STAFF at a Bradford substance misuse charity are running a festive appeal to raise money for the church which provides food parcels to the vulnerable people it supports.

Workers at ARCH - which stands for Advice, Rehabilitation, Counselling, and Health - are urging people to help raise funds for St Mary's Church in Bradford.

The Shipley-based charity, which supports people whose lives are adversely affected by drink and drug addictions, said it has seen demand for the food parcels rise rapidly in recent months, as changes to the benefits system take effect.

The team is selling decorations from the charity's 'recovery' Christmas tree, which takes pride of place in its reception at Merchants House, and is adorned with baubles available to buy for £1.

In return for the donation, buyers are encouraged to leave a message for service users to read and draw inspiration from.

Maz Morgan, ARCH Bradford's alcohol outreach team manager, said: "We are extremely grateful to the church for the food parcels, which we give out to service users who are homeless or vulnerable in other ways, such as being affected by benefits sanctions.

"Food parcels for this group of people can be life-savers, and we have seen a four-fold increase in the need for them in recent months since changes to the benefits system were introduced."

The charity has recently appointed two new alcohol outreach workers - Moira Holdscroft-Freeman and Michelle Craig - in direct response to what it says is a "growing problem" of drinking and anti-social behaviour in Bradford city centre.

In their first two months, the pair have already delivered more than 100 interventions with 58 different people, supporting them with their alcohol abuse and addictions to drugs classified as 'legal highs'.

In one recent case, they helped a Bradford woman who had become addicted to alcohol and had started sleeping rough after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

With ARCH's support, she underwent a detox programme prior to having surgery and is now in stable accommodation, also receiving aftercare from a local Macmillan cancer support team.

Staff have also recently joined a number of organisations in the police-led 'Reach Out for Bradford' scheme, aiming to support homeless people in hotspots such as Centenary Square and Forster Square.

"Moira and Michelle provide a highly visible point of contact in the city centre, offering advice and information to people in crisis as a result of substance misuse, particularly alcohol," said Mrs Morgan.

"They assess people's immediate needs and support them to access services including substance misuse treatment, food banks, housing, medical care, benefits, GP appointments and clothing banks.

"They have fantastic local knowledge and connections with a wide range of agencies, which enables us to provide a wraparound service for individuals who want to break free from substance use."

For more information on the services ARCH offers, including drop-in sessions at the Piccadilly Project in the city centre, call 01274 809800.

The charity also has a dedicated 24-hour helpline on 0800 028 1300.