A UNIVERSITY student is launching a campaign to create shoe boxes filled with essentials for people in need.

A fine art student at the University of Bolton is asking for donations as she makes up shoe boxes to show people care this Christmas.

Bille Hatton, 28, came up with the idea as she was studying the impact of poverty as part of an art project. She decided to take her learning out of the classroom and onto the streets, starting a drive for donations in the hopes of making a difference.

Ms Hatton said: "I started looking into poverty and the effects on the streets of government cuts, there's a lot of people in need.

"I wanted to put a little bit of good back into the world and make people feel better. I know Samaritans do a shoe box drive but it would be great to help out some local people. It's nice to make people a bit happier."

The second-year student will be targeting women's and refugee centres with the boxes, also working with Bolton charity Urban Outreach to reach more people with the boxes.

Ms Hatton said: "I'm looking for things that will get people through the winter — hats, gloves, scarves. If I get enough donations and make enough shoeboxes, I'd like to go out on the street and find people who would not necessarily go to food banks."

So far, the art student has been successful in getting donations at the university: "It's been amazing. The university and the students' union have been so supportive, students have been bringing lots of stuff in.

"I'd like it to be as big as possible to help as many people as possible."

Ms Hatton will be collecting items until mid-December, she has also set up a GoFundMe page so people can donate money which will be used to buy useful addition to the boxes. Any donations made after mid-December will be send to Urban Outreach's Winter Watch programme.

Donations stations are set up around the university campus and money can be sent in to gofundme.com/f/shoe-box-drive-for-people-in-need-this-christmas.