A KENDAL church is offering encouragement-on-wheels to flooded residents, thanks to a company's generosity.

Family-owned kitchenware firm Lakeland has provided a van to help people dispose of waste from their flooded homes and, eventually, move back to their properties.

The newly named Encouragement Van is operating from the Encouragement Cabin at Sandylands Methodist Church. Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, the cabin was set up in the wake of Storm Desmond to help anyone affected by flooding.

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Locals facing challenging circumstances are welcome to call in for cleaning materials, information or simply a coffee and a chat.

Rev Jonny Gios, community worker at the church, said: "I am so grateful to Lakeland and Sam Rayner for their generosity and assistance to us. It is companies like this in our community, that have come together to help one another, that have truly brought an amazing sense of community spirit in Kendal."

The Encouragement Van is also available for use by other agencies who are involved in the flood relief efforts.

In a statement, Lakeland said: "We are so pleased to have been able to lend a helping hand to the local community by providing the Encouragement Van. Members of Lakeland staff were also personally affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding that hit the area at the end of 2015, and we are delighted to be able to help them, and local residents, at what we know is an incredibly difficult time."