A philanthropic teacher who has dedicated the last four years to combating 'bed poverty' in Leeds has helped to deliver mattresses, pillows and duvets to almost 1,400 desperate children.
Deputy headteacher Rebekah Wilson, 33, from Leeds, established her charity Zarach in the city in 2017 after one of her pupils in an English class revealed he and his siblings had slept on the floor for months because they didn't have a bed.
Another boy complained of not being able to concentrate after scratching his stomach. It was later revealed that the cushion he was using to sleep on was infested with bed bugs, causing him to itch throughout the school day.
Other pictures shared to the charity's social media pages show one child's bedroom without a carpet, covered in dust and clutter, while another pupil was moved out of her mother's home due to fears her bedroom ceiling might collapse.
These were just a handful of the many heartbreaking tales that spurred the benevolent teacher into action.
'It's not right that in 2021, in Britain, we have children that don't have a bed,' Rebekah told the BBC.
'Children are not going to get an education that can break that cycle, unless they've got a tummy full of food and a good night's sleep. Not having a bed means they're not going to have that starting point at all.
Deputy headteacher Rebekah Wilson, 33, from Leeds, (pictured) set up the Zarach in 2017 after one of her pupils revealed he and his siblings had slept on the floor for months because they didn't own a bed
Bex explains that school referrals are 'only ever increasing' and points to the fact she has delivered beds to every postcode in the Leeds area as evidence of the widespread impact of 'bed poverty' in the UK
Rebekah explains that school referrals are 'only ever increasing' and points to the fact she has delivered beds to every postcode in the Leeds area as evidence of the widespread impact of 'bed poverty' in the UK.
She remembers being in the middle of an English class, teaching primary pupils about irregular tense verbs, when she was confronted with news that some of her pupils weren't being provided with adequate sleeping arrangements.
'I realised I had a choice; to be satisfied that I’m teaching him grammar because it’s what I’m paid to do, or to continue to be the best teacher I can be whilst also using my time and influence to make sure every child in our city has their basic needs met, gets a good night’s sleep and an equal opportunity'.
So instead of joining the growing number of voices complaining about child poverty and a lack of support for kids without beds, she decided to do something about it.
Rebekah was determined to help other children living in destitute conditions, so set up Zarach, named after the Hebrew for 'rising light', in 2018.
After contacting local bed businesses and getting orders through, her father let use his business' storage facilities for free to help get Zarach up and running.
And after a full day of teaching at Shakespeare Primary School in Leeds, Rebekah gets behind the wheel of a van and delivers beds, mattresses, pyjamas and pillows to desperate families in the city during her free time in the evenings.
She told the BBC: 'All of us are only a couple of bad days, bad decisions or bad moments
