PEOPLE across Cumbria joined more than 40,000 volunteers worldwide for Mitzvah Day on Sunday.

Mitzvah Day is a Jewish-led initiative which strengthens relationships between other faith and non-faith groups where people give their time - not their money - by carrying out hands-on social action for the benefit of the local community.

As a result of the successful Mitzvah Day activities in Hawkshead last year, which saw the village win two key social action awards for its outstanding effort hosting 160 refugees for a day, individuals, businesses, organisations, charities and schools signed up to run their own social action projects for Mitzvah Day 2019.

Cumbria’s Mitzvah Day projects were launched at Asda in Kendal, where members of Cumbria’s Youth Council packed bags for shoppers in return for Asda making a donation of goods for the town's Manna House, which supports homeless, vulnerably housed and lonely people.

Boots the Chemist in Ambleside and the chemist Collins and Butterworth in Hawkshead got involved by donating female hygiene products for the homeless and infant milk for families in need.

Cumbria’s Youth Council, a cross section of young people aged 11-19 who are interested in social action and working with the local community, were out in force litter picking and joining beach cleans on Walney island and in Maryport.

The Kittchen Cat Café and venue in Hawkshead donated its facilities to screen films for young people and the village post office became a drop-off and collection point for donations of toiletries, female hygiene products and toilet rolls for homeless people.

Refugees from war-torn countries, now living in Cumbria, supported by AWAZ, cooked a dinner for homeless people, vulnerably housed and lonely at Manna House, Kendal. The food for this was generously donated by both Asda in Kendal and the Co-Op in Hawkshead.

The Hawkshead store generously donated clothes for the refugee families which have recently arrived to live in Cumbria. The Kendal Mountain Festival also gave free tickets to specific events for refugees living in Cumbria.

Schools across south Cumbria also ran their own Mitzvah Day events. Activities included creating a Mitzvah Day Wall and making boxes of love. Each school involved will be gifted with an apple tree to plant on Mitzvah Day by the Youth Council.

Organiser Abigail Mann said: "I am so proud of how Cumbria has embraced Mitzvah Day and the positive difference it has made to the wider community.