A teaching assistant from a Clifton school has single handedly set up a food bank, to help out the community.

27-year-old Shannon Atkinson, who works as a high level teaching assistant at Derwent Vale School, wanted to set up the food bank to help out any struggling families and elderly residents in the Clifton area.

The 'Clifton Food Pantry' opens this week and will be held at the Methodist Church, in Clifton.

Shannon said: "The aim is, while we are still in lockdown, to help families and the elderly who are struggling financially in Clifton.

"At the school I'm the mental health designated lead and I thought 'what can I do to help children and families and anyone struggling financially in Clifton?'"

Shannon said she has worked at the school for 10 years and knows most of the families who might find the food bank useful, but she would like to get the message out to the elderly in the village that the facility is there.

She has received advice and donations from other food centres before launching the food bank and the pantry is stocked and ready to open from this week.

Shannon added: "Gill Brinicombe, of Seaton Food Distribution Centre, was a brilliant help and gave me quite a lot of food and Flimby community vulnerable person group has helped me a lot with the food donations too, so I'm stocked for a couple of weeks.

"And I also got help from Moorclose Community Centre's Angela Good.

"I'd like to thank everyone for their help."

The food pantry will be run on a time slot basis, with 15 minute time slots allocated to users. It will be available every Friday from 10.30am to 12.30pm, during the lockdown.

People wanting to use the facility and book a time slot should contact the Clifton Food Pantry facebook page.

Alternatively people can contact Shannon at: satkinson@derwentvale.cumbria.sch.uk

If people have donations that they would like to offer the foodbank they should contact the Clifton Food Pantry facebook page to arrange a time.