A THURROCK pub's Christmas appeal to help homeless people has received a big boost from a community charity.

The Woodlands Edge pub on Broxburn Parade in South Ockendon has pledged to undertake a pre-Christmas fundraising campaign for the locally-based is Friends of Essex and London homeless.

And on Thursday, 9 December, the pub received a donation of goods from the Lance Corporal Nicky Mason Memorial Fund in neighbouring Aveley.

The fund runs an army surplus supplies shop and donated a range of items including rucksacks and gloves to be distributed through the homeless charity to those in need.

Marc Chattaway from the pub said: "We have had great donations from our customers who have wholeheartedly supported the Friends of the Homeless charity and today's amazing donations from the Nicky mason Fund are amazing."

Many of the items collected by customers and the fund's donations were collected by the charity's founder Steven Stuart, who thanked everyone connected with the Woodlands Edge and the Nicky mason Memorial Fund for their support.

A trolley for collection of goods is still at the pub, where support for the charity will be ongoing.

Friends of Essex and London Homeless is a non-profitable registered charity and currently runs two soup kitchens in Charing Cross, London on Wednesdays and Grays on Fridays.