Like your readers I’m getting ready for Christmas and can’t wait for some time off to relax and spend time at home with family and friends.
Home is so important at this time of year, which is why it shocked me to learn that every two minutes someone in Britain faces the nightmare of losing their home.
In Oxford alone, 120 households are at risk of repossession or eviction and thousands more are constantly struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
Perhaps more upsetting is knowing that about 70,000 children will wake up this Christmas in temporary accommodation, without the safety and security of a home to call their own. Many more families will be spending Christmas in housing that is damp, overcrowded or in disrepair.
This year, we can all do something to help by making sure that people in housing need can access advice and support.
By treating ourselves to lunch from Marks & Spencer’s Food on the Move range, which includes festive sandwiches, drinks and snacks, we will be helping to support the housing and homelessness charity Shelter’s free phone helpline, which enables 46,000 people each year to access vital housing advice and support.
So please spare a thought this Christmas for those in housing need, and the tens of thousands of people at risk of losing their home. Support this special partnership and help Shelter help who’s next.
Jayne Middlemiss TV presenter
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