Council gives £10,000 for children without own bed

A council is to give £10,000 to a charity which provides beds for children who are sleeping on sofas, chairs and even in baths.

Wakefield Council is supporting specialist bed charity Zarach for the second year through the Wakefield Children's Bed Appeal.

It will deliver 66 new beds through partner charities Prosper and Community Foundation Wakefield District.

Councillor Daniel Wilton said he was "shocked" to hear 6,000 children across the borough did not have a bed of their own.

He said: "We're working to tackle poverty in our district, wherever we find it.

"This is a long-standing national issue. But we can do our bit – through our Residents First Group – to support as many children as possible to have their own place to sleep so that they have the best start to life."

Zarach was founded in 2017 in Leeds, but now operates across the whole of West Yorkshire and other parts of England.

The charity has delivered more than 15,000 beds to children referred by their schools.

Since Zarach began working in Wakefield, 534 beds have been delivered with almost half of those funded by the Wakefield Children's Bed Appeal.

Chief executive officer at Prosper Kath Lindley said she was "absolutely overwhelmed" by the response to the bed campaign.

She said: "We are over the moon that we have helped so many children in our district out of bed poverty."

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