A WOMAN whose poverty-stricken past has inspired her to help others with food parcels, Christmas trees and decorations to make the festive period special.

Becca Morgan, who runs Principal Teachers supply teaching agency from Colburn, near Richmond, said as a child her family struggled at Christmas – but always remembers one year when they received a mystery food hamper.

She said: “My dad was an unemployed single parent to me and my two siblings and we were a vulnerable family.

“One year we found the hamper on our doorstep and it was just magical – there was nothing particularly expensive but to us it meant so much.”

The memory made Mrs Morgan want to give back to families in the schools she provides teaching staff to, covering Catterick Garrison, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool, Darlington, York, Wetherby and Newton Aycliffe, with 50 hampers, trees and decorations going out this week.

She said: “The project started last year when we were given some Christmas trees and decorations so we wanted to find homes for them.

“I called round all my schools to see who needed help, and we started to put together a nomination list as they came in.

“But it became clear that many families were dealing with food shortages and that was why they were being nominated – a lot were already using a foodbank.”

Mrs Morgan said as the nominations came in, she soon felt she could not neglect any of the families she heard about and decided she would cater for everyone.

This year she has had double the number of nominations to last year, and has funded much of the operation through her own business, with generous staff getting involved to contribute to food hampers, and local businesses donating food and Christmas trees.

She said: “We have made up our food hampers and have already started delivering, some to schools and other to peoples’ homes. In some cases it is a complete surprise and the family have been in tears. I know what it is like to be skint. My husband and I have five children so when they were young we didn’t have a lot of money either, so now I can do something to help it is so important to me.

“Obviously it is not good that people are forced to struggle all year round, but if they are struggling then they won’t be able to afford any extras at Christmas, so at least we can spread a bit of joy.”

Visit www.principalteachers.co.uk.