WOMENS charities across Dudley are about to get the support they need thanks to the Helping Handbags campaign.

Only three weeks ago, author Helen Courtney spotted a post by a lady named Brenda Dempsey in the Women Inspiring Women Facebook group.

The post – an emotive image of an open handbag with a message to donate to a homeless woman – caught Helen’s attention.

She said: “Knowing that many homeless woman are in crisis due to abusive relationships, I messaged Brenda to see how I could help.

“Having experienced emotional abuse myself, as an author of a book on abuse and as a self-realisation expert, I wanted to help this community of vulnerable woman.

“Before I knew it, I was appointed Helping Handbags’ regional co-ordinator for the West Midlands and within just 12 days, the public support for this project has been immense.”

The campaign is encouraging women across the Black Country to donate old handbags along with unused toiletries or sample products which could be sitting in their bathroom cupboards.

Those handbags then need to be taken to one of the seven ‘donation stations’ in the borough, currently located in Amblecote, Brierley Hill, Cradley Heath, Gornal, Hagley and Halesowen and at Stourbridge Fire Station.

Prior to December 18, Helen will travel to each of the donation stations to collect the handbags and in turn distribute them to various women’s charities throughout the West Midlands.

Helen added: “We are still looking for more volunteers to be donation stations, as well as to increase the number of handbag donations.

“But to everyone who has helped so far, I want to thank you on behalf of all the women who will benefit from your much needed support.”

For more information about your nearest donation station, call Helen on 07725 470392.