Winter coats and shoes donated to kids in poverty
Heidi Tomlinson/BBCA charity is preparing to send out thousands of items to children living in poverty ahead of winter.
Yorkshire Children's Charity said it would provide 40,000 essentials such as coats, shoes and bedding free of charge.
Chief executive Charlotte Farrington said there were an estimated 2,500 children in Yorkshire living in "destitution", according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and despite the huge collection of items the donations were "not even touching the surface".
However, she said: "We will do everything we possibly can to try and say yes to every child that needs our help this winter."
She said referrals for the donations had been made by teachers - "who know children best" - and encouraged schools to contact the charity if their students needed help.
"To ensure that children arrive at school warm, dry and ready to learn, that's our objective," she said.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation defines destitution as living without two or more of the following:
- Shelter - sleeping rough for one or more nights
- Food - having fewer than two meals a day for two or more days
- Heating - unable to heat their home for five or more days
- Lighting - unable to light their home for five or more days
- Appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather
- Basic toiletries
"Sadly we are not even touching the surface of children in poverty," said Farrington.
"We are just trying to make sure that bedding, cots, school shoes, pajamas and toiletries are getting to those children that we know have absolutely nothing."
Farrington said her charity had been contacted by schools who told them children had slept in jackets that had been donated.
"We have had children who share pairs of school shoes and take it in turns to go into school," she added.
According to government statistics, in the 12 months to April 2025 almost a third - 31% - of children in Yorkshire and The Humber were living in low income families.
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