A church and charity is holding a toy and clothes sale where a free hot lunch will also be offered providing an 'affordable alternative' to families struggling as the cost of living continues.  

The Salvation Army in Penrith will host the event on Thursday, June 1 at its church and community centre on Hunter Lane from 10:30 am until 2:00 pm with a free hot lunch offered at 12:30 pm to help with the financial pressures many face when the school holidays begin and family food consumption increases.

The event will also provide an opportunity for The Salvation Army to engage with its local community and the very people it supports, building strong relationships and bolstering existing partnerships.  

Heather Watson, community support worker at The Salvation Army Penrith said: “We wanted to offer extra support to families during the school holidays, building on the existing relationships we have within the community and creating new ones.

"Many families face tough financial choices once the extra help that they rely on from school ends and the holidays begin so we hope our free, nutritious lunch takes the pressure away, even if it enables them to not worry, just for one day, whilst also opening doors to see how we can offer support in many other ways. 

“At a time of increasing food costs, high energy bills and steep inflation, the toys and clothes sale offers an affordable shopping alternative to the norm with the opportunity for people to grab a bargain.” 

All toys in the sale will be in a pre-loved, excellent condition that have been donated to The Salvation Army, and all will be individually priced.

The clothing items, aged from babies through to teenagers, are end of line donations from well-known supermarkets and will be priced between £1 and £5, item dependent.

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All money raised will go back into the work The Salvation Army does within the Penrith community. 

If possible, advanced booking is preferred for the free lunch in order to allow The Salvation Army to plan their catering and reduce food waste. Bookings can be made by calling the church directly on 01768 866732.  

The Penrith Corps (church) has a Just Giving page available for people wishing to support and donate to the church and charity specifically for its work locally which can be found online and whilst all donations are welcome people are encouraged to donate only what they can afford.