A BARNARD Castle businesswoman is to sleep rough ahead of her annual Christmas appeal to help homeless people in the area.
Building on her warm jacket appeal last winter, Donna Dobson, of Fox & Field countrywear shop, has this year put out a “cold weather packs” appeal. She aims to help people in need to keep warm this winter.
She is asking for a variety of items such as scarves, gloves, jumpers, thermals, flasks, woolly socks, blankets and hot water bottles.
Last year her appeal brought in more than 200 warm jackets, which were distributed to people in need in Darlington and the surrounding areas through King’s Church, Richmond.
Mrs Dobson said: “People were fantastic. There were so many we were going back and forth to Richmond [dropping them off].”
This year the cold weather packs are to be distributed through the Influence Church’s foodbanks at Barnard Castle and Richmond.
Many people who used the foodbanks said they had to choose between food and warmth last winter, Mrs Dobson said. She is also taking part in homeless charity Centrepoint’s Sleep Out event at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, next month.
The charity aims to break the cycle of youth homelessness.
The charity says 86,000 young people applied to their local authority for help last year because they were homeless.
Mrs Dobson said: “I don’t think we realise how many people there are who just don’t know where they are going to sleep the next night. I was really surprised when I heard how many there were.
“I do think we are sheltered up here from what is going on.
“It will creep into our area too.”
The charity helps homeless young people find their way back into accommodation, education and work.
The Sleep Out takes place on November 15 and people can support Mrs Dobson’s fundraising effort by visiting sleepoutsunderland-2018.
everydayhero.com/uk/donna.
The “warm package” appeal gets underway on November 11 and people can help by dropping off items at Fox & Field, on Market Place.
For more information contact Mrs Dobson at Fox & Field on 01833 630922.
