An annual charitable drive aimed at making sure students are ready for the classroom has returned with companies and individuals urged to lend a hand.

The Each One Reach One Back to School Campaign, launched by the Gina Spence Programme, is intended to make sure that children in families dealing with grief or loss have everything they need to start the upcoming school year on the right foot.

Since its inception, the campaign has supported more than 12,000 children, offering 1,000 backpacks, 700 first-day starter kits and 2,000 pieces of school clothing.

Gina Spence, the charity’s founder, said: “Every September, children walk into classrooms carrying backpacks but many are also carrying grief, uncertainty, financial hardship and life experience no child should have to bear alone.

“Each One Reach One is about far more than school supplies.

“It is about restoring dignity, building confidence and letting every child know they are seen, valued and supported.”

A spokeswoman for the charity said that for $150, donors can sponsor one child through the drive and help to make sure that they begin the school year with confidence and hope.

Anyone interested in supporting the programme can make donations online at www.gspcharity.com until August 22, while families requiring assistance can apply online until August 14.

Shawn Talbot, a marketing and e-commerce manager at the Gibbons Company, noted that the business would be supporting the drive for the fourteenth year.

Mr Talbot said: “Every child deserves to walk into the classroom with confidence and a sense of belonging.

“By helping provide school uniforms and essential back-to-school items, this campaign removes barriers for families while reminding our young people that their community believes in them.

“When we come together to support a child, we strengthen the future of Bermuda.

“For more than a decade, we have witnessed first-hand the incredible impact this initiative has had on families across our island.

“It is a powerful reminder that meaningful change happens when businesses, charities and members of the community unite behind a common purpose.”