A GLASGOW charity has launched its biggest fundraising campaign in its history.

Recycling charity Starter Packs wants to raise £250,000 to ensure that some of the city's most vulnerable residents have access to items to equip a home from scratch.

It might sound like a tall order to achieve a target of quarter of a million pounds during a harsh financial climate, but Govan-based charity bosses have stripped their appeal back to the bone.

They are urging 250,000 people to donate just a pound.

The charity estimated the sum needed to get them through the year – and this year they are changing their tactics.

Sarah Findlay, development manager, said: "Each year we deliver our service and manage to pull together funding for that.

"However, we know this is going to be one of our toughest years and this year have put a strategy in place.

"We know what we need to do and are setting our stall. We are asking people to donate just £1 and if we get 250,000 people doing that – we will make our target."

Just days into the appeal, Starter Packs have been sending out the campaign messages on social networking sites.

They have contacted every MSP in the Scottish Parliament and Scots MPs at Westminster, as well as a host of Hollywood celebrities including Ewan McGregor, Hilary Swank and Slyvester Stallone.

The charity helps the city's most vulnerable residents have access to the items they need to equip and furnish their homes.

But the charity desperately needs to get another van on the road to help with deliveries and their long- term aim is to find new premises.

Sarah added: "With poverty on the rise, we know we can take donated items, things people don't want or need, and make them available to those in need, giving people a dignified standard of living.

"With housing benefit cuts or the bedroom tax as it's becoming known, we expect families to be hit hard. This is only the start of the year and already we are being inundated with referrals from housing associations.

"We know there will be a huge demand on our services and we are planning ahead rather than waiting for a crisis."

Hundreds of referrals from housing associations come into Starter Packs.

After more than 10 years on the go, there are not many things that surprise the team at the Govan-based group, who have seen families and single parents starting out with nothing.