Bedford charity Faces says local families 'on their knees'

A charity that helps children and families says many are "on their knees", with the number of people being given aid doubling during the pandemic.

Bedford-based charity Faces said it usually donated items to 100 families at Christmas, but last month they gave out gifts to 300 - triple the amount.

Its chief executive Wendie Harvey said she had "never seen anything like this" with many people losing their jobs.

She added she was "blown away" by people's generosity to donate presents.

"Poverty has always been there, but we are now supporting families that we haven't helped before and who have never asked for help," said Ms Harvey.

Faces, which stands for Family and Children's Early-help Services, has teamed up with Bedford Borough Council and other charity organisations to offer food, ingredients and slow cookers.

Ms Harvey said: "Families are on their knees. Things are always worse after Christmas, so we have to tackle it now.

"I've been working with charities for 25 years and I've never seen hardship like this."

To help families enjoy the festive season without "the worry", the charity handed out toys, hampers, toiletries and other items to about 300 families, said Ms Harvey.

Families that received the gifts said they were "overwhelming and the highlight of the week", she said.

In 2019/20, the charity supported 982 children. In 2020/21 that number is expected to reach 2,500 by March.

"We're not just offering food, we're handing out the essentials, giving practical and emotional support. We've done this in the face of adversity," said Ms Harvey.

"We are just getting the saddest phone calls - families panicking they haven't got a device to home-school their children."

Ms Harvey thanked the local community for helping out in 2020 and hoped it would continue to provide support in the year ahead.

"We were blown away by the generosity [at Christmas] at one point - we had so much we couldn't get the gifts in our offices," she said.

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