A search and rescue team has received a £1,000 funding boost.

North Cumbria Search and Rescue, based in Carlisle, was awarded the money as part of Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards.

The charity was formed in November 2018 to serve the city of Carlisle and the communities of north Cumbria following the aftermath of Storm Desmond.

In the past year, the team has almost doubled in size.

The charity provides training to community groups upon request in subjects such as water awareness, first aid, and mental health first aid, free of charge or at cost wherever possible.

Their aim is to 'enhance the resilience' of communities during any unforeseen flooding events, help reduce the potential loss of life and property, and reduce the impacts of mental health problems.

The £1,000 donation made as part of the Movement for Good Awards will ensure their core costs are always covered and to eventually find a permanent home base for the team to operate from.

Ant Winter, trustee at North Cumbria Search and Rescue, said: "Thank you for your generous donation to North Cumbria Search and Rescue.

"As a relatively new and small charity, we rely on donations to allow us to equip and train our team members.

"We plan to use this donation to either convert our next vehicle or towards our planned base move."

For the sixth year running, Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards is giving away more than £1million to charities across the year and invites members of the public to nominate causes close to their hearts.

Another charity that has picked up £1,000 is The Lakeland Trust for Natural Sciences, based in Milnthorpe.

The charity owns and operates The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis Zoo, which prides itself on its 'commitment to education and conservation' of wild species and wild spaces.

Further winners will be revealed later in the year and residents across Cumbria are encouraged to keep nominating.

Mark Hews, group chief executive at Benefact Group, said: "We would like to thank every single person who took the time to nominate a good cause as part of our Movement for Good Awards.

"Benefact Group is a family of award-winning specialist financial services companies and the third largest corporate donor to charity in the UK.

"Owned by a charity ourselves, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.

"All of our available profits go to good causes and the more the Group grows, the more the Group can give.

"We are delighted to be able to donate over £1million to good causes each year through our Movement for Good Awards and are grateful to all our supporters, including the customers of the trusted insurer, Ecclesiastical, and the responsible and sustainable asset manager, EdenTree.

"We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better."

Benefact Group has donated more than £200 million to charitable causes since 2014 and last year was recognised as the third biggest corporate giver in the UK.

The organisation aims to reach £250million in donations by 2025.

Visit www.movementforgood.com to nominate a charity now.