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During the Covid-19 pandemic, local heroes have emerged to undertake acts of selflessness and kindness. Andy Whitaker is the founder and director of Highly Strung, Cumbria’s most successful wedding band. And as a result of the pandemic, the group lost at least two years of business after all of their wedding bookings were postponed. However, after deciding that he did not want to let the experience get the better of him, Andy vowed to give his time to volunteering to one of Carlisle’s most essential good causes – the Affordable Food Hub. Andy has been a dedicated volunteer throughout the Covid crisis and is using the time freed up in his life to help others who are struggling during the pandemic.
A COMMUNITY food hub is seeing increased demand for its services as more and more families struggle to cope with the financial impact of Covid-19. Carlisle s Affordable Food Hub, based at Kingmoor Park, launched in September and to date it has received more than 1,300 orders for parcels of groceries. And despite Cumbria County Council confirming support for free school meals provision for almost 1,200 children over the holidays, the Affordable Food Hub is continuing to see a growing customer base. Lisa Brown, project and campaigns co-ordinator, says job uncertainty and reduced hours is driving more people to turn for help. The numbers keep going up and up. It is steadily but there is no sort of let up in it. There have even been some more emergency food parcel requests, which had sort of died off. People seem to be getting more desperate now, she said.