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Foundation’s grants panel finalists at charity awards

A team of committed volunteers has been named as finalists at the 2018 North West Charity Awards.

L-R: Willie Slavin, Nick Utting, Chris Tomlinson, Tim Cartmell, Jane Humphries and John Whittle

The North West Charity Awards are the charity world’s biggest event in the north, and Cumbria Community Foundation’s grants panel has been shortlisted for Volunteer Team of the Year Award in recognition of the vital work they do for the charity. The panel is made of 14 people, the majority being retired professionals and all either have relevant experience or are extensively involved in their communities across the county.

The panel meets five times a year and last year reviewed more than 1,300 applications requesting grant funding. When the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund was launched in December 2015, the panel met monthly and a sub-group was formed, consisting of 8 members convening daily to award grants to individuals and families affected by the flooding. The sub-group undertook a huge amount of work that only ended in November last year with the closure of the Recovery Fund in November, awarding £10.3 million in grants.

Representing the team on the night will be panel members Willie Slavin, Nick Utting, John Whittle, Hokey Bennet Jones, Saj Ghafoor and Chris Thomlinson.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive Officer, Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted our panel has been shortlisted for this award. Its members bring a whole range of experience and knowledge to help us make what can often be difficult decisions when assessing applications.

“Being finalists for Volunteer Team of the Year is a real homage to all the dedicated work they do for the Foundation and we are truly proud to have them on the team.”

Last year, Copeland resident Gary McKee was named the Fundraiser of the Year at the inaugural awards ceremony.

The grants panel members will find out if they have been successful at the North West Charity Awards dinner at The Principal Hotel in Manchester Friday 12th October.

Cumbrian causes receive funding boost

Charitable causes across the county have received a financial boost of more than £180,000 in support of their projects.

Cumbria Community Foundation’s recent grants panel approved 28 applications from community groups, supporting a wide range of activities including counselling for people with mental health issues, tackling bullying and training for young volunteers. It also awarded financial assistance to 17 individuals to help with further education and sporting excellence.

SAFA Cumbria offers help and support to individuals and their families affected by the impact self-harm can have on their lives. It received £15,000 from the Moorhouse Grassroots Fund, the Cumbria Young People’s Fund, Barrow Community Trust and the Fryer Grassroots Fund to continue providing counselling to people as young as 11 from across the county who are dealing with issues that may cause them to self-harm.

Last year the charity provided around 2,000 counselling sessions to more than 200 people.

Cindy Daltioni, Director of SAFA, said: “As a charity, SAFA relies totally on grants and donations, without which we could not operate.  This welcome grant from Cumbria Community Foundation will allow us to continue to provide the important support for some of the most vulnerable people in our area.”

NHS 70th Birthday cakes, Trinity School

‘Give a Day to the City’ encourages people, organisations and business around Carlisle to get together and deliver volunteer-led projects in their community. Organised by Carlisle Vineyard Church, it received £5,000 from the #iwill Fund to engage with 10 schools to encourage pupils to volunteer and consider how they could help their communities for the event in 2019.

‘Give a Day to the City’ started with 12 projects and 500 participants in 2015, growing to 35 projects and more than a thousand participants in 2017. It has delivered projects including beach cleans, tea on the green and renovating 3 uninsured flood-affected properties.

Coffee morning, Trinity School

Miriam Lowe, Give a Day Coordinator, said: “This year, more than 600 children and young people volunteered in projects across Carlisle in ways that were new to most of them. Next year, thanks to the grant, we expect over 1,000 youngsters to get involved.

“Give a Day empowers young people to engage in their communities. We’ve seen real transformation in the mindset of many of the young volunteers; it helps develop confidence, skills and character while benefitting the whole community.”

South Lakeland Mind supports over 400 people suffering with mental health issues each year. With a current waiting list of more than 20 people for one to one peer support it received £7,280 towards the salary of a part time Peer Support Officer to manage and develop this service.  The Officer will spend time recruiting volunteers and matching them to clients to respond to the increase in demand for the service.

David Beuzeval, Chief Officer at South Lakeland Mind, said: “The generous support we have received from the Foundation will enable us to continue to develop our services, meeting increased demand and enable more people to improve their wellbeing.”

Ellen Clements, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation said: “There are many worthy organisations around the county that continue to provide help to the local communities. We are ever grateful to the generosity of our fundholders to enable us to support these vital services.”

Cooking with a conscience raises £7k for charity

On Saturday (8th September) night twenty-nine people paid more than £150 per head to enjoy a twenty-one-course fine dining experience with a twist and raised nearly £7000 for charity. The unusual menu, designed and executed by Martin Frickel, sous-chef of The Forest Side utilised only ingredients that would otherwise have gone to waste. The one-off event called Wasted! With Martin Frickel, took place at Dome House in Bowness and raised money for four Cumbrian charities; Cumbria Community Foundation, Kendal People’s Café, Windermere Food Bank and Growing Well.

Martin said: “Abundance is one of the success stories of the human species, an insurance policy against a bad harvests. To see what I mean all you have to do is step back into history a little and look back to the creation of agriculture around 12,000 years ago to see even then that it was all about creating surplus…

“So waste is nothing new, to that end the developed nations have around 200% of the food they need and it’s acceptable to bin the surplus. It’s odd that wasting food isn’t a taboo and it should be!

“Just imagine walking out of a supermarket with a couple of bags of food and dropping one in the car park, and then walking off and leaving it there to rot… That’s essentially what we are doing when we create food waste and that’s criminal, especially when you think of the people around the world who are struggling to feed themselves, even in our own country, a supposedly developed nation.”

Martin Frickel ran a brigade of six professional chefs who created courses which showcased ingredients including clotted cream on its use-by date and whey to make fudge, and one course was spiced crispy plaice bones! The concept for the night came from the unconventional Windermere based Events and PR Company Flock. Founders Sophia Newton and Janett Walker approached Greg Stephenson of Gundog PR who specialises in Culinary & Lifestyle PR, Greg instantly knew Martin was the perfect chef to see it through as he was already an advocate for the cause. Greg also orchestrated the wine flight that accompanied the meal. Using coravined bottles and samples, even the fine wine itself was donated and would otherwise have gone to waste.

Sophia Newton said: “Doing weird and wonderful events that make people think is what we love most but this was particularly special thanks to the amazing team of people that made it happen. Wasted! was a true showcase of talent, teamwork and generosity. Everyone involved gave their time, produce or expertise for free, it was humbling to see our idea brought to life in such a remarkable way.”

Martin Frickel explained further: “It’s apparent the gulf between the haves and have not’s has widened. Food poverty is a reality and this coupled with the food waste agenda inspired me to do something positive and to make a difference. My response was to create Wasted a pop-up restaurant to raise funds for four brilliant charities who help a whole range of people access food to be able to survive.

“Wasted has been a huge success and it’s down to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved. But it wouldn’t have happened without the cooperation of the wholesale suppliers, producers and supermarkets who were involved in donating waste food and drink. It’s reassuring to note that they too recognise the need to address food waste and food poverty and by becoming involved they have showed that they are keen to really make a difference as well.”

Unconventional approaches to the night included representatives from the charities helping with Front of House. Andy Beeforth OBE of Cumbria Community Foundation, Helen Pateman and Gillian Cowburn of Kendal People’s Café, Magda from Windermere Food Bank and Clairelouise of Growing Well all rolled up their sleeves and helped clear plates, do the dishes and run the Pay-As-You-Feel bar.

Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, Andy Beeforth OBE, said: “Martin and his team created the most remarkable dishes served in a stunning venue, raising money for incredibly valuable causes, highlighting the tragedy of food waste and food poverty.”

The total money raised will be divided between the four charities.

 

Funding available for groups in Brampton

Applications are being encouraged from groups and organisations in around the parish of Brampton.

The William Milburn Charitable Trust, administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, offers grants between £500 and £5,000 for projects addressing local needs and creating opportunities that make a real difference to people in need and the wider community. Larger grants may be considered depending on the activity.

Priority is given to projects working in rural communities and supporting disadvantaged children and young people.

Raft building

Carlisle Carers provides a range of services to support and enhance the lives of unpaid carers of all ages throughout North Cumbria.

Some young carers in and around Brampton can only get support during term time as many out of school clubs take place in Carlisle. This often leaves them feeling isolated and alone. Carlisle Carers received £800 to take a group of young carers on summer trip to Talkin Tarn for some much needed respite time.

Let the race begin

Kay McGregor, Operations Manager, said: “It is so important for young carers to have time to themselves as they will have spent the summer holidays caring for a family, and not being able to get out and about like their friends.

“Social isolation during school holidays can be a big issue and this kind of activity goes a long way to combatting this and helping young people experience some freedom and pleasure. It was also challenging, with some of them achieving things they had never experienced before and being part of a team.

“We could never have offered this opportunity to our young carers without the generous donation from the William Milburn Trust and we are very grateful for the support.”

Ellen Clements, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation said: “We are proud to manage funds like the William Milburn Charitable Trust as they are vital in supporting some of our most rural communities. It gives people a real opportunity to improve the places where they live.”

The closing date for applications is 5th October 2018 to be reviewed by the panel on 6th November 2018. To apply visit our Grants page or for more information contact Ellen Clements on 01900 825760 or email ellen@cumbriafoundation.org.