Hundreds of pupils at a Stoke Newington school received art boxes brimming with pens, paints and paper.

Local arts charity DissentersArtsN16 donated £4,000 to St Matthias School after discovering many of its families did not have access to the internet or creative resources.

The generous donation means all 236 pupils at the school can now use the art supplies to complete tasks and challenges set by teachers during the coronavirus lockdown.

St Matthias Head Teacher Lucy Blewett said: “At such a challenging time, this creative toolkit has brought such joy to our school community.

“Our locked down children now have the tools to let their imaginations run wild. They can create and express themselves, and also fulfil tasks we are setting.”

The Stoke Newington charity worked with St Matthias school staff to deliver boxes full of crayons, paints, chalks, sketchbooks, cards and modelling clay.

Charity Trustee Ruth Whitehead told the Gazette: “DissentersArtsN16 is delighted to be able to deliver a tangible way for children in lockdown to express themselves. Lockdown has increased the pressure on many families with few resources. We are thrilled to have seen the pleasure on so many children’s faces as they received the toolkits.”

DissentersArtsN16 was founded by trustee Ruth Whitehead, a local financial adviser whose company Ruth Whitehead Associates donated £5,300 to the school in January to buy 30 laptops plus reading books for pupils at St Matthias school.