A community group which has delivered food to 2,000 people every week during lockdown now has a new minibus to continue supporting residents.

The South Workington Youth Partnership (SWYP), based at Moorclose Community Centre, has gone above and beyond to support West Cumbrians, travelling around 450 miles a week.

It continues to support and deliver food to a number of families and, with the tightening of restrictions, it is preparing to help more.

Angela Good, of SWYP, said: “It’s a tick off my bucket list; I never thought we would get a new minibus.

“I’m still thinking I’m going to wake up tomorrow and it was all a dream.

“The minibus is perfect; there’s nothing to stop us now.”

The purchase was possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Westfield ward councillor Sean Melton put Angela in touch with Workington town council, who helped them secure the £36,500 funding for the vehicle, which also needed to be modified for accessibility.

Angela said: “We used the van a lot before Covid-19 and we expect to use it a lot after as well because we support disabled people, run youth groups and clubs, at weekends we do activities for the Duke of Edinburgh, even before lockdown it was used nearly every day.”

The old bus that SWYP were using was coming to the end of its life and with the MOT due in October, it was perfect timing.

Angela said: “Our old bus has been absolutely fantastic, but she was almost kaput.

“We have a lovely man who repaired it and charged us just for parts, but the couple of weekends when it was off the road we had to rely on people to help us with cars to deliver and collect food; we couldn’t do what we did without the minibus.

“During lockdown we were delivering to 2,000 people a week, as well as looking after our disabled people and running our youth project virtually.

“We were doing upwards of 450 miles a week, collecting things from different places and then delivering.”

The community centre, which has worked non-stop since lockdown, also hosts regular food pantries and the minibus is also needed to collect items for that.

Angela said: “I would just like to thank all the volunteers and everybody who has supported us; this wouldn’t have been possible without them.”