Lidl Carlisle Warwick Road

We are a small catholic school on the outskirts of Carlisle serving the community of Botcherby and the wider area. We would very much like to help our parents, carers and members of the community to come together to have meals or take food packages home during this time of food crisis. Many of our families regularly use the local food bank and in addition to that we make up food parcels for families over the school holidays.

As a Local Pantry, we go beyond the food bank model, creating a sustainable and long-term solution to food poverty. Members have reported improved financial positions, improved health and well-being and reduced isolation. The small weekly subscription of £4.50, enables members of this pantry to access up to approximately £25 worth of food from their own choosing, including fresh fruit and vegetables and store cupboard favourites. In return for the fee, Members can choose at least ten items of food each week, along with additional opportunities of volunteering and training. Membership is open to residents in the Carlisle City area.

Cumbria Gateway opened in 2011 and the original vision was to support people in the community who were trying to remain abstinent from substance misuse. We have progressed in time and we now support individuals in various different areas, with services such as supported accommodation and a women’s centre. As well as this, we also now offer a handyman service helping those who need essential maintenance work done to their homes such as painting and decorating , carpet fitting , home removals and also supporting age concern with any elderly clientele who need essential property work carried out such as making their homes draught proof , installing key safes to ensure they are safe and so much more. We also run a popular charity shop and salon in Denton Holme. The salon offers anyone a beauty treatment such as a gel manicure or massage with one of our fully qualified volunteers at a highly reduced rate , enabling them to have some self care and treat themselves in a safe environment where perhaps an ex domestic abuse sufferer would feel safe apposed to a busy salon. We are now opening a new men’s centre and have recently taken over a women’s centre in Whitehaven. We ran a uniform bank before the new school year providing hundreds of families in the local community with free school uniforms. We have also begun a breakfast club where we provide a free hot breakfast and support to anyone within the community every Monday morning. The breakfast club is growing increasingly week by week with more people attending who are in need.