SIR – Like so many of your readers, I can’t wait for Christmas.
As an architect, I know just how important it is for every family to have a place to call home, especially at this time of year. That’s why it’s so heart-breaking to know that in Yorkshire and Humber alone, more than 600 children will face the reality of waking up homeless on Christmas morning this year.
They are among the nearly 85,000 children across the country who face spending Christmas in temporary accommodation. Many will be cramped into one room of a bed and breakfast with their entire family, eating dinner sat on the floor or sharing a bed with their parents.
Shelter’s helpline is already seeing a rise in callers from Yorkshire and Humber struggling to keep a roof over their heads, and the charity is expecting this Christmas to be its busiest yet.
Thankfully, there is a simple way each of us can help to make sure that anyone facing Christmas without a home this year gets the proper advice and support that they need.
Marks & Spencer is making a donation to Shelter’s helpline for every item sold from its Christmas Food On The Move range. That means that something as simple as a turkey sandwich can help people facing homelessness this December.
I hope that everyone will remember this simple way to help give a family in need a merrier Christmas.
George Clarke, on behalf of Shelter
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