A community group which has helped provide a lifeline to the most vulnerable in society during the coronavirus pandemic, says it is working to continue its operation post Covid-19.

Carlisle Covid-19 Community Help was set up in the early stages of the pandemic and has since completed 688 shopping and prescription trips and delivered 1,018 emergency food parcels.

The group also operates its own foodbank, which is based in Petteril Bank.

Lisa Brown, who set up the group and is also a Carlisle City Councillor for Denton Holme and Morton South, said: “It’s going really well, we are very busy. Everybody is now looking at the next steps.

“We are keeping our school reach project going until September.

“The people we are helping are on low income and there is no sign life is going to improve for them.

“We plan to have a group in Carlisle for a while. We need to look at the next step for people who get free food, as we can’t really cut them off.”

The plan for the next step is currently in discussion.

“We’ve looked at affordable food and a community pantries shop where you pay a couple of pounds a week and you can get four of this and five of that and you end up with 20 items for a few pounds.

“We don’t want to just give them a few tins, we want to include fresh food too. We can hopefully work with supermarkets to get discounted food.”

Like the current foodbank operated by the group, people would have to be referred by the council before they become eligible.

They hope to use a hub in Carlisle where food can be stored and sold in the same place.

The group is currently recruiting volunteers for its foodbank and school meals projects.

To find out more, contact the Carlisle Covid-19 Community Help Facebook group.