A NEW community hub is to fill a gap left when a vital service folded earlier this year.

The News & Star revealed in February that the faith-based charitable organisation Community Reach had closed due to a lack of funding.

It had been serving the people of Raffles in Carlisle for more than two decades and was responsible for events such as gala days, coffee mornings and various sales.

Local councillors Les Ticker and Pam Birks have been working hard with the community and partners to find a replacement for the service and have now helped to establish a new venture.

“We started talking about doing whatever we could to establish something for the community. Jo Jones has been at the heart of it and has taken over the shopfront which used to be part of Sure Start,” explained Pam.

LookOut Hub City West will be a drop in centre that will be able to advise and signpost residents. It will also be opening early to allow residents to access food deliveries from the Community Food Hub based in Kingmoor.

Pam says there is a real need to support those who are struggling due to the financial impacts of the pandemic.

“There is real food poverty in our area,” explained Pam.

“We will start doing deliveries before Christmas so we can help people.

“We want it to be somewhere people can turn to. It’s really exciting and really interesting.”

Like the Community Food Hub, users can choose from a list of items but only pay a low set price each week.

The idea is that it restores a sense of pride as people are still paying for their items.

Pam explained that many people are too proud to take food for free and that this helps to address that problem.

Since the first coronavirus lockdown there have been 90 more people claiming Universal Credit and Job Seekers Allowance in Morton, with 230 claiming in October compared to 140 in March.

Activities are to start at the site from early next year.

Funding for the project has been provided by Cumbria County Council Community Engagement and local city and county councillors for the area.

They have also worked in partnership with police, Riverside and National Youth Church.