ESTATE residents have launched a clothes and household equipment bank to help neighbours who fall on tough times.

The bank, for people in Pennywell, Sunderland, stocks everything from clothes to furniture.

It was the idea of Gladys Clinton, secretary of the Upper Pennywell Residents' Association, and has won funding from the Single Regeneration Budget that is helping to transform the once rundown area.

She said: "We realised there were a number of residents moving on to the estate who had very little. These ranged from single mothers and asylum seekers, to families just down on their luck.

"All of them had little or no items for their homes and lacked the money to buy them.

"Since we opened the bank, the response has been tremendous and we have been inundated with donations of all kinds."

Residents who want to use the bank, which is based in Hylton Road, can get more details by ringing 0191-551 0297.