An organisation set up to tackle deprivation and poverty in Thanet is looking to make the 2020 holiday period better for 50 households needing help the most.

The Thanet Iceberg Project is asking people across the isle to nominate families or individuals who are experiencing the symptoms of poverty and need some extra help to make their Christmas a good one.

Alexander Roarke, CEO of the organisation, says the scheme is not just about gifting food boxes, but finding out exactly what that person or family needs to improve their situation.

Mr Roarke can empathise with those dreading the looming holiday period, after experiencing hard times when he was raising his own family.

He said: "A lot of what we do is to help people overcome the symptoms of poverty while dealing with the causes of poverty.

"A symptom could be at Christmas time, you cannot provide the sort of Christmas you wish you could provide for someone.

"I've been there; my wife will tell you how depressed I've been at Christmas because I've felt I've let my family down.

"We have relied on food boxes in the past. Years ago when my wife and I had little'uns and we were really struggling, someone nominated us for a food box."

Although Mr Roarke agrees food packages can be very beneficial for households living below the poverty line, he believes different people might need different things to improve their Christmas.

"Poverty is a term we use and we instantly think of no money, but someone living on their own can be in poverty of relationships, so we don't want to judge anybody by what the word poverty or need means until they tell us what they mean by it, then we'll try to answer their issues," he said.

"We're looking for anybody, be it a single person, couple, single mum or dad with a family or standard family unit - maybe they need help with finance, presents, decorations - maybe they just need someone to phone them up around Christmas to talk to.

"We'll speak to each of the nominated households and find out what they need, and we'll then work out within what we've got what we can do for each of them.

"It's probably not going to be that we can give all six children and mum and dad and nanny and grandad a wrapped present and a card, but what we might be able to do is something.

"Heck, I can zoom call you and you can sit with my family on Christmas day to be part of it remotely - whatever they need, we'll try to the best of our abilities to provide that over the Christmas time."

Mr Roarke and the team have set aside a few thousand pounds to try to improve the holiday season for 50 nominated families or households.

He says people are also able to nominate themselves if they feel they could use some support in December.

"2020 has been a terrible year, so therefore what we're trying to do is bring some light to Christmas time," he added.

"Heck I can zoom call you and you can sit with my family on Christmas day to be part of it remotely..."

People can nominate those they know who might need help either through the Thanet Iceberg website or in person at the Kitchen Cafe on Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville.

Those who nominate are also asked to write 250 words about why that specific person or family is in a position where they could do with a little bit of extra help.

The nominations will close mid-November.

It comes after footballer Marcus Rashford pushed his campaign for the government to provide free school meals over the Christmas holidays, to support the thousands of people who find themselves below the poverty line.

Despite MPs voting down an extension , scores of businesses across Kent pledged to support struggling families by feeding them free meals this half term.

Symptoms of the ongoing pandemic such as job losses have fuelled a rise in poverty, prompting charities to warn that hundreds of thousands of people will be in financially-tough situations by this Christmas.

Trussell Trust, the UK-wide network which has food banks in Medway , Sheppey and Deal , have estimated an additional 670,000 people will be destitute by the end of the year, meaning they are unable to afford essentials like housing and food.

Mr Roarke hopes connecting with the 50 nominated households will also open a dialogue to try and help these people out of poverty.

He said: "I'm hoping we'll get into conversation with them about the causes - are they furloughed, struggling with their job, a problem with their benefit, a problem with ill health and they're not getting the doctors support they require.

"We're not saying we can do everything, but sometimes people just need a friend to stand beside them - where they see failing, we can actually say 'you're doing a great job.'"

The project lead recently spoke to KentOnline about Thanet's history of being one of the most deprived areas in the south east.

He added: "I don't know how we lift the area up, I know how we lift a person up. If we can lift enough people up one at a time what happens is the area comes up."

To find out more and to nominate people in the area, click here

Read more: All the latest news from Thanet