Kent's food and drink experts Macknade, which has its flagship store in Faversham, plus outposts in Ashford and Tunbridge Wells is this Christmas supporting Porchlight, Kent’s largest charity for homeless and vulnerable people.

Until January 1 2022, Macknade will make a £5 donation to Porchlight, for every order purchased through its online Christmas shop, during this time.

The monies, which will be transferred to the charity at regular intervals throughout the campaign, could help towards the cost of a Christmas lunch for someone living in a Porchlight property, or fund an essential check-in, to keep someone in the Kent community off the streets.

Says Macknade Managing Director, Shane Godwin: "Porchlight do fantastic work, reaching out to people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness and I’m confident that our amazing customers will join with us to support this important initiative."

Porchlight says it has already seen a 63% increase in referrals during the first seven months of this year and is bracing itself for a further rise in the number of people requiring help by the end of the year. Kate Boulding, Corporate Partnerships Manager at the charity, says, "We expect more people than ever will need our help this winter. More than 9,300 households in Kent could be facing homelessness by the end of the year because protections allowing them to keep a roof over their heads – such as the furlough scheme and the eviction ban – have now ended. The amazing support we’re receiving from Macknade means we can continue to be there for the most vulnerable people in our communities. We want to say a massive thank you to them for choosing to support us and raising awareness of our work to their customers this festive season."

To shop online at Macknade and support Porchlight, visit macknade.com