GIFTS of everyday essentials are wanted to help vulnerable young people as part of a new project.

Clothes, toiletries, bedding and shoes are just some of the things which Trowbridge-based tech company Jinchi Limited are collecting for their new RukSak 45218 initiative, which will provide young people with living essentials which they may not be able to afford.

The idea came from Jinchi technicians Rory Donaldson and Lee Fletcher after they talked to a young boy who had been wearing the same clothes for days and whose family could not afford laundry detergent.

The pair bought him detergent and other essentials in an act of kindness and loaded up his rucksack for him.

Since then they have been developing the idea of filling up rucksacks with essentials for anyone aged five to 18, and the RukSak 45218 project was born. The numbers 45218 represent “for five to 18-year-olds”.

So far the response has been overwhelming, with 65 rucksacks being donated, along with 750 flannels and crates of sanitary products. But more donations are needed before they can start giving out full rucksacks.

Mr Donaldson said: “I have worked in care for over 28 years and have seen firsthand the suffering of young people who do not have the basic things.

“Imagine young people who don’t have toiletries, appropriate clothes, bedding and more. Lots of young people start getting bullied at school and online.

“We want to give young people the chance to succeed with the basics they need. In 2019 no young person should be without the basics because their families can’t afford it.

“We had one teacher refer a pupil to us as he didn’t have any socks.

“How can it be 2019 and some children don’t own socks. This is why we want to help improves these young people’s lives.

The future looks bright for RukSak 45218 as they hope to expand beyond Trowbridge after this year.

Mr Donaldson said: “By starting this initiative in Trowbridge we are testing it out and hope to expand to cover the whole of Wiltshire.

“I have even had people from the North of England get in touch and want to be involved, but for now we just need more donations before we can start handing out the RukSaks in Trowbridge, and we hope to expand from there.”

To donate, drop gifts of essentials into the Jinchi office at Unit 19, Dunkirk Business Park, Frome Road, Southwick.

For more information on the project and how a young person can be referred for help, visit www.ruksak45218.org.uk