Brixington Primary Academy enjoys fun in the sun

The Exeter Chiefs Foundation fed and entertained more than 500 schoolchildren, family members and staff at this year’s annual Feeding the Community event.

This year, the Foundation set up their mobile kitchen at Brixington Primary Academy in Exmouth for a sun-filled after-school event.

Sandy Park’s head chef Craig Beacham, members of his team and staff from Lympstone Manor prepared burgers, hotdogs, jacket potatoes, pasties, pasta salads, fruit pots and chocolate brownies to be served by the Foundation’s chairman Tony Rowe CBE plus trustees Michael Caines MBE, Karime Hassan MBE and David Bird.

The queue for food moved quickly with requests for second helpings welcomed. Cold drinks were also provided to keep everyone hydrated in the sun with ice pops also a hit with the youngsters.

Members of the Exeter Chiefs men’s squad joined the Chiefs Community team to play touch rugby with pupils and to help hone passing and kicking skills. There was also a bouncy castle to help burn off some extra Friday night energy.

This was the fourth school to benefit from Foundation’s alongside its summer fun days, the charity has also funded festive food support for the past four years, helping to provide meals at Christmas for those who might otherwise go without.

Alongside its summer fun days, the charity has also funded festive food support to provide meals at Christmas to those who might otherwise go without. More than 4,000 people have now benefited from the summer campaign, which launched in 2022.

Brixington Primary Academy’s head of school Stuart Dyer said: “Everyone has had a wonderful time. We are very grateful to the Foundation for choosing our school. It was lovely to see so many families sitting on picnic blankets enjoying the food in the sun, while the children ran around with rugby balls in their hands. Rugby is a popular pastime in Exmouth, so the addition of the Exeter Chiefs players was a real bonus.”

Rowe said: “It was another hot day for our Feeding the Community event, which gave it the feel of a relaxed BBQ in the sun. It was great to see so many children and their families stay behind after school to share a meal and have some fun with our players.

“It is one of my favourite events of the year and I’d like to thank the chefs who prepared the food and the trustees and the volunteers who helped serve it. Everyone was smiling…that’s always the main thing.”

Thanks to our suppliers for donating food and other items for this event: Goosemore Foodservice Ltd, Ryders Bakery, RD Johns and Alliance.