A COMMUNITY resource centre has taken over a town food bank and is helping supply essentials to vulnerable people.

Pact House in Stanley has been providing hundreds of meals each to people in the local area.

Now volunteers are organising the donations of food for the service, which was previously done at Stanley Civic Hall.

Volunteer coordinator, Darren McMahon, said he had been inundated with people who wanted to volunteer and the charity had delivered 300 food parcels and 150 prescriptions to the most vulnerable in the last two weeks alone.

Help from local supermarkets and the town council has also meant they have a good supply of food that is being whipped up into healthy meals every day.

Mr McMahon said: “People are standing up and helping wherever they can and our volunteers always go above and beyond – the people are what makes it so successful.”

PACT House was founded by residents, local organisations and the Stanley Police Neighbourhood Team in 2015.

The charity has flourished by running a community internet café in Front Street, and has an army of volunteers who normally provide a range of services including those for young people, the homeless, isolated and everything in between.

It even has its own radio station.

Sergeant Dave Clarke, who helped found the charity and is also chairman, said the volunteers had made the charity self-sufficient early on and continue to be “amazing” in times of crisis. He said: “At times like this many people are calling the police because they just don’t know where else to turn, but in Stanley, that safety net was already there and everyone is pulling together. It’s great to see everyone coming together and all the staff and volunteers work tirelessly to make sure no one has to face hardship alone.”

PACT House’s fresh foodbank is accessible by the rear entrance of Stanley Civic Hall, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and the team can deliver to those who need it. To get involved by donating time, food, clothes or funds, message the PACT House Stanley Facebook page.

Call the team’s crisis line on 07720-650-533, from 10am to 4pm, or email pacthousestanley@outlook.com