THE bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Reverend Julian Henderson, has praised an initiative aiming tackling child poverty across East Lancashire.

More than 17,000 lunchboxes were handed out across Blackburn with Darwen through the Church Urban Fund. food scheme in 2017 and this year the charity is working with children's centres and offering support.

Rt Rev Henderson said: "Last year the lunchbox initiative was an great success as people from the local Christian community, including several Church of England parishes, catered daily for more than 1000 children during the school holidays.

"Parish churches are at the heart of their communities and have been for generations.

"This initiative, with churches working alongside their local councils and in partnership with colleagues from Together Lancashire, which help churches tackle local poverty, is a prime example of our parishes giving frontline care to their local communities in the name of Jesus Christ."