A WEST Belfast secondary school has vowed to continue its support of vulnerable pupils and families following a series of accusations in today's Belfast Live/Daily Mirror.
De La Salle College roundly dismissed suggestions that charity items donated to the school at Christmas had been "misused".
Defending the school's handling of donations from the Cash for Kids charity, Keifer McCaugherty, Chair of Governors, said: "We have served the community of West Belfast for 60 years and now, as always, we strive to support our pupils and their families."
The Chair of Governors added: "We were notified on 22nd December that we would be receiving an allocation of items and they arrived on the 23rd, after the school had closed for the Christmas holidays. As a result, it was not operationally possible to organise a distribution to families prior to Christmas, and the donated items were securely stored in the school.
"Since January we have been distributing some items, in keeping with our intention, to help families. The school has engaged with Cash for Kids to provide reassurance regarding this point. Storage of items within a school setting, or footage of pupils receiving awards, should absolutely not be taken as a suggestion of misuse. All remaining items that have not been distributed have been returned to the charity.
"We want to make it clear that there was no personal gain for any member of the school staff as a result of the school’s involvement with the Cash for Kids Mission Christmas Appeal in 2025."
Pledging to uphold the "reputation of our school, your school", Ms McCaugherty said that the school would "not allow La Salle to be besmirched in this way and we are taking advice on the content of the article".
The Chair of Governors added: "You can be assured though that we have, and we always will, act in the best interests of the De La Salle community, our pupils and our staff."
Local SDLP Councillor Paul Doherty rowed in behind the school.
"La Salle is a school that has consistently looked out for others in our community. I’ve seen that first-hand over many years – through students, teachers and staff stepping up to support families in a way that always protects dignity," he said.
"That’s been especially clear in moments like when our team worked alongside students to wrap hundreds of teddy bears for children across the community at Christmas, food appeals that helped families sit around the Christmas dinner table with dignity, fundraising efforts that meant we could reach as many families as possible, their support for our preloved school uniform hub which alleviated cost for parents, and their work in growing vegetables for the community alongside our volunteers too.
"They truly live out their Lasallian ethos at the school and we thank them for that."
