Hundreds of people benefit as Wigan charity's Christmas appeal raises £28k

The Brick, a charity supporting people facing poverty and homelessness, has revealed the grand total raised through its festive campaign.

The appeal was launched last month with a moving poem entitled The Dream, written by Wigan resident Matt Kelly, which revealed the experiences of a child living in poverty.

People were asked to make donations so the charity could buy food and essentials for people in need, as well as provide a 24/7 web chat support over Christmas.

The £28,000 collected was used to pay for 400 festive dinners and gifts for people in supported, emergency and young people’s accommodation; 600 people could access food, Christmas items and toys over a two-week period in December; and 140 families could choose toys and gifts for their children.

It also meant 716 families could be supported by the Brick By Brick scheme, 50 used the online web chat and 43 people engaged with the charity’s outreach team.

Thanking supporters in a newsletter, charity bosses said: “We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our business supporters and the local community who helped us provide over 400 festive dinners and Christmas toys and gifts for 140 local families.

“Your generosity has made a huge impact on the most vulnerable members of our community.

“In 2023, we will continue to fight poverty and homelessness in our borough. We need your help more than ever with demand for our services continually rising."