Donate Your Spare Warm Clothes

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To help those in need this winter

The ‘Winter Warm Up’ appeal will run from 1-20 December and all items collected will be passed on to people in need by local charities including St Mungo’s and Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter as well as the council’s housing service.

People who have good quality winter garments are asked to drop them off at Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway, Ealing.

The town hall is open every day and donations can be dropped off: Monday-Friday between 8am-9pm; Saturday between 9am-5pm and Sunday between 9am-3pm.

Men’s, women’s and children’s clothes are all needed in all sizes and ages. The appeal is looking for all items donated to be clean and in good condition.

Councillor Hitesh Tailor, cabinet member for housing, said: “Rough sleeping and homelessness is a growing issue across London including in Ealing. We have considered 30% more requests for help from people at risk of homelessness this year than we did last. Lots of people we are working with are facing a really tough time and aren’t able to afford to buy winter clothes.

“Temperatures have plummeted in the past couple of weeks and so I would ask as many residents as possible to dig out warm winter clothes they no longer need and donate them during the appeal.”

Alison Wood, project coordinator, Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter, said: “Our winter night shelter opens on 1 December and will provide temporary places for a few homeless people to sleep overnight in church buildings. However, they are outside in the cold weather all day and often struggle to keep warm.

“We particularly need thick socks, jumpers, scarves, gloves and hats."

The council provides an outreach service run by charity for the homeless, St Mungo’s to locate and help people who are sleeping rough in the borough.

Elizabeth Ursell manages St Mungo’s outreach team in Ealing. She said: “We help people sleeping rough all year round but for anyone on the streets in freezing temperatures it can be life-threatening. That is why it is even more crucial they have support to get off the streets as quickly as possible, and help to rebuild their lives away from the streets.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of Ealing Council and the public, and the Winter Warm Up appeal is a further generous gesture towards people who are destitute and in need.”

The Winter Warm Up appeal runs before Christmas but St Mungo’s is also asking for support from schools, companies and individuals for its fundraising Woolly Hat Day on Friday 31 January 2014 to help homeless people also in need of help with healthcare, and skills and employment opportunities. www.mungos.org/woollyhatday

Local residents worried about losing their home and becoming homeless should contact the council’s housing advice service on 020 8825 8881.

27th November 2013