LOCAL charities in Crewe have benefited from a Covid Impact Fund set up by Bentley Motors.

The luxury car maker made donations to 11 local charities, ranging from £7,800 to £25,000 to tackle food poverty, mental health and wellbeing issues as well as debt relief and financial education.

It was recognised all these issues were heightened due to the pandemic.

Successful applicants for the cash included Chance Changing Lives and St. Paul's Centre's foodbank, St. Paul's Pantry.

At St. Paul's the grant has supported the delivery of 200 food parcels to 160 people affected by homelessness and 40 families in need of support this Christmas.

The charity linked up with fellow recipients Chance Changing Lives - whose aim is to tackle food poverty - to offer a home delivery service.

St. Paul's volunteers pick up the food from Chance Changing Lives' Community Pantry and deliver it to house-bound or isolating members alongside its own delivery services.

St. Pauls also refer service users back into Chance's services from its food bank to provide a longer-term solution to food poverty.

Richard Holmes, CEO of St. Paul's Centre, said: "Bentley Motors has reacted to the needs of the community from the ground up. The integration of these services has created an essential loop so that no one falls into food crisis."

Chance Changing Lives supports 170 local families and distributes around 1,700 items in a week in addition to its fresh goods deliveries.

Members of its Community Pantry contribute £3 per week and in exchange receive up to £20 worth of food, toiletries and household products.

Another project supported by the Covid Impact Fund is Body Positive, which offers high-quality, innovative services for sexual health and LGBT+ communities.

The funding it has received has allowed it to train volunteer counsellors.

Sally Hepton, of Bentley Motors, said: "I am delighted that the Covid Impact Fund we established with our long-term partners CCF is helping to accelerate meaningful change and enhance vital local services."