Radio presenter and singer Fleur East helps launch Cash for Kids North West Christmas appeal

• A video report by Granada Reports Reporter Zoe Muldoon

Radio presenter and singer Fleur East has helped a children's charity to launch its annual campaign to help families struggling this festive period due to the cost of living crisis.

Cash for Kids says there been an increase of more than twenty per cent in requests for help from the North West.

Because of this, staff have begun what they are calling 'Mission Christmas' – organising donations and packing gifts donated by the public for the region's most disadvantaged children at a warehouse in Manchester.

Emma Brown, Cash for Kids, said: "we've seen a huge increase in demand for help across the whole year.

"Last year alone we were able to raise more than £20million that help just short of half a million.

"We are hoping we can increase that for 2023, but it is proving to be really tough."

The annual campaign is supported by Hits Radio where Fleur works. She has been helping the charity four four years.

She said: "I think this is a Charity in particular that makes you realise how much we take things for granted.

"Never having had that experience of waking up on Christmas morning and not having a gift, I mean you just don't realise what that feeling's like.

"And having young kids in my family, young cousins, babies, to think of them not waking up to gifts on Christmas day is upsetting.

"Although we try to help as many families as we can, sadly we can't reach all of the families and we can't do this alone, we need everybody's help."

Mission Christmas helped 75,000 children in the North West last year.

So far this year there has been applications on behalf of 93,000 children, that's a rise of 20,000 more than the charity helped in 2022.

The charity gets applications from schools and organisations who say without this campaign, many children would wake up with nothing on Christmas Day.

Hayley Peters, Autastic Charity: "To be able to donate these presents to children, it's helping parents to not have to make that choice between heating and Christmas gifts.

"If anyone can donate and have an impact on na child's life and put a smile on their face on Christmas morning please do."

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