Baby bank charity receives honour from the King

The charity was founded in 2019

A children's charity which has distributed more than 13,000 parcels to families in need has been recognised with the UK's highest voluntary award.

Love, Amelia, based in Sunderland, was given the King’s Award for Voluntary Service for its work across the city and County Durham.

Steph Capewell, who founded the charity in memory of her daughter, said receiving the award was a "huge honour".

"It shows that the work of the volunteers is really valued," she said.

It is hoped the award will help bring even more volunteers to the charity

The award is equivalent to being appointed an MBE.

Two representatives of the charity will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace in July.

Ms Capewell said it was hoped the recognition would help attract even more volunteers to the baby bank.

It was founded in 2019 in memory of her daughter Amelia who died in January 2018, just 12 minutes after she was born.

"We want to get to a point where Love, Amelia is never needed because that level of child poverty is not in the region," Ms Capewell said.