Month: August 2016
Barrow Community Trust – Vacancy for Committee Members
Barrow Community Trust distributes funds to local community organisations that tackle poverty and social deprivation in the area. More than £4 million has been invested in projects across the Furness area since 2002.
The Trust is looking to recruit new volunteers to add to its Grants Committee, which meets five times a year, currently on a Wednesday morning for approximately 90 minutes. Applicants should have experience of the voluntary sector, preferably across more than one area, and an interest in supporting community groups in the local area.
Training will be provided and expenses can be paid. If you are interested in the position, please complete the simple application from and return it via email by Monday 31st October 2016. If you would like more information about the role, please contact Ellen Clements on 01900 825760 or email ellen@cumbriafoundation.org
New trustees join board
Caroline Thomson, Mike Starkie, Steve Cockayne and Tony Keen have been appointed as new trustees to the board of Cumbria Community Foundation.
The Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter across the county. More than £2m a year is awarded in grants through its philanthropic funds, supporting community projects which make a lasting and positive difference to the area.
Caroline Thomson is chair of Digital UK, the body which is responsible for digital terrestrial television, she is a Director of CN Group, trustee of Tullie House Museum and was Chief Operating Officer for the BBC before stepping down from her role in September 2012.
Caroline said: ““I have been really impressed by the work that CCF has done in the community over the years and most especially recently on helping flood victims. I hope in some small way I can help it remain an effective force in the future.”
Steve Cockayne is Chief Engineer for Sellafield Ltd. He joined Sellafield in 1991 as Commissioning Engineer and went on to hold a number of senior operational and engineering roles before taking up his current position as Chief Engineer for the site.
Steve said: “Sellafield Ltd has had a very supportive relationship with CCF through Nuclear Management Partners. Since the change in the management model at Sellafield, our CEO is keen that this relationship continues. I was delighted to be asked to represent Sellafield Ltd and become a trustee to support CCF in helping the local communities.”
Tony Keen is Managing Director of Barrow-based engineering company SN Group. Previously he was a Director of Barrow AFC and has also held positions with Centrica.
Mike Starkie was elected Mayor of Copeland in May 2015. He previously worked in financial services for 26 years in senior corporate roles for companies such as Pearl, Axa and Zurich.
Mike said: “I became a trustee to help make Copeland a better place to live, work and visit. I am proud to be involved in such an inspirational initiative for Cumbrian communities. The Cumbria Community Foundation works incredibly hard to support individuals and organisations wishing to invest in the local community, which in turn makes a huge difference to the most disadvantaged people in our communities.”
The trustees’ appointments were formally ratified at the Board’s quarterly meeting on 22nd July.
Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation said: ““We are pleased to welcome the new members to the Board. They bring a breadth of knowledge as well as various skills and expertise to complement our current trustees. I look forward to working with them all as we continue to tackle disadvantage across the county.”
The new trustees join a board of 18 current trustees that include Chair Ian Brown, partner with Dodd and Co accountants, Chief Executive of Cumbria County Council, Diane Wood and former CEO of Cumbria Tourism, Chris Tomlinson OBE.
FLOOD APPEAL AWARDS £5 MILLION
CUMBRIA Community Foundation’s Flood Recovery Appeal has given FIVE MILLION POUNDS to people across the county affected by December’s devastating floods.
More than 4,000 applications have been processed. 2,500 households have benefited from £4 million and 85 community organisations have had a share of £1 million.
The organisation to receive the five millionth pound is Churches Together. It was awarded a grant of more than £50,000 to run the Carlisle Flood Recovery drop-in centre on English Street. It offers advice and guidance to those who have been affected by the floods. Staff at the centre can also signpost to other agencies, to make sure people are helped directly.
David Robinson, President of Churches Together in Carlisle, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this vital support for the next twelve months. Paul Hendy and his team are very keen to hear from as many people as possible. It is wonderful that the public have been so generous to Flood Appeal. It’s true to say that community spirit is alive and well in Cumbria.”
In the immediate aftermath of the floods, the priority was to give urgent financial support to those whose homes had been affected by the flooding – to help them pay for temporary accommodation, buy necessaries such as clothing, and so on. In the second phase people are moving back into their homes, and need much more substantial grants to cover things like carpets, tables and chairs, beds and bedding, white goods and kitchen units.
Cumbria Community Foundation Chief Executive, Andy Beeforth, said: “We want anyone who has been affected by the floods to approach us and apply for a grant to help them rebuild their lives, even if they have already had a grant. The money is there to help people in need across the county and we would like to reach as many people as possible.
“We know there are still more than 1,500 households unable to return home. However, this statistic does not reflect the true situation as some people remained living in their flooded homes, particularly those who were uninsured, and those that have returned home report still having to deal with a number of issues.”
The third phase of the Appeal is to support households implement resistance and resilience measures in their home, awarding almost £100,000 to date.
Cockermouth resident Rob was flooded, causing a substantial amount of damage to his home. He said: “We ended up knee deep in water and lost lots of personal possessions. We applied for the government’s Property Level Resilience (PLR) grant to protect our property, should it happen again. This helped pay for the majority of the flood defence scheme although it did not cover the full costs. A grant from the Cumbria Flood Recovery Appeal enabled me to complete the scheme and cover the shortfall.”
Funding will also support neighbours who wish to ‘pool’ their resilience grants to implement local neighbourhood resistance schemes, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, County and District Councils.
Millhouse Flood Action Group have been allocated just under £8,000 to work with the Environment Agency and develop an improvement plan for the area in Hesket Newmarket. The project includes raising, lengthening and re-enforcing the bund around the beck; works to the bank and flood calming measures. In addition to this, residents from the village also received individual grants towards resistance and resilience measures for their own homes.
Philippa Groves, Treasurer for the group, said: “Unfortunately, no one thing is going to stop the floods but with this help we can build up areas which will all help with the bigger picture. Together with all these measures and the work of the Environment Agency we hope we can protect the village from flooding in the future.”
Community groups across the county are also being urged to apply for funding to cover the costs of community-led flood defence work for public benefit, as well as those providing advice, guidance and emotional support to people affected by the floods.
The trustees of the Foundation wish to express renewed thanks to the thousands of generous people and organisations that donated to the appeal and also recognise the role of the government in providing match funding of £4.8m.
To find out more about the Cumbria Flood Recovery Appeal, or to make an application, visit the Flood Appeal page and complete an online application form. Alternatively, you can call the Foundation on 01900 825760 or email grants@cumbriafoundation.org