17th October 2024
More than £2.7 million has been awarded to a range of good causes across Cumbria, supporting projects to promote improved mental health, community cohesion, wellbeing and fitness and much more.
A total of 186 grants worth £2,719,402 were given out to community organisations and individuals at three recent Cumbria Community Foundation grants committee panels.
The money came from funds set up by local people and businesses including Burnetts, Castles & Coasts Housing Association, and Fibrus.
In total, 128 community groups received £2,662,405 towards a wide range of projects across the county, and 58 individuals benefited from £56,997 towards the cost of overseas trips, equipment and course fees.
Community centres and village halls across Cumbria were awarded funds to carry out repairs, improve facilities and make their premises more accessible.
Broughton Moor Parish Council was awarded £46,000 from Broughton Moor Wind Farm Fund for the refurbishment of the village community centre, to tackle problems including damp in the walls, dry rot in the flooring and a leaky roof. The funding will also enable the installation of a larger, safer kitchen area and the refurbishment of the toilet to make it more accessible.
Parish Councillor Denise Houghton said: “The community centre is a well-used building. It is used for the over 60s bingo sessions, a toddler group, a craft club, craft sales and other events, including a Macmillan coffee morning, Halloween parties and Christmas events.
“The renovations will ensure these can continue in a much more pleasant and modern building. The kitchen will include cooking facilities which will enable the parish council to put on soup and sandwich lunches and pie and peas suppers, and will allow private functions to provide a wide range of catering options. The toilet will be much improved with better disabled access.”
Time to Change West Cumbria received £15,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to provide barista and customer service training to unemployed volunteers to help run the coffee bar at the community centre in Kells.
Grasmere Village Hall Company was awarded £15,000 from the ENWL Storm Arwen Community Resilience Fund towards the cost of a generator to enable the village hall to act as a refuge centre during power outages in an emergency.
And Yewdale Community Centre in Carlisle was awarded £2,000 from Fibrus Community Fund to pay for IT equipment and digital inclusion workshops.
In Barrow, The Ashton Group, operating as Theatre Factory, was awarded £5,000 from the Brian and Ann Clark Fund towards the cost of a community engagement project.
The group ran a series of workshops earlier this year asking people of all ages from across Barrow: ‘Who, what or where would receive your unofficial Blue Plaque?’
Artistic Director Rachel Ashton said: “The activity consisted of talking, thinking, writing, drawing and physically making a simple blue plaque from cardboard. We presented some of the results in an evening with actors reading out the blue plaques to an audience in our studio. The results were astonishing.
“The evidence is that, for young people, it helped them to think positively about their lives and where they live. For older people, the act of coming together to tell stories and reminisce in a nurturing and creative environment helps to fight isolation.
“So far, over 200 people have participated and now we have demands from third sector agencies for the work. We will spend the grant delivering to a further 500 people across the town. We are using the project to support people’s mental health and promote community cohesion.”
Elim Community Church in Carlisle received £10,000 from the Cumbria Fund towards the salary costs of a debt coach, to teach people how to budget, manage their finances and pay off their debts.
Ulverston Rangers Football Club was awarded £1,000 from the Thomas Graham Grassroots Fund towards the cost of goal posts and marking equipment for new pitches which are required due to an increase in members.
Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our fundholders which enables us to support so many fantastic causes and organisations across the county. Community groups and charities do fantastic work to support those in need all over Cumbria and we are very pleased to be able to support those efforts through our grant making programme.”
For more information or to apply for funding visit, www.cumbriafoundation.org, call the grants team on 01900 820827 or email grants@cumbriafoundation.org.