A CARLISLE girl has helped make Christmas wishes in the city come true - by providing a giant donation to a local foodbank instead of receiving presents herself.

Using money from family members that would have otherwise been used to buy her Christmas gifts, as well as her own pocket money that she had saved, 11-year-old Eryn McManus sourced a spectacular amount of food and gifts for those in the most desperate of situations this festive season.

Eryn's donation, which even included one of her own birthday presents, was dropped off this week at the foodbank run by the Holy Trinity, St Luke’s and St Barnabas Church in west Carlisle.

Only a few months ago, the same foodbank, run from the Holy Trinity Church on Stanhope Road, had issued a desperate plea for donations following a sharp spike in use as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic began to worsen.

With her inspiring gesture, Eryn has "overwhelmed" the team running the foodbank - church leader Reverend Matt Martinson, his wife Haley Martinson, and Maria Holmes.

"I was blown away to see how much she donated," said Haley, who explained that the foodbank had hoped to be able to provide a number of Christmas gifts to the families they support, as well as food.

"For a child Eryn's age to think beyond herself, especially at Christmas, is pretty amazing."

Eryn explained that she was motivated to choose making a donation over receiving Christmas presents because "people don't always have enough food for Christmas".

"Some children don't get presents," she said.

Her mum, Gemma, said that Eryn has always been worried about other children, and recounted a conversation that Eryn had with Santa himself in The Lanes shopping centre two years ago.

"She asked Santa 'what happens to all the children that don't get a present?'

"Santa said that we all have to help so that everyone gets a present.

"Her question made me cry, and I think it made Santa cry too."

Gemma is, understandably, immensely proud of Eryn. A contributor to the church's foodbank herself, she said it was important that children understood that there are others less fortunate than themselves.

"It could be any of us one day that needs to use the foodbank," she said.

"You can't rely these days on the idea that you won't need some help at some point. So if you can help, you should help when you can."

Church Reverend Matt said that Eryn's donation of food and gifts, worth over £100 in total, was an "amazing" act of kindness that would have been impressive enough coming from an adult - but was made more meaningful given Eryn's young age.

"I know that there are going to be families this Christmas that will have Christmas dinner or a present to open because of her," he said.

With equally impressive humility, Eryn said that to have made such a difference this Christmas simply made her feel "happy".

The church's foodbank supports more than 30 families each week, including more than 100 children, with more requests coming in each week.

Haley explained that they support "anybody who needs help".

She added that the free service will support anyone who comes to them, regardless of their situation.

"For whatever reason a family might be in need, it's not a child's fault that there is no food in their home," Haley said.

Since the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic began to gather pace, Matt said that their foodbank had been "swamped" with requests for help.

"Some people had been furloughed, for some it's a result of the redundancies that are now starting to kick in," he said.

"A lot of families had made perfectly sensible financial decisions last year, based perhaps on both partners having jobs and then stretched their incomes to finance a house or a car.

"But they're now in trouble because one of them have lost their job.

"Their entire income might now be going on rent, bills and debts.

"There's next to nothing left for food."