A 90 year old has become a star volunteer for a local charity, racking up over 50 hours a month of work. 

Betty Atkinson from Washington has become an integral part of Feeding Families, dedicating her time and energy to packing essential condiment packs for those in need. 

After being a bit bored in her home and watching her daughter Elizabeth Clarke and her husband volunteering. Betty decided to give it a go. 

Elizabeth Clarke, her daughter said: "Doing it in her own home is perfect for her. It's gave her something to do and a little bit of purpose. 

"She is 91 in January and you would never know with the amount of energy she has so it has been great for her to have something to do to fill her time whilst she's home that keeps her mind ticking."

Her dining room table has been transformed into a packing station, where she assembles items like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, salt, pepper and sugar.

Betty using her dining room table as a 'production line' to help struggling families this winter (Image: Feeding Families) Last month alone, Betty dedicated an incredible 51 hours to packing, far exceeding the pace of the operations department. 

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed, with staff joking that just four Betty's could run the entire operation. With Betty creating enough condiment packs to last the charity till the end of January next year. 

Betty used to work in the Phillips factory in Washington making TVs and therefore she is used to being on a production line. 

Despite being retired, Betty's energy and dedication to volunteering is better than most. The average volunteer for Feeding Families works around two hours a week and around eight hours a month.

Yet, Betty does eight hour shifts at her dining table, organising her own breaks and making her own little production line.

She initially started at around 30 hours a month but has since increased that to 50. 

Betty (right) visiting the Feeding Families Blaydon site next to the CEO Juliette Sanders (left)Betty (right) visiting the Feeding Families Blaydon site next to the CEO Juliet Sanders (left) (Image: Feeding Families) Betty recently visited Feeding Families' Blaydon site to meet the team and see the impact of her contributions.

She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, saying it has given her a renewed sense of purpose and enjoyed telling the team about her time working at the factory. 

Her unwavering commitment is making a significant difference in ensuring that basic comforts reach those in need.


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Feeding Families UK, was originally set up by Juliette Saunders in Blaydon beginning in 2016 as a very small scale measure, the charity was then founded in 2017. 

They now cover the whole of the four North East's counties and have bases in Blaydon and Fishburn.