A women's organisation has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Cumbria International Women's Network has been shortlisted for the event of the year category of the Diverse Cumbria Awards in Carlisle.

The new Cumbrian International Women’s Network is made up of Cumbria Development Education Centre, Furness Multi-Cultural Community Forum and Youth Club, Carlisle One World Centre, Carlisle Refugee Action Group and Multicultural Cumbria.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: "It's a great recognition of all our work of supporting and bringing together international women living in Cumbria, especially with loneliness and isolation having been all the more heightened during the pandemic."

Adrienne Gill, who works at the Cumbria International Women's Network, said: "It feels great, it is fantastic to have the recognition for the work, especially after lockdown, and the difficulties of working with and on Zoom throughout."

Describing the event, which was put on to celebrate International Women's Day and won the organisation a shortlisting, she said: "Normally you would have a coffee morning and cultural events for International Women's Day, but we had a poetry night with some music and we then showed a film that some of the group made about the experiences of being a woman.

"We also sent out a wellness pack to the first 50 people who signed up and to vulnerable women who we know.

"The packs were full of treats that the women would like."

Adrienne believes the fact that the event was something out of the ordinary was what had helped make it a worthy nomination and earn a place on the shortlist.

"It was different from other things that were taking place, and we also set up Facebook groups to offer more support afterwards," she said.