A COMMUNITY hub made 'a positive out of a negative' by aiding vulnerable families throughout the pandemic.

Schneider Road Community Hub in Ormsgill, also known as the hub with a heart, was taken over by Tracy Matthews in November 2019, providing a base for her popular toddler group.

What she hadn't expected was that just months later the world would go into lockdown as the coronavirus ran rampant, forcing big changes at the hub.

Miss Matthews, who also works at St Pius X Catholic Primary School and Duttons on Schneider Road, said: "I had just taken over the hub in the November and by the March everything that we had done had to close.

"We decided that all we could do was make a positive out of a negative and just do what we could - we are going out every day to deliver food and at the moment we have a lot more people struggling and asking for help now that they have been furloughed.

"We have got quite a lot of people that we go out to each week and we see a lot of pensioners who have been shielding and we take them books and wool that we sometimes buy because they are just fed up.

"All of the money that we had been given, which we received a lot of from Women's Community Matters is just running out now because we still have to pay the rent every week even though we're not making any money. We use our funds to buy food, we spend £150-£200 every couple of weeks, sometimes more.

"We go to Bookers for the food. We do get donations but everyone is struggling now."

The team consists of three regular members, but more people are now offering their services to assist as volunteers for the community hub.

Alison Coward Jewitt, the Community Champion at Morrisons has played an important role in providing food to the hub, making weekly donations.

Recently, Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School also made a huge donation to the hub.

Miss Matthews is thankful for everyone who has donated to the hub, and is appealing for the donation of food, as well as items such as books, wool and puzzles to help those who are feeling down during the pandemic.

She has plans to continue providing food to struggling families far beyond when the coronavirus pandemic ends.

Those who wish to make a donation can take it to Duttons on Schneider Road or are welcome to leave it on the doorstep of Schneider Road Community Hub.

To contact Tracy with any questions about donations, or to ask for assistance, you can visit the community hub Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/705743053269334