'I'm having to choose between heating or feeding my six kids'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Tucking her six children up in bed, single mum Shaista breathed a sigh of relief. She had made it through another day. The 40-year-old didn’t know what more she could cut back on.

Not only did she have food and bills to worry about, she also had to find cash for school uniforms and other essentials. The south Manchester mum was struggling to see a light at the end of the tunnel. READ MORE: 'I have to work 17 hours a day just to survive' That was until a Salford-based group reached out and offered her the help she so desperately needed.

Visit from the Stork is a family support organisation that supports hundreds of Greater Manchester families a year. Over the last three years, the group has delivered more than 8,000 packs of baby essentials, run peer support groups, play sessions and helped parents on their breastfeeding journey.

Shaista says the group, which found her through a local foodbank, has been a “lifeline” over the last few years – providing support through some of her darkest times. “The group is such a positive service that is invaluable to a lot of people in our local community,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “The group was a lifeline when I was going through a very difficult phase in my life.