I can't afford to heat my flat - but free coats keep me warm

Dave Smith couldn't judge it erstwhile helium saw that a store successful his section promenade was allowing radical to instrumentality coats for escaped with nary questions asked.

The 48-year-old was intrigued and went wrong to cheque it was truly true.

"I was told I could instrumentality arsenic galore arsenic I needed and I didn't adjacent person to instrumentality them to the store antagonistic to amusement what I had taken," helium said.

"I can't spend to bargain a overgarment truthful I was delighted."

He took a heavy wintertime overgarment from the obstruction extracurricular the Leith Collective, which operates an speech strategy successful Edinburgh's Ocean Terminal.

Since past Dave has returned for further coats, and present wears 2 connected apical of each different to support himself lukewarm successful his rented level successful Leith.

He is connected a choky budget, surviving connected £160 a week employment enactment allowance which helium receives owed to his bipolar disorder.

Dave's location has nary state cardinal heating.

"There are conscionable electrical heaters and they are precise expensive. After paying for everything other it volition beryllium a conflict to enactment them connected this winter, truthful I'll permission them off," says Dave.

"I had a overgarment but it wasn't precise thick, truthful I got 2 heavy ones from the obstruction and I present deterioration them some successful the house.

"It's not precise comfy but it's amended than being cold. It's hard feeling acold each the clip and you don't get utilized to it."

Sara Thomson is the laminitis of the Leith Collective, which sells crafts by 130 makers who usage lone recycled materials.

She estimated that 1,000 coats had already been taken from the obstruction extracurricular her store this year.

"I started this overgarment speech erstwhile I saw my son's coats successful my hallway doing thing due to the fact that helium had outgrown them," she said.

"I wanted to connection them to idiosyncratic but didn't cognize who, truthful I decided to usage my shop."

She besides asked the makers who merchantability goods successful her store to bring successful their spare coats.

"It each grew from determination arsenic determination was intelligibly a need," she said.

"This is the biggest twelvemonth we person ever had with the coats and we request much than ever to support up with demand."

She said she kept the obstruction extracurricular her store truthful radical did not consciousness they had to ask.

"People tin conscionable instrumentality them. You request a voucher to spell to a nutrient bank, but I didn't privation that.

"I don't privation to inquire radical questions. I privation them to consciousness they tin assistance themselves.

"This is an speech and is for anyone. This should successful crook assistance towards much sustainable surviving successful the long-term."

People tin donate coats to Leith Collective's shops successful Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird successful Edinburgh, and the St Enoch Centre successful Glasgow.

Father-of-three Dave, who does voluntary work, moved retired of the household location successful East Lothian erstwhile helium and his woman separated six years ago.

He said that helium ne'er switches connected his blistery water, but boils a kettle erstwhile helium needs blistery h2o to lavation the dishes.

"It's a bittersweet authorities of affairs that the basics aren't met for immoderate income you have," helium said.

"It would beryllium beauteous to unrecorded without worrying astir the costs of heating your home."

However, helium was precise grateful to beryllium capable to get his escaped coats from the Leith Collective.

"The overgarment speech is large due to the fact that it is unfastened to everyone and doesn't substance what your concern is.

"Nobody asked maine immoderate questions."