BirminghamLive urges readers to help provide presents for 1,000 city children living in B&Bs and hostels

BirminghamLive has launched a Christmas campaign with the aim of providing Christmas presents for more than 1,000 youngsters who will spend the festive season living in homless hostels of B&B accommodation.

For those youngsters, whose plight BirminghamLive has covered extensively in the last couple of years, there will be no dining table to share a family meal, or space to play with games on their own.

Teachers say B&B living has a hugely detrimental impact on kids already on the margins of society — many are struggling with tiredness, turn up hungry or miss school all together because the journey times between hotels and the schoolgates can be so long.

The campaign, #brumwish, has got off to a flying start since launching on Wednesday.

Already, more than 600 gifts have been donated via the Amazon WishList page set up by BirminghamLive.

Gifts on the page includes a selection which ensures every age range will be able to have a present.

The #Brumwish campaign follows the successful #Brumfeeds campaign run by BirminghamLive which saw more than 100 tonnes of food donated to city foodbanks by readers in 2019.

Editor Graeme Brown said: “Brummies always step up with it matters. These children will have the kind of Christmas nobody would want for their children — hopefully we can make it that bit brighter.”