Homeless Street Angels launches annual rucksack appeal to give Leeds homeless a gift this Christmas

The Leeds charity has seen funding for its vital work take a hit during the coronavirus pandemic but continues to support some of the city's most vulnerable people.

Founders Becky and Shelley Joyce have teamed up with other outreach groups to deliver daily 'snack packs', hot meals, clothing and essentials to Leeds' homeless.

The team are now collecting donations for the Christmas appeal, where supporters can sponsor a rucksack full of gifts such as aftershaves, perfumes, chocolates and beauty products.

Each rucksack will include a personal note inside, with the name of the person who sponsored it, and will be delivered to rough sleepers in Leeds on Christmas Eve.

A gift-wrapping event and raffle will be held at the Lord Darcy Pub in Alwoodley on November 27, where there are strict social distancing measures in place.

Households can book a time slot for the event online and join together to wrap presents and fill the rucksacks.

Becky said: “It makes it more personal for the people who want to help out, and for the guys on the street. Someone is giving it to them with love.

“They are so excited to see that someone actually cares for them and has bothered to wrap presents, rather than just giving them a box of chocolates on the street.

“So much more thought is put into the rucksacks and every present we’ve picked personally."