Hero teacher’s final delivery after giving 7,500 lunches during lockdown

[July 30, 2020: The London Economic]

“I needed to know if they were safe, if they were healthy, and if they had access to food."

An award-winning “hero” teacher who spent each day preparing food for his pupils has made his final delivery – after sending 7,500 packed lunches.

Zane Powles, 48, diligently prepared 85 lunches each morning after fearing his students would struggle to access food after school’s were shut during the pandemic.

The determined teacher walked 7.5 miles a day for 17 weeks – and totalled over 600 miles over the course of his runs in Grimsby, Lincs.

He estimates that he carried roughly four tonnes of food during that time – but said it was all “well worth it” after seeing the smiles on his pupils’ faces.

Like these kind of stories? Get The Brighter Side of News' newsletter.

As schools are closing for the summer, Zane delivered his final food package last Friday (July 17) in an emotionally charged afternoon.

Zane, who works at Western primary school in Grimsby, Lincs., said: “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....MORE