A new scheme aimed at tackling food poverty in Cumbria is set to be rolled out across the county.

The Food Redistribution Centre, which is run by the social business Recycling Lives, provides fresh food and goods to charitable organisations. The centre is now working to establish three bases in Cumbria, with items collected then handed over to charitable organisations for distribution.

The redistribution centre is part of the national FairShare network and takes goods from food suppliers and retailers which would have been destined for landfill to charities and community groups.

Such organisations are being offered the opportunity to find out more about the scheme during an event at Rheged, near Penrith, later this month. Charities and community groups can become community food members - known as CFMs - for £25 a week. In return they are guaranteed to receive regular collections of fresh, frozen and ambient goods.

In the coming months the centre will be opening local collection points across Cumbria that will enable groups to collect quality and in-date goods to share with communities.

Jeff Green, manager of the food redistribution centre, said: "While we provide food to groups, our work is about more than just food - by providing these goods our CFMs can then support people with education, employment, health, homelessness, finances, family and much more and also invest in their often-scarce resources in other areas.

"We're looking forward to supporting groups across Cumbria in this way. We hope people will come along to learn more and be inspired by our work next Friday."

Since launching in October 2015, the centre has distributed more than one million meals, diverting more than 430 tonnes of goods from landfill in doing do.

It has worked with 100 charitable organisations as well as Shap Primary School and Orton Primary School, near Penrith.

"Produce from the centre has an impact for all our children," said Anne Maud, headteacher at Shap Primary School.

"Our junior children now also enjoy fresh fruit at playtimes, as the government only provides free fruit for infants. We have also used the food to do cooking activities in classes and the after school club."

Emma Pomfret, headteacher at Orton Primary School, added: "The food benefits all our children as well as our wider community, who are able to take surplus produce in return for a voluntary donation to school, meaning we can raise desperately needed funds."

The event at Rheged will take place from 10am until 11.30am on Friday, September 29. It is hosted by the Westmorland Family and Business in the Community along with the Food Redistribution Centre's charity, Recycling Lives.

Anyone that would like to register for the event or would like to find out more information can do so by visiting www.eventbrite.co.uk and searching for 'Towards Zero Food Poverty in Cumbria'.