Building Society is asking the community to support homeless people.

Yorkshire Building Society in Dartmouth is launching its month-long Socktober appeal and asking the community to donate new pairs of socks and other items to support homeless people.

The Society is relaunching the appeal throughout October due to the impact of the campaign last year.

Part of the Society’s charity partnership with End Youth Homelessness(EYH), the campaign aims to raise awareness of World Homeless Day on Wednesday, October 10.

Residents can make donations of new socks, toiletries, interview clothes, woolly hats, gloves and scarves can be made at the Dartmouth branch on the South Embankment.

The branch is also raising money for EYH and welcomes all donations. On October 10, the Society is also asking people to post a picture of themselves online with their favourite socks with the hashtag #socktober.

There is about 86,000 homeless young people in the UK and according to the latest figures there are 41 young people in the South Hams who received some homelessness support from their local authority in 2016/17.

Andy Allwood, manager of the Dartmouth branch of Yorkshire Building Society said: “This is our second Socktober campaign and we are hoping to make it as sock-cessful as last year.

“This year as well as donations of socks, we are also asking for toiletries, interview clothes, woolly hats, gloves and scarves and every single item will go to a homeless person.

“We’re really proud of our partnership with End Youth Homelessness and providing help for young people in need.

“Thanks to donations from people in Dartmouth and all over the UK we have been able to help 125 young people into their own rented homes.

“The money that is raised funds a bespoke Rent Deposit Scheme which provides young people access to a deposit guarantee home essentials grants and practical help for living independently. I would like to thank everyone who has supported us so far and would ask people to donate what they can to help us give homeless young people a chance to build a successful future.”

Through the course of the Society’s three-year partnership with EYH it aims to raise £750,000.

EYH is a UK wide movement, bringing together local charities to tackle youth homelessness on a national scale.

Charlotte Milner, Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer for End Youth Homelessness, said: “Every year 86,000 young people are homeless in the UK. Through our partnership with Yorkshire Building Society we are not only supporting homeless young people into their own rented homes, we are also aiming to break down the barriers that homeless young people face.”

Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/socktober18 or by simply texting SOCT70 followed by the amount you would like to donate £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10 to 70070.