Carlisle's Audo dealership has given £1,000 to local foodbanks.

Swansway Motor Group has been known for its support of children's charities at Christmas and Easter but a spokeswoman said the company 

has taken a "refreshed approach"to their giving.

"Working with charity partners in the areas local to where they do business, their aim has been to support families and children who are in need, along with those who have been heavily impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

"Swansway’s most recent campaign has seen them reach out to foodbanks across the country to make combined donations of food items and monetary support."

Easter: www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/20117017.swansways-cost-living-gifts-carlisle-penrith/

The Carlisle Foodbank on West Tower Street, has had four donations amounting to £1,000 from the company.

 Discussions surrounding the opening of Carlisle Foodbank started in 2011, when David Pitkeathly of the Church of Scotland and Rachael Rodway of Carlisle One World Centre noticed an increased use of drop in facilities and food voucher scheme.

Building on the work of the Salvation Army, who had been distributing food parcels in the Carlisle area for 25 years, Carlisle Foodbank launched in April 2011 as a result of a number of agencies joining together. Supporting people through a referral system, Carlisle Foodbank provides food parcels, designed to last three days and where possible, meet the dietary requirements of the recipient.

Stephanie Humes, Manager at Carlisle Foodbank said: “We are seeing an increase in users each month and the demographic has also changed.

"We are seeing a lot of new families in need who are struggling with the cost of living crisis. As a charity we rely on donations, we are very grateful to our local community and to Swansway Motor Group for their support.   

"Michael Smyth and is now run by him and his three sons; David, Peter and John. amazing team of volunteers to sort and bag the food and we could not do this without their help.”

Swansway Motor Group Director David Smyth added; “As part of our ongoing charity efforts, it’s crucial to us all at Swansway Motor Group that we do our best to support families in need.

"Our hope is that this donation can play a part in easing some of the uncertainty the coming months may bring to local families and provide a helping hand to the fantastic organisations who provide this service.”

There are many ways to support Carlisle Foodbank, you can donate food, money and your time to the organisation. If you’re a local business, there are plenty of opportunities to partner with the foodbank.

Find out more about supporting Carlisle Foodbank: https://www.carlislefoodbank.org.uk/ways-to-donate/

If you are in need of food support, you can find out more about how Carlisle Foodbank can help you: https://www.carlislefoodbank.org.uk/need-help/