Shelley Hewitson is the chief officer of the Copeland Citizens Advice Bureau.

That is just a title however and does not even begin to describe what she and her team do.

During the pandemic, Shelley said they were faced with "a different demographic."

"We suddenly had people turning to us for help who had never required help before.

"These were the people who did not manage on furlough alone, those who did not qualify and the self-employed."

She said the CAB was issuing food vouchers but discovered that there were some who had no way of cooking food.

The team then set about sourcing; starter packs; which included basic foodstuffs but also pots and pans, utensils and even microwaves and fridges where necessary.

The team were all working from their own homes but continued to provide a united front that got the work done.

What is more remarkable, is that the Copeland CAB has a staff of about 14 including cleaners, financial offices, and more.

Between them, they serve the whole of Copeland from Whitehaven to Millom and they do it without any regular funding..

"Because we are a national organisation, people assume that we receive funding from head office or from the government. That is not true, however.

"We have to raise our own funds and do this through partnerships with other organisations and from donations."

The Copeland CAB, whether it is carrying out "normal" work or providing blankets to those who need them, only runs because of the team behind it, Shelley said.

In her recent annual report, she noted:

“ Throughout this report you will read about the amazing work of my team

of staff and volunteers.

"Without a doubt, my team changes lives every day and this year we

have dealt with over 20,000 different issues ranging from debt, benefits,

housing and energy to relationship breakdowns, consumer problems

and employment."

Shelley said the CAB is not yet seeing the full force of the cost of living and energy crisis but this will come and when it does, she and her team will do what they always do - help in ways over and above their job descriptions while continuing to find new partners to help finance all that they do.