Wrap Up: Human Appeal sees spike in demand for coats this winter amid cost of living crisis

Each winter, charity Human Appeal collects unwanted coats to distribute among some of the country’s most vulnerable people. But this year, the Manchester-based charity says that donations have dwindled as demand increases.

Since the campaign began seven years ago, they have helped 22,917 people, providing them with much-needed winter coats – an item which is often one of the more expensive winter essentials. The charity has seen a huge spike in demand thanks to the cost of living crisis, which has also taken its toll on the number of donations received this year.

Abid Shah, UK programmes manager at Human Appeal, said: “We’ve seen a shift in terms of donations and in terms of demand. I think people are definitely affected because of the cost of living crisis. The individuals who were more willing to donate a coat and purchase a new one for themselves, this year are probably a bit more reluctant because they don’t want to spend that money on the new coat.”

In the run up to the campaign launch, Human Appeal contacted local charities and food banks to assess how to best distribute the coats collected. Abid explained that this year, more organisations than ever got in touch.

He said: “We’ve seen a rise in the numbers from each charities, but we’ve also seen a couple of new charities come along and that suggests to us that, over the last year, either new food banks have opened or new charities opened because they felt there was a need for the work that they do.”

What is even more concerning, however, is the type of people who are coming to these grassroots charities for help. In the past, demand has mainly come from organisations working with the homeless, but now even people in permanent housing are seeking help.

He said: “It’s a bit odd because, in the past, we probably didn’t have as many people who were residing in houses, they were relatively comfortable.

“This year we have people living in their own homes unable to afford their bills, as a result they’ve become dependent on us and other charities for even something as simple as a coat for their child or themselves.”

The other contributing factor to the increased demand for the campaign this year is the number of refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Greater Manchester. Abid added: “Given that Manchester is one of the bigger cities, I think there has been an influx from refugees and asylum seekers, particularly in Greater Manchester.”