Volunteer, Deborah Earl is delighted as she been crowned winner of the Caring for the Community, Pride of Cumbria Award.

The 57-year-old who volunteers her time alongside the Old Hall Café, Carlisle has been praised for her support to the masses throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Deborah who volunteers alongside her job as a councillor for Cumbria Country council said she was over the moon to have won.

She said: "It feels absolutely amazing to be a winner, I’m delighted and over the moon.

"To be honest the nomination was from my daughter and that meant absolutely everything to me.

“It’s always nice to be nominated for these things but the fact that my own daughter took the time to do it means the world."

Deborah, who lives on Edge Hill Road in Carlisle was nominated by her daughter for helping the community including herself by looking after her children so she could work as an NHS frontline worker by delivering thousands of free hot meals/food parcels to the front door of children and families of Petteril Bank School.

Her daughter said: "I don’t think she realises how much she helps people and it would be so lovely for her to be appreciated and get something back as a thank you from me and everyone who knows her."

Also nominated was Julie Evans from Carlisle-based support group Leave a Light who on a purely voluntary basis put in 24/7 hours when needed and founder of Community Hub Kitchen in Barrow, Sharon Foden, set up the volunteer-run kitchen hub that now feeds more than 200 people a week.