A charity supporting people with disabilities in West Cumbria which was at risk of closure has been given a reprieve, thanks to help from funders.

Allerdale Disability Association (ADA) provides vital free support, advice and information on issues ranging from blue badges to benefits for disabled people, their families and carers. In the last financial year, they helped clients claim benefit entitlements of £8.4 million. They have also seen a huge increase in client numbers, with an increase of 43% from the previous year to 1,908 users.

The charity faced closure due to financial challenges but has been thrown a lifeline by Sellafield Ltd, Cumbria Community Foundation and Cumberland Council, who have all agreed to provide emergency funding to keep services running for the next 12 months.

Sellafield Ltd awarded a grant through the Social Impact Multiplied programme for £43,309. Eirini Etoimou, Head of Corporate Sustainability and Supply Chain Development at Sellafield Ltd, said: “Through our Transforming West Cumbria programme, we aim to support third sector organisations that are delivering critical services in our local communities.

“Organisations such as ADA often need more than financial support to plan for a more sustainable future. Along with our strategic partners we will work with ADA to access skilled resource to strengthen their organisation through our volunteering platform Together for Good.”

The Community Foundation awarded a grant of £8,177 from the Brian and Ann Clark Fund, following an application which stated: “We know that the people in our community want our services to continue by the sheer number of people accessing them, and the sheer number of people who have contacted us to say they are devastated by the prospect we may have to close.”

In addition, Cumbria CVS, through the Transforming West Cumbria Bedrock Basics programme, will support the charity in applying to other funders for more longer-term funding to secure their financial sustainability.

Dr Jenny Benson, Director of Programmes & Partnerships at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We know what a crucial service Allerdale Disability Association provides to people in West Cumbria, and what a huge miss it would be if they were no longer there.

“We would encourage any local charity or community group that finds itself in a challenging situation financially to talk at the earliest opportunity directly with funding bodies and organisations who may be able to help.”

Cumberland Council has given the charity a grant of £10,000.

Colin Cox, Director of Public Health and Communities, said: “We have put improving the health and wellbeing of residents at the heart of our ambitions. Working in partnership with organisations like ADA will be crucial in achieving that aim. Therefore, we’re pleased to continue to provide this financial support so that ADA can offer the help and assistance that many people find so valuable.”

The total awarded from the three funders will cover ADA’s running costs for the next 12 months and allows some time to implement improvements over the coming months.

Tracey Parker, Manager at Allerdale Disability Association, said: “We are absolutely over the moon that ADA has been saved for the benefit of our members and clients, and we are excited to work with our strategic partners, to learn from them and develop a plan for the future.

A fund to help talented Cumbrians develop a career in the arts has been relaunched by Cumbria Community Foundation.

The Cumbria Cultural Fund was established in 2007 and has since supported more than 60 people to develop their creative practice in all areas of the arts, from poetry and painting to stand-up comedy and opera.

The fund is managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, who now have ambitions to increase the number of people supported and reach a wider pool of talent.

A review was carried out earlier this year, to examine what the fund should be for and who it should support, as well as looking into the wider state of the arts and cultural practice in Cumbria.

The findings were presented at an event at Rheged in Penrith last week (08.11.24) where guests were also treated to performances by some of those who have benefited from Cumbria Cultural Fund grants in the past.

The Cumbria Cultural Fund was the brainchild of Mary Burkett, whose drive and energy also helped develop the Abbot Hall Art Gallery and Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, explained: “Mary was passionate about backing talented people and giving those who needed help, and who were prepared to work hard, a hand up.”

“This autumn would have been her 100th birthday so we were keen to celebrate her life and legacy, while very much looking to the future and thinking about how we can grow the Cumbria Cultural Fund.

“The fund has helped over 60 talented Cumbrian artists, actors, musicians, dancers, and writers develop their careers and practice but we were keen to examine whether we could do more, and what priorities the fund should have today.

“We have relaunched the fund with the aim of significantly increasing its reach and impact, seeking new donors to help it support more talented young people, from families that might not normally think that art, music and drama is for them and to help more people fulfil their potential.”

The review into the Cumbria Cultural Fund was carried out by Richard Elder, former director of the Rosehill Theatre in Whitehaven. He interviewed organisations and individuals involved in arts and culture across Cumbria, asking their views not only on the fund but on the wider picture.

Following the review, Cumbria Community Foundation has set a new target of making grants of at least £50,000 per year from the Cultural Fund, helping around 25 people each year.

Stated ambitions for the fund include reaching those with the least opportunities or exposure to the arts; enabling ‘new’ and unconventional work; and supporting those whose work brings greater understanding of the issues of diversity and equity.

Stephanie Bradshaw, a stand-up comedian and actor from Keswick, performed at the fund relaunch event at Rheged. A grant from the Cumbria Cultural Fund enabled her to perform her debut stand-up show ‘Big Fish’ at 2024’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which reflected on her experience of growing up in Cumbria, chasing her dreams of becoming a successful performer and the challenges of achieving this when living in a rural area.

The Cultural Fund grant helped cover the venue fee at the Fringe, enabling her to perform at top venue the Gilded Balloon. “Being part of the Gilded Balloon family was a huge honour for me and helped me establish connections with industry and fellow performers that have already started to benefit my comedy career going forward.”

Stephanie is passionate about showing younger people in Cumbria that creativity can be born out of any story, no matter where you come from.

“What I have learnt about producing live comedy events, including my Fringe show, has been hugely helpful and will hopefully help launch the careers of other fledgling comedians in Cumbria and beyond.”

To read the report into the Cumbria Cultural Fund, or to make a donation to the fund, please visit www.cumbriafoundation.org/cultural-fund/

For more information about the fund and how you can support it, contact Andy Beeforth at Cumbria Community Foundation on 01900 820822 or email andy@cumbriafoundation.org.

An innovative programme which has given thousands of young people across Cumbria access to youth work was celebrated at an event in the county ahead of Youth Work Week (4-10 November 2024).

Better Tomorrows was launched in 2021 with the aim of increasing the number of trained youth workers and increasing the number of young people able to access quality youth work.

The programme was created by David Beeby, Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation and a former High Sheriff of Cumbria, to address what he described as a “huge gap” in youth work provision.

Since the programme was launched, more than 5,000 new young people have been engaged in youth work, across almost 12,000 hours of new youth work provision. The programme has trained 52 new accredited youth workers and funded 42 new youth work jobs across Cumbria.

More than 60 people attended the celebratory event at Barrow Town Hall – a mix of funders, funded organisations, youth workers who have undergone training and young people who benefit.

Kelly Bell, youth worker for South Workington Youth Partnership in the Whitehaven area, explained the impact of the programme. “Thanks to Better Tomorrows, we’ve been able to extend our youth work offer to those who wouldn’t have had access to youth workers before.

“We’ve helped several young people gain ASDAN awards as well. Thanks again to Better Tomorrows for allowing us to deliver this vital service.”

ASDAN awards are nationally approved qualifications based around the development of personal, social and employability skills.

As well as funding to pay for accredited youth work training, which is delivered in person by Cumbria Youth Alliance, Better Tomorrows also offers multi-year grants of up to £75,000 to community organisations that set up or provide new youth work opportunities for local people.

Over 50 funders have contributed to the programme, including the Community Foundation, Francis Scott Trust, Four Acre Trust, Nuclear Waste Services, many local businesses and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

David Beeby said: “The support for Better Tomorrows so far has been truly fantastic. The programme was always designed in a way that, the more money we raise, the bigger difference we can make.

“The programme’s achievements are incredible, in terms of the number of young people reached and the number of new youth workers trained and recruited, which will ensure the benefits are felt for many years to come.

“I am so grateful to those who have already committed to continue funding Better Tomorrows and would love to hear from anyone who would like to join us in supporting this life-changing programme.”

Better Tomorrows was initially a three-year programme but was extended following a commitment by the National Lottery Community Fund to invest £445,270 to train more than 200 youth workers over the next five years.

Becky Wolstenholme, Chief Executive of Cumbria Youth Alliance said: “Cumbria Youth Alliance is delighted to be the lead partner providing the training element of the Better Tomorrows programme. With huge thanks to Lottery players and funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, securing long term opportunities to embed a trained workforce throughout Cumbria, providing high quality youth work for our young people.

“Working together with Cumbria Community Foundation and the very many third sector organisations in Cumbria helps to prevent duplication of service and, through this training offer, can and does upskill a crucial workforce who provide a fantastic service to young people throughout our communities.”

Now that funding for the training element of the programme has been secured until 2028, Cumbria Community Foundation is seeking funding for youth worker salary costs.

For more information about the programme, and how to support it, contact Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation on 01900 820827 or email annalee@cumbriafoundation.org.

Below is a video where youth workers and young people who have benefitted from youth work explain the difference the Better Tomorrows programme has made to them.