A cancer patient and stroke victim is appealing for donations to help the homeless after she was moved by the plight of seeing so many people pitched up outside Hackney Town Hall that she’s taken to the streets to feed them herself.

Jackie Carr, of Queensbridge Road, Haggerston, was inspired to act after witnessing 15 people pitched on the grass area outside the town hall just before Christmas.

"It really touched me, and I felt really sorry for them and I recognised that a lot of people are being affected by universal credit and they have to survive on £30 a week," she said.

"I'm a cancer patent, and it's gone to my vertebrae although I have been told I can live with it for years, then in 2017 I had a stroke. I do struggle financially and it's not always easy for me, and by the time the gas the shopping and electric is done I'm often left really broke - but these people have even less than I do."

Along with a friend, she delivered meals in plastic containers to 40 homeless people for the first time two weeks ago.

She said: "It brought tears to my eyes. There was torrential rain and although they were sheltering under bridges, they couldn't keep dry. It broke my heart to see how people were living."

Since then the 54-year-old mother-of-three has teamed up with Anthea Joannou from the not-for-profit organisation Street Angels UK. She asked how she manages to raise funds despite not having charity status, and Anthea has allowed her to use the name 'Street Angels UK Hackney' and is coming to Jackie's first event next week.

"Anthea started up in her kitchen just like I have, and now feeds our friends on the streets on a big scale," said Jackie.

"We set up an online wish list for emergency supplies, and people have been fantastic sending donations. I'm getting parcels every day, and soon we will be handing out foil blankets and sleeping bags, and everything the homeless need on the streets."

Jackie will be serving meals outside Hackney Town Hall in Mare Street at 1pm on January 18, and in February she will sleep rough to raise funds and see how tough it really is.

Visit facebook.com/streetangelsukhackney for more information.