Barnardos hits the streets for annual collection day

Barnardos is calling on the public to dig deep and support its National Collection Day today.

The charity said the issues it is dealing with have become more complex, with families facing extreme hardships every day, and that one in ten children now lives in consistent poverty.

Chief Executive Fergus Finlay said every donation "helps to break that cycle of poverty and disadvantage".

"Every euro donated today in the course of this bucket collection will make a profound difference to a child, and it will be a child who doesn’t live too far away," he said.

"If you see someone in a green t-shirt with a bucket, we want you to give."

Texting the word bucket to 50300 will also donate €4 to Barnardos at the expense of the phone owner.