Husband raises money for Cockermouth Foodbank in memory of late wife

Marion Alexander died in April, aged 75, from pancreatic cancer.

Alan Alexander, her husband, said: “She cared about people.”

“She felt there shouldn’t be foodbanks, people should not be so hard up they cannot afford to feed themselves and their family.

“But they were a real necessity she wanted to be part of.

"She always regarded the Foodbank as so important.”

She helped out every week at the Cockermouth warehouse.

“We also occasionally did Tesco runs in Whitehaven,” said Mr Alexander, a retired research chemist.

“Tesco were really good and would put up a display of food that people could donate.

"We met customers as they came in and so many of them were just amazing, there were a couple of occasions when people would fill their whole trolley and leave it with us.

“Such generosity raised your faith in human nature.”

He set up a justgiving page after his wife’s death and was delighted to raise £3,422, which has been split between the charities.

“People were so supportive and amazing, friends and friends of friends, including members of Copeland Labour Party and Amnesty International West Cumbria," he said.

Marion was a strong believer in helping those in need and wanted to support two charities close to her heart: North Lakes Foodbank, where she volunteered for six years, and Amnesty International West Cumbria, of which she and husband Alan were active members.

Mrs Alexander, a translator, was born in Germany but lived in the UK for 55 years.

She had two children and four grandchildren and was a keen walker and swimmer.

The foodbank currently has 120 volunteers, working out of their six centres and warehouse.

Founder and director Andrew Robinson said: “Volunteers are our lifeblood, without them there would be no Foodbank.

"Although we have a manager we could not do it without our volunteers.”

“She felt so strongly about the Foodbank and what we were trying to achieve, she wanted to make her contribution.”