A NEWTON Abbot charity is collecting clothing on Thursday to help refugees who have so little to face the hardships of winter.

There will be a collection of clothing by Newton Crisis Aid (NCA) on Thursday, January 5, from 2pm to 4pm at Abbotsbury Church, Waverley Road, Newton Abbot TQ12 2ND.

NCA chairman Andrew Rose said: ‘Please help – read on to know why.

‘It is early in the year but sadly refugees experience the hardships of winter to a greater degree than most of us and there is a real need for appropriate clothing.

‘There is a particular urgent need in our local area too.

‘Large numbers of those who are seeking asylum have been forcibly removed from atrocious conditions in the Home Office Holding Centre at Manston in Kent to various hotels around the country. This includes Devon.

‘The Government has requested that charity organisations meet the demands of those rehoused without offering financial assistance!

‘NCA has already received specific requests for assistance from organisations in Torquay, Ashburton and Exeter to which we have responded.

‘This need will be ongoing into the new year and we shall liaise with them. Most recent requests (though these are being updated fairly regularly) have been for:

Shoes Men’s 7-9 and women’s of any size.

Two pregnant ladies require suitable items to make them more comfortable.

Children’s clothing.

Warm men’s clothes or shoes in good condition or new socks for 60 male refugees age 18-40 in a local hotel some of whom are still in flip flops apparently after a few weeks in the UK.

‘I share this information to help you become aware of the tremendous good work that groups and individuals are doing to meet a tragic humanitarian need.

‘You can be part of this visible display of caring towards our fellow human beings.

‘Thank you for your continuing support. Best wishes for the New Year.’