Leeds Homeless Street Angels vows to keep supporting rough sleepers during pandemic as Christmas event cancelled

A Leeds charity has vowed to keep supporting rough sleepers during the Covid-19 pandemic as its popular Christmas fundraising event is cancelled.
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Homeless Street Angels has seen funding for its vital work take a hit during the 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.

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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.

The annual gift-wrapping event in Alwoodley has been cancelled due to the lockdownThe annual gift-wrapping event in Alwoodley has been cancelled due to the lockdown
The annual gift-wrapping event in Alwoodley has been cancelled due to the lockdown

The charity's annual gift-wrapping event and raffle at the Lord Darcy Pub in Alwoodley has been cancelled due to the current lockdown.

However, the rucksacks will still be delivered to homeless people in Leeds on Christmas Eve, with a personal note with the name of the sponsor included inside.

Shelley said: "The team will organise and wrap the presents so nobody is going without.

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"It’s a shame we can’t get together as a community to prepare this, but the rucksack evening will still go ahead as usual on Christmas Eve, with a limited team all social distancing.

"We will also be taking out Christmas dinners and handing out £5 Greggs and Costa vouchers, if anyone would like to contribute up until Christmas.

"A huge thank you to everyone who donated raffle and tombola prizes, we will save these for our first fundraising event in 2021 once we are allowed to get together."

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