A CHARITY drive has been lacundhed to help the homeless keep warm this winter.

The charity HandsOn London, collaborating with Rotary International, has launched its annual WrapUp Essex campaign, in effort to provide warm coats to those in need.

The aim of the campaign is to obtain thick coats for the bitterly cold weather conditions that many homeless people will have to face in the winter.

They are then distributed by volunteers to homeless shelters, refugee centres, organisations supporting the elderly, women’s refuges, children’s centres and charities that help people in crisis.

Gazette: Collection - Bags of warm coats ready to be donatedCollection - Bags of warm coats ready to be donated (Image: PR)

Gazette: Members - Rotary Clubs across Essex and the UK will be working to collect donations before they are given to charities that help those in needMembers - Rotary Clubs across Essex and the UK will be working to collect donations before they are given to charities that help those in need (Image: PR)

Safestore, the UK’s largest self-storage company, is supporting the campaign for the 12th year in a row, providing various drop-off points for donations across Essex.

Donations can be made to four separate collection points:

  • Safestore Colchester in Ipswich Road.
  • Safestore Southend in Progress Road.
  • Safestore Basildon in Howard Chase.
  • Safestore Chelmsford in Dukes Park Industrial Estate.

All members of the public can donate unwanted coats from 8am till 6pm Monday to Saturday or 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

The business will also be providing free storage for the campaign to keep all donated coats before they are taken to over 100 charities that help those in need.

Gazette: Donations - Coats that have been donated to a previous national WrapUp campaign Donations - Coats that have been donated to a previous national WrapUp campaign (Image: PR)

Gazette: Volunteers - Rotary Club members sorting through donationsVolunteers - Rotary Club members sorting through donations (Image: PR)

Shahid Kadodia, the digital & marketing Director SafeStore commented on the campign.

He said: “As we approach the winter season, we recognise that there will be many people who are in a vulnerable position especially in light of the cost-of-living challenges.

“We are pleased to support the WrapUp Essex initiative once more this year, as they work hard to help those in need and we take pride in our longstanding commitment to this campaign.

“We sincerely hope that the public rallies behind this cause, enabling us to contribute an even greater number of coats this year.”

HandsOn London’s chief executive Jon Meech is thankful for the firm’s help for this year’s WrapUp campaign.

He said: “We are proud of our partnership with SafeStore who play a vital role in supporting our work in the collection, sorting, and packing of thousands of coats to those in need as we work to transform lives in the local community.

Gazette: Involved - The campaign isn't just happening in Essex, it is happening across the UKInvolved - The campaign isn't just happening in Essex, it is happening across the UK (Image: PR)

“The complementary donated space also enables our volunteers to sort through and pack up the donated coats, so we could get them out quickly to those who are vulnerable and struggling.”

Since it started in 2010, the national WrapUp campaign has donated 212,032 coats.