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Funding towards a sustainable future

Communities in West Allerdale can apply for a share of £63,000 to fund environmentally friendly projects.

Set up by energy company E.ON UK and administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, the Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund provides financial assistance to projects promoting sustainable use of energy and resources, reducing climate change, and supporting nature conservation.

Friends of Siddick Pond received £15,000 earlier this year to make improvements to the nature reserve, located behind Dunmail Park, while encouraging local school children to get involved with their work. Youngsters from Ashfield Junior School in Workington visited the site and have been working in partnership with the Workington Nature Partnership to create display boards for the interior of the bird hide by researching wildlife on the reserve, writing stories and drawing illustrations.

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at the Foundation, said: “The fund is of huge benefit to local people, having awarded more than £420,000 to projects addressing environmental needs, while also contributing to reducing the effects of climate change and providing educational opportunities for children and young people.”

The fund is open to charitable organisations in West Allerdale, from Workington to Silloth and inland to Embleton.

Successful groups can expect to receive £1,000 – £15,000 funding. Applications are now open until Friday 15th December 2017. To find out more about the Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund see our grants page or contact the grants team on 01900 825760.

£45,000 awarded to local groups in Barrow

Charitable causes in and around the Barrow area have received a share of £45,000 thanks to the Barrow Community Trust.

Barrow Community Trust, administered by Cumbria Community Foundation approved eight applications supporting projects around health, wellbeing and serious illness, music and dance, and counselling, advice and mentoring.

Love Barrow Families received £30,000 over three years to stop the building at the heart of their project from closing. The centre works with families who suffer from physical and mental health issues, relationship difficulties, drug and alcohol abuse, anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, unemployment, and homelessness. Keeping the centre open means these families have a safe haven with an open door to support them in their time of need. Rebecca Morris, Children and Families Worker, said: “This is a project that has been truly designed by the families, for the families. Through our philosophy of co-production, with our families and partner agencies we have identified that the Love Barrow Families project is a life-line for families in the area.”

Age UK South Lakeland received £7,897 towards the Barrow Gateway Centre, providing a drop-in facility for local people, over the age of 18 to access information, advice and services. The centre also means there is a place for Age UK South Lakeland and their partners to meet with clients, hold training sessions and run community activities.

ARC (Active Recovery Community) Barrow received £1,169 to help with running their new minibus. The group organises activities and meetings for local people dealing with substance misuse and domestic violence issues. The minibus gives them the means of getting to and from the sessions easily so they can get back on the road to recovery.

Ellen Clements, Senior Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “In Barrow there is a high proportion of families finding it difficult to manage. Local organisations like Love Barrow Families, Age UK South Lakeland and ARC are vital in supporting them, and with the generosity of our fundholders can continue to do so.”

For more information or to apply visit our grants page or contact the grants team on 01900 825760.

Music to their ears

Children in west Cumbria have been given the chance to learn an instrument thanks to funding from the Cumbria Community Foundation.

The Carnegie Music Centre received £1,500 from the Lamont Pridmore Fund to encourage youngsters to play music, sing and undertake theory sessions to give them the opportunity to work towards a Bronze, Silver and Gold Arts Award.

Students have the chance to take part in the orchestra and choir, and play instruments such as the keyboard, guitar, saxophone, flute and steel drums.

Students also get the opportunity to perform on stage and attend local events.

The sessions are for children aged 8-18 and run by The Carnegie Theatre and Arts Centre in Workington every Wednesday between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

The Fund was established by Lamont Pridmore, the leading family-run Cumbrian chartered accountancy firm, and aims to support small voluntary and community groups and organisations, helping them continue to expand their work including advocacy and service provision for people in the Workington area.

 Graham Lamont, Chief Executive of Lamont Pridmore, said: “We are delighted to support the Carnegie Music Centre with this project and create opportunities for young people in Workington to learn a musical instrument, be creative and gain confidence in performing with others. We hope to see many of the students gaining an Arts Award and discovering hidden talents and passions as a result.”

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at the Foundation, said: “Graham and his team really care about their community. They are a great example for how a local business can support the people around them.”

Funding contributed towards professional music tuition and has helped subsidise the cost to students. The Carnegie Music Centre received a further £3,500 from the Solway Fund and the Shepley Group Fund, also administered by Cumbria Community Foundation.

 To find out more information about the Lamont Pridmore Fund and how to apply, see our grants page or contact the team on 01900 825760.

Cumbria Disaster Fund to help those in need

The Cumbria Disaster Fund was set up by Cumbria Community Foundation following the floods in 2015 to provide immediate financial assistance to anyone who needs help following a disaster.

So far, the pot stands at £50,000 thanks to a contribution from the charity’s own funds. However, the Foundation is aware at its current level, the fund can only provide a limited level of support to uninsured households and is therefore keen to secure additional funding to increase the grant support available for the 200 homes flooded in Millom and south Cumbria.

Donations can be made to the Cumbria Disaster Fund via this link: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/cumbria-disaster-fund

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “It has been devastating to see the damage done yet again to our community over the last few days. We want to do all we can to help and are pleased to be part of the coordinated response led by the County Council. We hope that our donation will help to bring immediate assistance to those most in need.”

Anyone wanting information about the fund and who and what will be eligible for funding, should click here or speak to the grants team on 01900 825760.

£220,000 awarded to community groups in Cumbria

Cumbria Community Foundation has awarded nearly a quarter of a million pounds to support local causes across the county.

40 community organisations and 14 individuals have received a share of £220,000 at the recent grants panel. The funding will support a wide range of projects including therapy sessions, support for deprived young people and flood recovery.

Some of the funds that supported these applications were Cumberland Educational Foundation, Cumbria Young People’s Fund and Ullswater Trust Grassroots Grants.

The grants will help a wide range of people in places all over Cumbria.

Safety Net received £4,000 to provide equine assisted therapy sessions for people who have been victims of sexual abuse or exploitation, and domestic violence. It is the only group to offer free sessions like this in the area, and the horses will help them work through issues such as trust, self-belief and relationships to help rebuild their lives. Sessions will be available throughout Carlisle, Allerdale, Copeland and Eden.

Garden Life Community Garden, based in South Carlisle, received £2,215 to support the rehabilitation of young offenders through horticulture, as well as working with unemployed youngsters. The aim is to teach functional garden skills that can transferred to the working environment, and to give them the enthusiasm to look forward to what they can do in their lives.

Ellen Clements, Senior Grants & Donor Services Officer at the Foundation, said: “Our grants are vital in helping local people throughout our region, and we are ever grateful for the continued support of all our fund holders.”

Applications for the next round of funding need to be submitted by Friday 6th October 2017 to be reviewed by the panel on Tuesday 7th November 2017. For more information or to apply go to our grants page or contact the grants team on 01900 825760.