Penrith Salvation Army offers extra to families this summer

Bookshop and charity join forces to help struggling families as school summer holidays approach

A well-known book shop in Penrith has teamed up with our Penrith church to offer support to families as the school holidays approach.

Staff and customers of The Works, located on Devonshire Street, have donated a range of arts and crafts supplies, books and activity packs to The Salvation Army in Penrith, located on Hunters Lane, for them to distribute to the families it works with.

Our church leaders of The Salvation Army in Penrith have chosen to push the majority of the generous donation out to families via its food bank service, as the school holidays start later this month and the cost of living continues to affect many in different ways.

Major Carole Donaldson said: “We’re so grateful to The Works for choosing to donate items to our charity. The arts and crafts materials, the books and activity packs will bring smiles to the faces of children, families and parents once the school holidays begin.

“The cost-of-living crisis is not only shining a light on the expense of food and energy as the costs continue to rise, but also the extra pressures that many families face of keeping their children busy and entertained once the schools break up for summer. Anything that we can do to help those that may be struggling, we will do, and we felt the best way was to include in our food parcels, providing a silver lining on a dark cloud that more and more people are finding themselves under.”

The Salvation Army in Penrith operates a large food bank out of its corps (church) which is open two days a week, Tuesday and Friday, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The foodbank operates on a referral basis from the likes of Citizens Advice, job centre, local schools, health visitors and doctors. 

For anyone wishing to donate food to the food bank, drop off points are located at Booths, Penrith, Morrisons Penrith, both located on Brunswick Road, and the church and community centre on Hunters Lane, Tuesday – Friday between 10 – 2:30pm. 

The Penrith Corps (church) also has a Just Giving page which can be found at www.justgiving.com/penrith-salvation-army and whilst all donations are welcome people are encouraged to donate only what they can afford.