WITH the festive season here and many unable to afford basic items like food and clothing, some are looking at ways to help those most in need.

Christmas is an expensive time of year and with the cost of living crisis eating away at people's savings, more may be turning to charity to keep afloat.

However, there is a way people can help those most in need of support this Christmas.

Donating food and old clothes can be a great way to give back to the community.

Where to donate clothes and food for Christmas 

There are a number of charities that take food and unwanted clothing:

Donate clothes

The British Heart Foundation, the Salvation Army, and Oxfam both collect and sell unwanted items, using the proceeds to support projects.

Donations can be made by visiting your nearest charity shop, by visiting your nearest clothes bank (or bin) to drop off items, or through arranged pickups and charity bag schemes

There are lots of other groups across the country that take unwanted clothes, so keep an eye out for charities you want to support.

To find out more about the charities mentioned, please visit the Oxfam website, the Salvation Army, and the British Heart Foundation website.

Donate food

Food is another item that is desperately needed by charities to help those in need with the UK's largest network of food banks, with the Trussell Trust reporting an 81% rise in demand for its services in 5 years.

Luckily, donating is easy with collection points in supermarkets across the country and the ability to donate items to your nearest foodbank personally.

READ MORE: Christmas 2022: How to donate to food banks this season

Charities like the Trussell Trust and FareShare also accept monetary donations with the latter operating a service for businesses to donate excess food to food banks.

To find out more about the charities, please visit the Trussell Trust website and FareShare website.