A LOCAL company is sharing out a £150,000 donation between a number of homeless charities at an annual charity event.

Ramsey based AFD Software Ltd asked staff to nominate charities to recieve a donation from the company.

More than 50 charities were nominated and winners will be announced at an event at Ramsey Town Hall on Thursday.

AFD’s core objective is to "generate profits and use them creatively in the relief of suffering, the improvement of society and furtherance of the Christian gospel."

This year several nominated charities focus on the plight of the homeless.

The Manx homeless charity Kemmyrk runs an emergency night shelter called Graih which provides drop in facilities, care and shelter. Manx based charity Hands of Hope have also been nominated for the work they do to provide housing for poor people in Romania.

David Dorricott, AFD’s managing director, said: "These are troubled and worrying times and we in the developed world have seen our economies and certainties severely shaken. 

"Healthcare, education, food and clean water are however readily available to us. This is not so in many parts of our world so it is our privilege to partner with so many wonderful charities – all of whom are making such a marvelous difference by dedicated hard work."

Fellow director Alison Dorricott continued: "As committed Christians Christmas time is, for us, a joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. We are reminded though, in the nativities acted out in our schools and churches that no room could be found for Mary and Joseph and so Jesus was born in a stable.

"We're delighted this year to focus on those many forgotten people in our world today who are also without decent shelter."