Staff at a Carlisle primary school have expressed their pride at being able to support its families and children through difficult times this year.

Donna Lund, Family learning mentor at Newtown Primary has worked tirelessly to apply for grants and to contact businesses to help ease the financial stress for families.

Initiatives included:

• Bags of games and learning resources

• Meat vouchers

• Fareshare food

• Donated toys

• Fresh food hampers

• Easter eggs and activity sets

• Supermarket vouchers

• Laundry bundles

Families have been very grateful and appreciative that Newtown has gone beyond its teaching and learning role to help.

One family said: ‘If it had not been for the food hampers that we got over the Christmas period, it would have been very difficult.”

A second added: “Had the school not supported us with getting food for my family we would have gone into debt.”

Mrs Lund said: “These comments and the thanks from our families have made it all worthwhile. The support has been incredible from the funding bodies and local businesses that have been kind enough to provide money and resources.”