A KIND-hearted Workington woman has raised over £3,000 to help provide care packages for health and community workers during the Coronavirus crisis.

Shona Cunningham, 31, decided to help after seeing the pressures on the public, health and caring services since the beginning of the contagion.

And since she started the JustGiving page just over a week ago she has raised thousands to help keep the workers ticking over.

The packages include things like chocolate and cereal bars, sweets, crisps, energy drink and a range of other things.

Also included in many packs are things like toothpaste and toothbrushes, hand cream, shower gel, deodorant and wet wipes.

On each pack is written: "Sending love and gratitude."

So far she distributed packages to hospitals, police and ambulance stations, children’s services, care homes in Whitehaven, Carlisle, Ambleside, Keswick and a number of other places besides.

Shona, who works at Sellafield, said: "It was just something that I thought when I went to the vending machine.

Some are working 48 hour shifts so I thought ‘what are those workers going to be having'.

“I thought about things like crisps, porridge pots, cereal bars, or thing that are quick and don't require cooking - it's things that keep them going.

“It is crucial to help and show that we are appreciated, it is not nice for them and I know people who have had to move out of their family home because of what they are doing at the moment.

“I know the sort of things that I would eat when I’m stressed, so maybe they just want a quick sit down with a cup of tea and a Kitkat.

"I work at Sellafield and we are at home at the moment - to be honest I just feel for them.

"If I can do something for them that great, I don't want to look back in 20 years time and say that 'I have done nothing'.

“This is something that is going to remain ongoing, the collection actually started at Sellafield but then I managed to set up the JustGiving page.”

Staff at Claredon Grange care home in Workington expressed their gratitude over social media.

They said: "A massive thank you for the nice gesture of Sellafield staff and the general public for the food parcels.

"It really is appreciated that health and social care staff are being thought of."

On Thursday thousands of people across Cumbria also showed their appreciation of emergency NHS and care works by giving a round of applause in the #clapforourcarers campaign.

Applause took happened at many places at 8pm - whether in garden, from a window.

To contribute to Shona's campaign go to: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/shona-cunningham