A BROTHER and sister have donated hampers to help the town’s homeless this Christmas.

Jacob and Jessica Wallace from Woolston have donated two large food hampers to the Room at the Inn as well as individual hampers for service users, containing toiletries and gifts.

The siblings, aged 11 and seven respectively, headed down to the town centre homeless shelter on Saturday, December 16, to give their donation to those in need.

Mum Mary said: “They feel quite passionately about helping the homeless, especially when it’s really cold at this time of this year.

“People are greeted in person at the Room at the Inn and given options to move forward and to progress as well as counselling.

“Friends and family from here, there and everywhere have been donating, so I’m very proud of them.”

It is not the first time that Jake and Jess, who are pupils St Peter’s Catholic Primary School in Woolston, have lent their support to the town’s homeless community, having previously walked four miles to raise more than £1,000 for the YMCA last year.

Now they are also encouraging residents to pledge to donate £2.50 per month to the Room at the Inn through standing orders in order to allow it to become independent of Warrington Borough Council funding.

The homeless shelter, on Winmarleigh Street, fears it may lose its £3,000-a-month council grant - funding it believes will be transferred to James Lee House as part of plans to convert a chapel and meeting room at the Brick Street hostel into eight new emergency overnight rooms.

Mary, of Manchester Road, added: “They have raised money to try to keep the YMCA open before now, and while that has closed there’s still the Room at the Inn.

“We want people to set up a standing order to the Room at the Inn - we’re just asking for £2.50 so that we don’t need to rely on the council’s grants.

“There has been a lot raised so far and people are starting to become aware of what Room at the Inn is.

“It would be brilliant if they can encourage people to set up a few standing orders while donating some food for the shelter.”