More than £30,000 has been raised to ensure that food and other essentials reach hundreds of Geordies who are at the highest risk from coronavirus.
The Citylife Line service was set up in March to provide help for people who are self-isolating or shielding at home during the pandemic crisis.
Council and charity bosses have now surpassed a £30,000 fundraising target set just 10 days ago to support their efforts, thanks to generous donations from local residents and businesses.
The initial target was smashed thanks to donations of £2,500 from the St Mary Magdalene and Holy Jesus Trust and £2,950 from Sleepstation, a sleep improvement programme based in Newcastle, on Monday.
Almost 2,000 people have contacted the helpline to ask for support during the lockdown and donations to the fund will continue to be taken to ensure that help remains available.
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Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said: “The generosity shown both in Newcastle and by our global family during this crisis has been nothing short of remarkable. I’d like to thank everybody for the astounding collective effort so far.
“There is still a long road ahead, and many more people will require assistance in ways we had not seen before this outbreak.
"Already, nearly 2,000 residents have contacted Citylife Line to ask for a support.
“There will be many more people needing help in the weeks and months ahead and Newcastle City Council and our partners will be there for every resident in our city.
"Achieving our target so quickly is testament to our incredible communities, our Geordie spirit and generous organisations.
“We must continue to do what we can to support each other through this crisis, whether that is reaching out to friends, helping a neighbour or if you can, making a donation. Thank you all for the continued support, spirit and determination.”
It was announced on Monday that Newcastle’s Chinese community had also donated £10,000 to the fund, while department store Fenwick also made a substantial donation when the appeal was launched.
