Helen Skelton last night praised the unsung heroes who work at fourteen west Cumbrian food projects. 

The Cumbrian TV celebrity was the guest speaker when one hundred and fifty volunteers from 40 vital community food projects across Cumbria and Lancashire attended the ‘Celebration of Kindness’ event.

They included projects in Whitehaven, Egremont, and Cleator Moor.

All give their time to run food banks, food hubs, pantries, breakfast clubs, and kitchens - which are a lifeline to thousands hit by high food, energy, and living costs.

Helen Skelton told them: “I am in awe of you here tonight. Food poverty is such a huge issue that isn’t going away anytime soon, but the commitment and enthusiasm you all have for helping your communities is inspiring.”

Reflecting on the celebration evening, Helen said: “Tonight has been a wonderful celebration and a brilliant acknowledgment of what is essentially lots of small acts of kindness that have such a huge impact on our communities

“It is one of those evenings where hopefully everyone will leave feeling very buoyed and energised, but definitely very humbled and inspired.”

The event, which took place at the North Lakes Hotel in Penrith, was laid on by The Cumberland as part of its Kinder Kind of Kitchens initiative.

The Carlisle-based building society donated £250,000 this year to the charity FareShare Lancashire and Cumbria, providing funding for a network of local food banks and food projects and helping them expand their services.

Claire Deekes, chief customer officer for The Cumberland, said: “It has been an honour for The Cumberland to host this celebration event for these amazing people."

The staff, volunteers, and trustees who attended were presented with a plaque to thank them for their work.

Carer Hayley Dixon said: “We help around 35 adults with a variety of disabilities, cooking food and hosting activities such as baking lessons which help them lead more independent lives."

Volunteer David Linstead was among those from CAP Whitehaven attending. “We deliver food each week to families and quite often that is just the start of the help we can give them."