SO many of us have forgotten items of clothing shoved to the back of cupboards and drawers, either because they’ve fallen out of favour or because they’ve become out-grown.

We live in a throwaway society but often we don’t get round to throwing things away.

Perhaps that’s because at the back of our minds we know that they may have some extra miles left in them yet, that they might do someone else another turn.

Perhaps you’re just waiting for the charity bag to come through the door, but since the pandemic they seem to have dried up almost completely.

So The Northern Echo’s Christmas campaign is a great way to clear some cupboard space and also to get a little warm glow in the knowledge that you could be helping someone local.

Darlington Cares is reporting a growing demand for winter coats and warm clothes, particularly from young families. It is a sad fact of modern life that the cost of living crisis is affecting us all, but those with growing youngsters to feed and clothe are especially feeling the pinch.

Once there was a stigma attached to being poor or being “forced” to use charity shops, but our current crisis is changing that – people want to help rather than criticise, and there is no shame in seeking help from foodbanks or clothing exchanges, and positively everyone buys from charity shops to save a few pounds.

So we are all in this together. We all see the prices soaring. We all are keeping the heating off for a few minutes longer and down for a few degrees chillier.

And in that spirit of togetherness, as Christmas comes around along with the colder weather, we are sure that our warm-hearted readers will, as ever, respond and look out whatever they can find to help other people on their doorstep.

READ MORE ABOUT THE COATS FOR CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN