A GROUNDBREAKING 'food share' scheme which helps Kendal families who are struggling to cope financially has been expanded to offer a free goods repair service.

The scheme, which sees unsold fresh food from the town's Morrisons store taken to the Sandylands area of the town where volunteers distribute it to grateful residents via a 'pop-up' shop, has this week celebrated its six month anniversary.

And now the group has linked up with volunteer body Simply Repair South Lakes to offer a regular 'repairs cafe' when families can bring along items ranging from electrical goods to clothing for experts to fix.

Cllr Adam Edwards, who is a regular volunteer, said the operation had proved a great success since its opening days and was now regularly used by more than 20 families, and he said it was now also supplying household goods such as toothpaste which would otherwise be destroyed.

He explained that all the services were publicised via social media and he also noted that Morrisons had cut the amount of waste they sent to landfill by up to 90 per cent and therefore there was also a positive environmental aspect.

"It has been a huge success with our Sandylands Residents' Association Facebook page now having more than 500 members," said Cllr Edwards.

The next repair cafe will take place next Thursday, May 9, at Sandylands Methodist Church from 4.30pm till 7pm with a further two planned for later this year.

And in a further addition, the volunteers have now agreed a uniform share scheme with Morrisons to help families struggling with the cost of buying school uniforms.

Anyone wishing to support the scheme can drop off any good quality uniforms they no longer require at the supermarket's customer service desk.

Families who wish to take advantage of the service will then be able to pick up uniforms they may require along with any other donated items at the group's first 'uniform share' event on August 1-3.