MORE than 2,000 coats have been donated to the homeless after a campaign.

The first Wrap Up Brighton & Hove coat collection campaign has come to a close and organisers have been overwhelmed by the generosity of commuters, shoppers, students and office workers.

Over the three day campaign this month, volunteers collected 2,126 coats and 820 warm items, which have been sorted and taken to local charities that support vulnerable people including the elderly, homeless, women’s refuge, children and low income families. In partnership with registered charity HandsOn London, the inaugural Wrap Up Brighton & Hove was supported by Rotary Brighton and Hove and backed by American Express.

Beverly Sawyers, Vice President, American Express said: “The response from the local community has gone above and beyond all our expectations. People’s generosity has been amazing. Receiving a warm coat will make a huge difference to those most in need across the city. We hope to build on the success of this year’s campaign to make next year’s Wrap Up Brighton & Hove even better.”

Robert Griffiths, spokesperson for Rotary Brighton and Hove said: “We know that Brighton & Hove is a big-hearted city - in just three days we were inundated with coats. We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who got involved and all those who were able to gift a warm coat.”

Coats were handed in at public donation points at Brighton and Hove train stations, churches and community centres across the city. American Express also collected coats from colleagues in its offices in Brighton and Burgess Hill. In addition, students at the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton donated coats on campus.

The charities involved in distributing coats over the coming weeks are: Sussex Homeless Support, The Clock Tower Sanctuary, Off the Fence, Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project, Brighton and Hove YMCA, RISE, Heads On Charity, First Base Brighton Housing Trust, Emmaus, The Brighton and Hove City Mission, Brighton Women’s Centre.