Blackpool Tower entertainer's winter gift to help the homeless

Blackpool Council is in talks with the niece of Blackpool Tower's famous Mooky the clown as she vows to help the homeless this winter.
Kelly Endresz-Banlaki with the coat railKelly Endresz-Banlaki with the coat rail
Kelly Endresz-Banlaki with the coat rail

Charity-minded Tower entertainer Kelly Endresz-Banlaki, 23, hopes to set up a public clothes rail full of warm coats for poverty-stricken people to take for free.

Miss Endresz-Banlaki introduced the rail to St John’s Square and Bank Hey Street last week, but it was later removed on the request of the council amid fears strong winds could make it a health and safety hazard.

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Talks are currently underway to negotiate an approved location for the rail.

Kelly Endresz-Banlaki has set up a charity clothes rail full of free coats to help homeless people stay warm this winterKelly Endresz-Banlaki has set up a charity clothes rail full of free coats to help homeless people stay warm this winter
Kelly Endresz-Banlaki has set up a charity clothes rail full of free coats to help homeless people stay warm this winter

Miss Endresz-Banlaki, who lives in Layton, said: “Because I’m from Hungary originally, I’ve watched my friends over there doing the same thing and it’s spread across the country like wildfire.

“It’s so cold out and you see homeless people sitting on the ground or even people who aren’t homeless but just don’t have enough warm clothes, so this would be good for them.

“The people of England are very charitable. The amount of donations we got in the first 24 hours was amazing. My phone has been ringing non-stop. People have been taking coats from the rack and bringing their old ones and I’ve had people asking how they can help - not just from Blackpool but from all over the North West. I’ve even heard from people in London.

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“I want people to jump on the bandwagon and start doing it all over the country.

Kelly Endresz-Banlaki has set up a charity clothes rail full of free coats to help homeless people stay warm this winterKelly Endresz-Banlaki has set up a charity clothes rail full of free coats to help homeless people stay warm this winter
Kelly Endresz-Banlaki has set up a charity clothes rail full of free coats to help homeless people stay warm this winter

“It doesn’t take much more than a few hours to set up and it cost me less than £10 to buy the rail, so it’s not difficult.

“The more it spreads the more support it’ll gain, and most importantly: the more people have easy access to stay warm.”