Glasgow headteacher warns thousands of children will go hungry and cold at Christmas
Geraldine Millar runs St. Paul's Primary in Shettleston where staff have swapped their Secret Santa to give a gift to disadvantaged pupils.
Last updated 21st Dec 2022
A Glasgow headteacher is claiming thousands of children across the city will go hungry, cold and bored over Christmas because of the rising cost of living.
Geraldine Millar is the headteacher at St. Paul's Primary in Shettleston where staff gave up their Secret Santa this year to buy gifts for children who might have nothing on Christmas morning.
She told Clyde 1: "The demand for our food voucher scheme is three times higher than it was last year.
"Teachers, support and admin staff have all bought presents for these families and we anonymised them.
"A lot of our families are in private lets and when we were delivering these presents we could really see the poverty.
"Some had no lights on, dampness and no curtains.
"As a school community we are really worried about children not having access to a warm space every day over Christmas."
Geraldine also claims she has had children come into her office in the morning crying because they have heard mum and dad worrying about paying for bills.
She added: "If you are worried about money and living in overcrowded conditions then you might not be able to give those reassurances to your child.
"As a headteacher in the East end of Glasgow, these are the things I am taking home with me when we close for the fortnight."