During the pandemic, we have all relied on each other even more to get through all of life’s problems.

Our health all took a collective toll, we drank more, smoked more, and exercised less, and our mental health took a significant toll on the isolation we experienced, but we relied on each other to get by.

Statistics from the Mental Halth Foundation said anxiety and worry due to the stress of the pandemic has declined significantly from 62% in March 2020 to 42% in late February 2021

This reduction in anxiety was also recorded amongst those with long-term physical health conditions, 54 per cent in June 2020 to 45 per cent in Feb 2021, and those with a pre-existing mental health diagnosis, 67 per cent in June 2020 to 58 per cent in Feb 2021.

The UK population is now much more hopeful than they have been since just before the first lockdown with 30% feeling more hopeful in February 2021 compared to only 14% in March 2020

Those over 70 years old have the highest level of hope at 38 per cent, from 19 per cent in March 2020.

These champions of the community who lent a helping hand have been nominated for a Pride of Cumbria award, under the category of Covid-19 Community Champion, and will this year be recognised as the heroes that they are.

Among the people nominated for the award are a group of people who helped create an online hangout space in the form of a dog walk.

Kerry, Max, Paddy and Harry started filming their dog walks and put them on social media on a page called Max Out in the Lake District.

Kerry Irving and his lovely dogs showed the world the beauty of Keswick and Lake District by filming daily dog walks.

He has done this throughout lockdown rain or shine.

People in general, in isolation and with or mental health problems have been uplifted by Kerry and the dogs and beautiful scenery.

They have undertaken challenging walks to support local charities and raised thousands for the charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals.

Marina Mackay and their partner Richard Francis were also nominated for the award.

They have started a support service which is there for anybody in need, the length and breadth of Cumbria.

The service, which began as a way to signpost the public to the support available, has grown into a huge volunteer operation, which offers any kind of help needed.

Richard Francis, from Cumbria, set up a 24-hour helpline which they called ‘Leave A Light On’ to help over 2,000 in Penrith and Carlisle during the pandemic with distribution of food and essential items, collecting prescriptions for those isolating and much much more.

Richard is a long-standing campaigner and is always putting others first.

This project is very community led, and with a growing request in different areas it has led to expansion.

None of this would have been possible without the community and the army of volunteers.

The other person who was nominated was Tracy Matthews.

Tracy Matthews is an amazing lady.

She has received an award from the High Sheriff for her amazing work she was doing during the pandemic.

When the pandemic struck and she could no longer run the toddler group and everything else she runs she decided to start making up food hampers for people who were shielding, and furloughed.

She has roughly helped over 2000 people during the pandemic and if it wasn’t for her generosity of doing this people would have been really struggling.

She was buying the food supplies out of her own money until she received funding so that more food supplies could be bought and given to more people, she delivered wool and books to older people who were fed up and needed something to do, she also delivered toys and games for children, during the Christmas period she ran a 12 days of Christmas where 12 families who were nominated received a food package each week and then on the 23rd December there were presents for children delivered along with everything to make a Christmas dinner.