JAPANESE chain Uniqlo is donating clothing specially designed to keep out the cold to people sleeping on the streets of Oxford this winter.

Following a suggestion by the Oxford Mail, managers at the store offered to hand out clothes to rough sleepers as part of their commitment to the community.

The shop is among the most successful new arrivals in the £440m Westgate Centre. Queues formed outside the store when the centre opened on October 24, and staff have been busy ever since.

A proposal by the Oxford Mail that the company donate some of its specially designed garments to help the homeless keep out the cold this Christmas was warmly welcomed by management.

It will hand out items specially designed to retain heat, such as its range of HeatTech thermal vests, which work by absorbing the body's moisture and retaining warmth in pockets of air.

The offer of help came after a meeting on Wednesday with leading homelessness charities Homeless Oxfordshire and Aspire Oxford.

Uniqlo Europe spokesman Ben Cook said: "Oxford is one of our first UK stores outside of London and we're very keen to play an active role in the local community.

"When we met Aspire Oxford and Homeless Oxfordshire we were really inspired by the great work that they both do and we're proud to be able to support them now and we look forward to working together in the future."

Paul Roberts, chief executive officer of employment charity Aspire Oxford, said: "Aspire is delighted to receive this immediate, practical support from Uniqlo, particularly at this time of year when people experiencing homelessness need warm clothing.

"We're excited also about the potential outcomes we can achieve together in the longer term, supporting our work-ready candidates into their employment opportunities and engaging the Uniqlo workforce in volunteering opportunities to support those experiencing disadvantage in our community.

"I hope Uniqlo's leadership in this area, of getting involved in real issues affecting so many people in Oxford, is something other retailers would aspire to emulate."

Mackenzie Aspell, community fundraiser at Homeless Oxfordshire, also welcomed Uniqlo's offer of help.

She said the HeatTech garments would be particularly useful, and added: "It's great we have Uniqlo's support going forward – it will really make a big difference."

As part of Uniqlo's initial support for the charities it will provide about 200 boxes, each containing a HeatTech garment, underwear and socks, which can be distributed to the homeless.

Uniqlo staff could spend time volunteering for the charities and other initiatives are also being considered.

As Homeless Oxfordshire has already received a lots of coats as donations from the public, Uniqlo coats are likely to be offered to outreach workers, who check on the homeless when they are sleeping in doorways.

The move follows Westgate Oxford Alliance's lead in supporting the homeless.

It has set up a specially designed illuminated present, in the satellite space on the lower ground floor next to Café Concerto, to encourage shoppers to make a cash donation to the two charities.

And department store John Lewis has linked up with Oxfordshire Community Foundation to provide £125,000 for charities and community groups working with disadvantaged people in the city.

Brendan Hattam, general manager at Westgate Oxford, said: "We’re delighted to play our part in this important Christmas fundraising drive and hope that through the present campaign we can raise much-needed funds for a worthy cause.

"It’s fantastic to see Westgate retailers getting behind our charity partners too.

"Oxford can be a magical place at Christmas time, but for those facing homelessness it is anything but. Throughout Westgate’s development we have worked closely with both charities to help tackle the issue, including our employment programme with Aspire Oxford which helps for ex-offenders, the long-term unemployed and those who had been homeless in the past into work."

Last month a day-long conference was held at Oxford Town Hall featuring councils, charities, homeless support services and businesses, to address the homelessness issue.

A steering group has been set up – which could be chaired by someone with experience of sleeping rough – and will be given £25,000 from the city council's budget.

The partnership comes after the Oxford Mail revealed that only 22 of 80 rough sleepers surveyed in the city in March were in accommodation by October.