THE welfare of vulnerable children in Redditch is being put at risk by their inability to get basic provisions amid the coronavirus outbreak, says a charity that is pleading for retailers to help.

The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust, based in Worcester, is supporting several cancer-hit families in Redditch with care packages but is appealing for more assistance.

It has been contacted by several families who are in strict isolation for a minimum of 12 weeks - but that timescale is likely to be much longer because their children effectively have little or no immunity.

They cannot get essential cleaning products which are vital due to the likelihood of infection - food staples like bread, eggs, milk, toilet paper which their children are dependent on.

Dr Jennifer Kelly, director and founder of the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust, said: “This really is an unsettling and worrying time for everyone.

"Our local oncology families desperately need essential items and as they are under strict isolation there is no way of them getting these unless we can step in to support them.

"If any local retailer can help us in putting some rescue packs together then we would be really grateful.

"We are all in this together so this really is a time for us all to join together and support each other as much as we possibly can”

If anyone in the local area can support the Trust in putting together some rescue packs or let them know where they can go to purchase these items, email contact@gkcct.org

The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust was set up in 2016 in memory of Grace, who passed away at the age of four, from a rare form of childhood cancer.

Through her legacy, the charity is dedicated to fighting childhood cancer, which affects one in every 500 children under the age of 15 and is the biggest medical cause of death of children in the UK.