Thank you for your helpful article ‘How you can help the homeless in York’ (The Press, December 8).

As Methodist District Chair I oversee 220 churches around the North & East of Yorkshire. I am increasingly aware of how widespread the plight of homelessness is. Although more obvious in the cities, the issues are still significant in rural and coastal areas with sofa-surfing and temporary, inadequate accommodation.

I was glad to join with some younger Methodists on Saturday, December 7 for a sleep out in York as part of World’s Big Sleep Out. We raised over £2,000 for local and national homelessness charities.This, and much more, is needed. Shelter estimates that on Christmas Day more than 135,000 children in Great Britain will be homeless and living in temporary accommodation.

As the Methodist Church, we’re committed to playing our part in combatting the issues of homelessness in all their many guises.

It’s vital that every part of society pulls together and does what we can so that together we are focused on the ‘common good’ where everyone can find a place to call home.

The Revd Leslie Newton,

Chair of Yorkshire North and East Methodist District,

Acomb, York