Charities collect coats amid 'increasing demand'

Charities are asking anyone who has a coat they do not wear to consider donating it.

The Human Appeal starts its Wrap Up campaign next week while Sparkhill-based Narthex will distribute collected adults and children's coats, jackets and jumpers from its foodbank hubs in Birmingham.

Ahmed Osman, UK programmes co-ordinator for Human Appeal, said the annual appeal collected thousands of coats and made a "big positive impact on these vulnerable communities".

"We have seen a massive rise in the demand for coats but unfortunately we have seen a decline in coats due to the cost of living crisis," he told BBC Radio WM.

Mr Osman said the campaign was founded by its partners Hands on London and had since expanded to include Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester, Glasgow, Bradford and Luton.

"It is the ninth year where we are asking members of the public to donate a spare jacket which they are not wearing and we re-home it to vulnerable communities across the city of Birmingham and the other respective cities as well," he said.

He had seen people queuing for coats "in desperate need, some of them even shivering, some of them cold", he added.

Narthex said it provided financial inclusion support and people were usually "in crisis" when they came to the charity.

Chief executive officer Patricia Coleman-Taylor said the clothes were given alongside emergency food packages.

"If you can't heat your house, you need a warm coat," she said.

The organisations have asked for coats which are clean and in good condition to be dropped at collection points for three weeks from 23 October.

Radio WM, which is supporting the campaign, will have a collection box at the reception at the Mailbox in Birmingham city centre.

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