Dozens of people have come forward to help a community which is recovering from flooding but is now facing isolation during the pandemic.

Volunteers in Appleby have swung into action with an extra 50 signing up to help people who have been unable to leave their home as a result of Covid-19.

The band of volunteers has had almost 1,200 calls for assistance with more than 400 of them for prescriptions.

Among the requests for helps have been chats from a distance, shopping trips and even helping an 86-year-old celebrate his birthday.

One of the team leaders for Appleby Emergency Response Group, Gareth Hayes, said: “We have known from the start that it’s not about the problem but is actually about the solution. It’s important for us to keep smiling and keep doing the basics brilliantly.

“There are inevitable lapses in the emotional balance as frustrations simmer over, sometimes our approach has had to be one of being calming mediators. It’s certainly no fault of the people at the coal face, that includes our wonderful shop-workers, where services have struggled, tolerance and understanding is essential to all.

"It’s a delight to work with some really special people who have gone the extra mile to help."

"Every volunteer should be proud of their contribution, big or small.”