Big rise in demand for children's winter essentials, charity says

Charlotte Farrington, from Yorkshire Children's Charity, said some parents were struggling to provide essentials

Demand for children's winter essentials like shoes and coats has gone up 300% in a year, a charity has said.

Yorkshire Children's Charity said there were "more families than ever" who had asked for help so far this winter.

It said it planned to donate Christmas presents to more than 1,000 children who would otherwise go without.

Charlotte Farrington, from the charity, said if parents struggled to give gifts, "the chances are they're really struggling to provide for basic needs".

The charity said some families were in need of coats, shoes and pyjamas for their children

Ms Farrington, the organisation's CEO, said it had seen a big upsurge in demand since the same time last year for its winter essentials and Christmas presents campaign.

She said staff at the charity's three sorting depots in Morley, Sheffield and in East Yorkshire were hard at work collecting, packing and delivering donations.

The charity had invited children to pick their own gifts, up to a value of £100, and would send them unwrapped with paper and tags so parents could be part of the process, she said.

"Ultimately as parents we all want our children to open those gifts they desperately want on Christmas Day," she said.

Presents and winter essentials would be distributed through schools, according to Ms Farrington.

Head teacher Georgina Sykes, from Wykebeck Primary, praised the charity for its work

Many teachers had applied for help to support children who were "also not having their most basic needs met by way of shoes, pyjamas and warm winter clothing," she added.

Head teacher Georgina Sykes, from Wykebeck Primary School in Leeds, where two-thirds of pupils are eligible for pupil premium support, said staff there were "very grateful" for the charity's work.

"Some families aren't able to afford presents for their children at Christmas or even provide food for them."