A LOCAL food bank has benefitted from a donation worth around £300.

It comes after an exhibition held at Allendale Forge Studios in which 30 per cent of the proceeds went to the West Northumberland Food Bank.

The forge also organised a raffle in aid of the Hexham-based charity to coincide with artist John Fowlers' Absence exhibition.

Absence is a series of paintings inspired by the many abandoned buildings in the high Pennines, where John lives, which serve as a reminder of past farming and mining generations.

All raffle prizes were donated by artist members.

With the proceeds from the forge and Allendale Co-op, food and other essentials were purchased with a total value of almost £300.

West Northumberland Food Bank project manager Sam Gilchrist said: "We are thrilled with the donation as we have been helping around 100 households each week who are struggling to stay afloat with the soaring cost of living, energy price hikes, low wages and the end of the UC lift.  

"Forty-seven per cent of callers to our helpline have never used a food bank before, along with organising food parcel deliveries, shopping vouchers, energy vouchers and hardship awards.

"Our helpline team also help people access other services, particularly benefits and debt advice.

"None of this would be possible without donations from kind and generous local people who have helped us support almost 1,000 people in the last eight months."