Christmas is the season of goodwill - and this year, Pembrokeshire Action to Combat Hardship (PATCH) is asking people to give the gift of £5 a month to support the work of the charity (writes Jessica Hatchett).

PATCH - which has bases in Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock and Saundersfoot - provides food, clothing and household items to people all over the county who are in financial crisis, on a referral-only basis.

A donation of £5 a month - or £60 a year - is enough money to feed a family of four for a week. If 500 people donated £5 a month for a year, the charity would receive £30,000 in donations - and this would go a long way towards helping those in need.

To mark the appeal, PATCH is launching its 12 days of Christmas campaign on social media. From December 12 until Christmas Eve, the charity is sharing stories of clients that have been helped. Some situations or names will have been changed so that people remain anonymous.

PATCH co-ordinator Tracy Olin said: “This year we have really struggled financially as we haven’t been awarded any small grants. We have struggled to meet all of our running costs, including wages and utility bills, because we have provided more support to a greater number of people in Pembrokeshire who really need it. We only have one full-time and one part-time paid member of staff and the other 60 workers are all volunteers.”

She added: “While people generously donating food, household items, toiletries and clothing is absolutely fantastic, regular monetary donations will help us to provide even more assistance to those who are in crisis.”

To sign up to regular donations with Virgin Giving, visit http://bit.ly/1kPJgdN"http://bit.ly/1kPJgdN. To find out more about PATCH’s work, visit www.facebook.com/patchcharitypembs or http://www.patchcharity.org.