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Tata Steel, in Brenda Road, Hartlepool, and Middlesbrough Jobcentre, in Corporation Street, Middlesbrough, have donated a range of items to LilyAnne’s Wellbeing, in Victoria Road, Hartlepool, to show their support for the it is doing this Christmas to help people living on the streets.

Both companies donated a range of items to the charity including blankets, scarves, gloves, hats and toiletries, which will all contribute to LilyAnne’s Give A Tent For Christmas campaign.

This campaign aims to give people on the streets in Hartlepool some basic shelter from the elements as charities across the town try and secure permanent accommodation for them.

Trevor Sherwood inside LilyAnne's Wellbeing with items that have been donated by Tata Steel and Middlesbrough Jobcentre.

Speaking about the donations, Trevor Sherwood, project development manager at LilyAnne’s, said: “It’s absolutely amazing.”

LilyAnne’s has been providing mental health support to employees at Tata Steel for a number of months now and is grateful for the company’s donation.

Trevor, community navigator Angela Arnold and volunteer Keith Embleton will be supporting the local homeless community on Christmas Day by offering them chocolate selection boxes and warm clothes such as hats and scarves.

Keith originally came up with the idea after spending four years on the streets himself.

From left, Trevor Sherwood, Angela Arnold and Keith Embleton outside LilyAnne's Wellbeing.

He said: “On Christmas, we had nothing to wake up to.

"It was cold, it was lonely.

"There were no warm drinks. There was nothing.

"So when Trevor asked me to try and think of an idea, I thought what I would have liked is a warm drink or a hat or a scarf.”

Trevor said: “We asked Keith what would this have meant to you at Christmas and he said, ‘what we need to do is give them things that they cannot sell’.”

He continued: “Everyone spends Christmas in their homes and this is the time homeless people are probably going to be most isolated.

"People are really generous and buy cups of tea but on Christmas Day, all of that stops.

"We are currently working with 11 homeless people but that can increase daily.”

To find out more about LilyAnne’s work or to support it, contact (01429) 728041 or visit www.lilyannes.co.uk/.

Hartlepool charity helping the homeless this Christmas is backed by global steel building giant and Middlesbrough job centre