Winter coat donations campaign “will make a real difference” says charity

Bright City Church and Designer Outlet retailer TOG24 have teamed up to ensure that vulnerable and needy people in Ashford enjoy a warmer winter this year.

Outdoor fashion store TOG24 decided to run a ‘swop a coat’ promotion in October, encouraging customers to either hand in unwanted and clean winter coats or swop their old coats for a new one, at a discounted price, explained store manager Steven Terry.

More than 20 coats were donated.

“We wanted to do our bit to help the homeless and contacted Ashford Borough Council for help in finding the best way to do it. They were great and quickly connected us to Bright City Church to discuss how we could help support the fantastic work they do to help needy and vulnerable people in Ashford,” said Steven.

Ian Fowkes for Bright City Church which is based in Bank Street, said: “Our work in helping people in need is all based on partnerships. We work closely with the council to alleviate hardship and to provide a range of support for the vulnerable in our communities. That’s why we are so excited to partner with TOG24 on this campaign – their donations will make a real difference.”

Pictured above: The charity’s Tanya Mantiziba (left) and Ashford Borough Council’s rough sleeper co-ordinator Shirley Frank (right) collect the donated coats from Steven Terry (centre) at the TOG24 store at the Designer Outlet.

Further information

For more information about the work of the Bright City Church, which is the operating name of Ashford Christian Fellowship, visit the Bright City Church website.
For more information about TOG24 visit the Tog24 website.
For more information on homelessness support provided by the council visit our homelessness support and guidance webpage.