A COMMUNITY project has been launched to help young people who find themselves homeless.

Hug in a Bag has been set up with the aim of providing support in Carlisle and Eden.

And it will help young people get back on their feet by providing them with a bag of essentials.

“I know its an issue for younger people who turn up at young person supported accommodation and I know it’s the same when adults go into supported accommodation,” said Ann Ford, the driving force behind the project.

“A lot of people who turn up are very vulnerable, and they don’t have anything.”

The bags contain necessities for everyday self-care that vulnerable people, who recently homeless, don’t have access to.

This includes, but is not limited to, toothpaste, tooth brush, soap, shampoo, towel and bedding packs.

“You and I take for granted that we have a tooth brush, that we can take a shower, we have shampoo, we have soap and all those things,” Ann added.

Often these young people will prioritise food over hygiene. The Hug in a Bag project gives them these little comforts.

The initial roll-out will help 100 men and women across Carlisle and Eden with products provided by B&M on Wigton Road.

Julie Tait, who works at the branch, was volunteering at the event at the Old Fire Station and said: “We’ve enjoyed doing it. We had to order everything in and get it all packed up and organised.”

Mrs Ford identified the need for something that supports young people who are on the cusp of adulthood through her community work and received a grant from Cash for Kids, the charity operated by radio station CFM.

The grant will support the initial roll-out, after this the team may apply for further funding to keep the project going.

Katie Jones, charity manager at Cash for Kids, said: “We identified that these young people need some support and that it’s a fantastic project to support from Cash for Kids.

“The board thought it would be brilliant to be a part of it and to get it off the ground.”

Mrs Ford also founded and manages the Period Poverty North Cumbria group.