Star David Hayman's charity appeal will help hundreds of vulnerable children

The Evening Times teamed up with veteran actor David Hayman to support his charity Spirit Aid's Christmas appeal.

Over the past six weeks Herald and Times staff, local businesses and members of the public have thrown their weight behind the cause to provide children living in poverty with new toys, as well as food and toiletries for homeless people and hard-up families in Glasgow.

Stage and screen star David, who came to our office yesterday with his team members to collect the haul, said he "welled up" when he saw the amount of items - from Frozen dolls and Spiderman masks to a doll's house donated by one of our vendors.

The items will be taken to charities, refuges for abused women and community groups.

David said people have been more generous than ever this year - and he believes that's down to the effect of the independence referendum.

He said: "People are more generous than ever.

"Since the recession it's been really tough because people don't have the disposable income.

"But I think this year people's heart strings have been tugged.

"The referendum has changed so many things in this country.

"It's really opened up peoples' political and moral awareness. It's opened up to a younger generation. I think people have become energised - all this can only be helpful."

David is support the Evening Times Food for Thought project, which is campaigning for a more coordinated approach to foodbanks and to remove the stigma from them.

He said the effects of poverty mean youngsters have a poor quality of life.

He said: "We've got just under 200,000 kids in Scotland living in poverty and just under 4million in the United Kingdom.

"It means you don't get a birthday, you don't get a Christmas present, you don't get taken to the movies to see Frozen, you don't get taken to a pantomime.

"It's a poverty of life.

"These kids may not starve to death but what quality of life have they got? When they've got nothing to inspire their imagination, nothing to put a smile on their faces. I think that's the great tragedy of all."

David said receiving treats can make children "feel like they're a million dollars".

He said: "We work with families who are truly destitute, so we get lots of requests."

Spirit Aid also provide homeless charities with sacks at Christmas.

The sacks are filled with toothpaste and tooth brushes, shampoo, thermals and socks.

Their Christmas appeal will help at least 400 families in the Glasgow area.

David's charity, which started 12 years ago, also has projects abroad.

They have clinics in Afghanistan, feeding stations and nurseries in Malawi and projects in Palestine.

David said: "We have seen how destitute people are across the world and we have so much going on.

"But charity begins at home."

David said he was shocked to discover the number of users of the four Trussell Trust foodbanks in Glasgow had increased by 229% in a year.

More than 7200 people - including 2822 children - were given a three day supply of food between April 1 and September 30 this year.

David said: "That utterly shocks me.

"How can we call ourselves a civilised society when there is even one family hungry in this country.?

"Why do people have to give to foodbanks when we are spending £6million on aircraft carriers.

"There's people starving and people are homeless, people are queuing at foodbanks.

"If this is the state of the United Kingdom in the 21st century we really should be ashamed of ourselves."

He called on the Scottish Government and Westminster to do more and, echoing the aims of our campaign he added: "Every public body should get behind foodbanks."

David will spend Christmas at home with his wife Alice and three sons before beginning rehearsals in Glasgow for the 70th anniversary of the play Slab Boys.

He said he was overwhelmed at the support for the appeal.

He said: "We couldn't do it without the people who support us - the Evening Times and their readers."