On a trip to Manchester for her son’s ninth birthday, Hertfordshire mum Lisa Patnick was so shocked by the level of homelessness that she decided she had to do something.

The result was the creation of a charity, Urban Angels, which has been providing warm clothes for the homeless in London and Manchester, distributed by teams of volunteers. A drop-in centre was also set up with the help of Manchester Reform Synagogue.

“We meet a homeless person, talk to them and give them cake,” the 37-year-old said.

“A piece of cake and a conversation goes a very long way when you are ignored by the masses.”

Although the charity is new, Mrs Patnick is no stranger to helping the homeless.

“A couple of years ago, a few like-minded mums and dads decided to hit the streets of London in the cold to give out items.

“We thought we would put something about it on Facebook and it went viral One of the women we met said we were like angels. That’s where the name was born.”

She added: “So many people want to help but they just do not know how. Our charity is growing and we are looking for sponsors to give our angels wings.”