Children's charity 'barely keeping up with demand'

A charity which provides essential items for families with young children says it can "barely keep up with demand".

Little Village, which has hubs across London, has helped 9,201 children this year providing them with items such as clothing, nappies, bedding and baby milk.

In the last 12 months, they have given away 5,820 coats and almost 40,000 pairs of pyjamas to families in need.

Angela Basso, head of fundraising at the charity, said demand had "noticeably increased over the last 18 months and we are now at a stage that we have more requests for help than we can respond to".

She added the charity was always short of warm clothes for those aged three to five and urged people who may have children who have outgrown garments to consider donating them.

Nataliia Kravchenko has been receiving support from the charity after giving birth to a boy earlier this year.

She said a package containing toys, books, a baby sling, water bottle and clothes was "very helpful".

"I had nothing for the baby and was very worried because I didn't have enough money," she added.

Ms Kravchenko, who fled Ukraine in 2022 with her 10-year-old son, said the charity had also provided essentials, including a warm coat and shoes, for him.

Ms Basso said Christmas could be particularly tough for parents worried about being able to afford presents as well as bills like rent and heating.

To help ease this stress, the charity also gives families a so called "bundle of joy" at Christmas which includes the essentials as well as a toy or gift for each child.

"We match the family and the child's interests with toys we give them," she said.

"Toys are crucial for child development and they help reduce stress for the whole family. Playing and reading can also help connect families."

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