"People in Cumbria have always been good at supporting each other. It's important we keep that going during this time."

Lauren Sweeney, who holds the title of Miss Cumbria, is keen to do what she can to help those most profoundly affected by the disruption brought about by Covid-19.

Inspired by the community response both locally and nationally seen after the recent decision not to extend free school meals following the campaign led by Marcus Rashford, Lauren has launched her own campaign to encourage more donations to local foodbanks.

Lauren, who works as a healthcare assistant at a Carlisle care home, has herself been collecting items for Carlisle foodbanks since September.

"Across Carlisle, there's a lot of pleas for donations at the minute, especially at foodbanks," she said.

"I've been making up boxes and donating them to various drop-off points."

One foodbank Lauren has donated to recently, run by the Holy Trinity, St Luke’s and St Barnabas Church in Morton, recently made headlines, issuing an urgent plea after completely running out of supplies.

Lauren is keen to see all local foodbanks supported as much as possible.

"It's really important to me to help the vulnerable, it's my job to do that as a healthcare assistant," she sad.

"But I also want to help people who don't have that care on hand.

"I was really inspired by the response across the country to the decision not to extend free school meals, that the community took it upon themselves to help. I want to see that carrying on here.

"It inspired me to see the community taking matters into their own hands."

Lauren helped local families during the first lockdown by providing doorstep deliveries to those who were struggling.

"There was this one occasion where I brought a delivery to a single mother who was struggling with money," she said.

"I was appealing on my Miss Cumbria page at the time for anyone who needed a doorstep delivery to get in contact.

"She was so grateful when I delivered it. It's just little things that sometimes people don't appreciate or take for granted, like tins of baked beans that I'd forget about in my cupboard."

With Covid-19 still causing uncertainty and hardship, Lauren said it was particularly important now for local communities to band together in a positive manner.

"Instead of putting blame on each other, it's so important to come together as a community so the community still thrives," she said.

"I know people who can't get out, and it takes such a toll on them, both mentally and physically.

"Coming together as a community helps to keep people mentally well, and keep that contact going.

"Even if it's at a distance for now."

As Lauren is herself putting together donation boxes for local foodbanks, anyone who wants to contribute should contact her via her Miss Cumbria Facebook page.

"Or just nip to your local collection point if you get a moment," she said. "There's a collection point at most supermarkets now.

"My work kindly donated a box that they had been collecting for the foodbank. They've been really supportive."

Crowned Miss Cumbria in 2019, the pandemic has resulted in Lauren carrying the title into this year as well.