A MOTHER of three has vowed to give back after she contemplated suicide last Christmas.

The children's dad lost his job when Edinburgh Woollen Mill went into liquidation, leaving the family at a loss.

With Christmas just round the corner the worried mother didn't know how she was going to put food on the table, let alone give the children presents – Callum is 6, Summer, 4 and Connor, 2.

Kirsty Subhman, 39, who lives in Currrock, Carlisle, cried everyday and hit rock bottom. She said: "It was horrible, I don't really have any family round here that could help me and I didn't know what to do.

"I would look at my children while they were sleeping and think they would be much better off without me.

"I thought there are lots of people who want a family and they would be able to give them a better life.

"I felt like I was failing as a mother."

Worried about the backlash she would get if she reached out, she held off asking for help.

She said: "My oldest son kept asking if Santa would be coming and I didn't know what to say."

Finally, she reached out on social media to a Carlisle group called 'Out for Nowt' but still worried about the backlash, she said: "My big fear at that point was people saying you shouldn't have children if you can't support them. That wasn't the case - we had fallen on hard times.

"The children's dad is fantastic but we were stuck."

Overwhelmed by the situation and the kindness of the community, she is now in a place to be able to help support other people.

She said: "I'm now helping a family who are struggling and we have had some wonderful donations for her family. It really shows what an amazing community we live and and what a special group of people there are on Out for Nowt."

Tracey Richardson, from Currock, is the founder of the group. She said: "I just want to help people and when I set up the page it was important not to judge. We all fall on hard times and when Kirsty asked for help the page did just that.

"It's nice to be nice, it costs nothing.

"We don't want any praise we're just a good bunch of people."