness on their face, because they’re welcomed into an entire neighbourhood. You cannot buy that,” she said.

The group’s focus on community extends beyond the holiday season. 

“It’s important to teach children that giving isn’t just for Christmas,” Roach said. “We’re planning a beach cleanup next year, an idea that came directly from the students. They want to help protect the environment as well.”

Teachers at Wills Primary help guide the students toward acts of service and generosity. “We incorporate lessons about empathy and generosity into our everyday teaching. It’s not just about telling them to give back—it’s about showing them why it matters.

“It’s important that we start from young and teach the students. That is the reason for this—trying to make them more aware that there are people who don’t have what they do,” she explained, adding that their efforts have inspired a generation of young students.

“Our Class 4 students serve as executive members, taking on leadership roles and mentoring the younger children. It’s a way to ensure the group’s legacy continues year after year,” Roach said. (RG)