Hardship charity swaps raffle tickets for socks

A charity is running a raffle where the cost of a ticket is a pair of clean socks that can be given to someone in need.

Gillingham Street Angels supports people in Medway whose lives have been impacted by homelessness, financial hardship and food poverty.

Neil Charlick, chief executive of the charity, told the BBC his team just tried to get what they could to the community.

He said they never have enough pairs of socks to give people over the winter and "the most important part of the body to keep warm is the feet".

The charity is asking for pairs of clean, wearable socks, which do not have to be brand new.

Mr Charlick said Gillingham Street Angels was not a big "faceless charity" but "a small local organisation [which] gives stuff out to keep people warm and dry".

Socks can be donated and exchanged for tickets at any of the charities' centres, food banks or shops across Medway including in Rochester, Chatham, Rainham and Gillingham.

The raffle includes prizes that collectively are worth £1000 and it will be drawn on 31 December.

Donated socks will be given to those in need from next week.

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