AS the freezing weather continues to bite across the city a building society has pledged to help 35 homeless young people to find a place of their own.

Yorkshire Building Society has partnered with charity End Youth Homelessness to offer a 'rent deposit scheme' aimed at helping homeless people aged between 16 and 25.

The scheme is the first project of its kind to be rolled out nationally and provides financial help to homeless young people who are looking to move out of supported accommodation.

The Oxford branch of the building society, in High Street, is among the branches across the UK taking part.

The charity has also put out an appeal for donations to help fund the scheme and said that buying £1 Christmas tree decorations from the branch would go a long way towards helping the homeless over the festive season.

Lewis Macleod, manager of the Oxford branch of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “As Christmas is traditionally a time for giving, we want to give homeless young people the best gift of all, a home.

"Through our partnership with End Youth Homelessness we are providing help for young people in need, but this is only possible thanks to the support we receive from customers and the public in Oxford.

“By buying a set of our Christmas decorations or making a donation, you will be helping homeless young people at one of the most difficult times of the year.”

The scheme sees the building society and the charity work with landlords, letting agents and housing associations to find suitable homes and act as guarantors to secure a property for young people to remove the difficulties of funding the upfront deposit costs themselves.

Roughly 83,000 young people in the UK are homeless and, according to Centrepoint's Youth Homelessness Databank, 27 young people in Oxford received some homelessness support from Oxford City Council in 2015/16.

According to the council, up to 100 people are sleeping rough on the streets each night while the council last year helped more than 1,100 families on the verge of becoming homeless in the past year.

Nick Connolly, managing director of End Youth Homelessness, added: “I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the customers and members of staff at Yorkshire Building Society who have contributed so far to our charity partnership.

"Through their donations and support we are able to help more homeless young people this Christmas.”

Every person supported through the rent deposit scheme also receives a £200 home essentials grant and support with financial advice and life skills.