Christmas isn't a festive time of year for Teesside's families in poverty

While most of us are well and truly gearing up for the festive season, some people in Teesside struggling with addiction or poverty don't always find Christmas easy.

TFM have been speaking to people across the region who're in hardship this Christmas to find out what life is like for them.

In Out of the Cold is an event run by Middlesbrough Council, and is held in the Town Hall Crypt.

Hundreds of the town's hungry and homeless decended on the event last Tuesday, where they could pick up free warm clothing and food.

It's here we met Tracey, a recovering alcoholic who finds it particularly difficult to control her addiction at this time of year.

She said: "It's very very hard."

"Especially money wise. We don't get as much money as we would like because it's government benefits.

"But you have to keep going."

Another person at the event, taking advantage of the warmth is Stuart, another Middlesbrough resident who's struggling with alcohol addiction.

He said: "Before I went out one night, I lined up a load of tablets and whisky and wanted to kill myself, I just couldn't take it anymore."

After his 18-year-relationship broke down, Stuart lost everything, his family, house and job.

He said: "At the moment, I'm doing alright. I can go to the pub and only have an orange juice."

And another man, who didn't want to give his name, had struggled with a heroin addiction and had been homeless a number of times.

He said this time of year can remind him of some of the times he was homeless and struggling to keep his family together.

For Mick Thompson from Middlesbrough Council, he says all of us are only a pay cheque away from being in hardship or homeless.

He said: "There but for the grace of god go many of us.

"Through a relationship that's broken down, through a job that's been lost and people are unable to pay mortage payments.

"I don't think there's a typical person, they're there for a range of reasons."

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