Christmas is going to be very very busy, says a one-woman Stourbridge charity - and she should know.

Because Vi Wood has already seen requests for her help soar during the first lockdown.

And like other support groups, she says the demand is coming from struggling working families.

Many are suddenly finding themselves with their income gone or drastically reduced because they have been furloughed or lost their jobs and don’t know where to turn.

Vi runs Leslie’s Care Packages, which she set up after her husband’s death from cancer as a lasting memorial to him.

His death left Vi in a precarious situation. As a German, despite being married to a British man and living here for many years, she had to prove she had lived in the country for five years before being able to claim any benefits.

But the five months it took to get the required documentation and approval left her on the verge of being made homeless because of difficulties paying the rent.

Now Vi, whose full time job is a fundraiser for Women’s Aid, focuses her time on helping others in difficult situations.

Having being furloughed herself, Vi was working ‘non-stop’ delivering food parcels and other essentials to more and more families as lockdown took its toll.

She delivers about five parcels a day - masked and gloved, of course - and while demand eased off when lockdown ended, she is gearing up for a hectic Christmas.

She has started her Chrsitmas campaign preparing packages and treats for families and local schools across Stourbridge and Dudley.

The work is overwhelming but so is the support she gets from the local community.

Since her husband’s death Vi, 59, says LCP has become her life. “It gives me some purpose.”

Which is good news for the Stourbridge families she is helping through this latest Covid-19 crisis.

To help, visit the charity’s Facebook page.