Month: March 2025
Legacy gift will benefit generations to come
The generosity of a Cumbrian woman who left a large gift in her will to charity will benefit communities across the county for years to come.
A charitable fund has been set up in the name of Margaret Ewins, of Ings, Windermere to honour a bequest of £500,000 that she made to Cumbria Community Foundation.
The Margaret Ewins Memorial Fund will be managed by the Community Foundation and will make grants to good causes around the county, helping those most in need, from children and young people to vulnerable older people.
Caroline Adams, Development Manager at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are so grateful to the late Mrs Ewins for choosing to leave such a generous gift to Cumbria Community Foundation in her will. We have set up an endowed fund, which means the money very kindly left by Mrs Ewins to support good causes will be carefully invested and grants will be made each year on the returns of that investment.
“As a result, Mrs Ewins’ wonderful legacy gift will enable us to support vital projects, community groups and individuals in need for decades to come.”
The Margaret Ewins Memorial Fund will award grants in line with the Foundation’s grant making priorities. These are:
Improving Lives, with four priority areas:
• Reducing Poverty
• Reaching Potential
• Improving Health
• Tackling Social Inequality
Strengthening Communities, with two priority areas:
• Nurturing Sense of Place
• Acting on Climate Change
Fiona Ward, Managing Director and Solicitor at Thomson Hayton Winkley, has worked with the Community Foundation to ensure Mrs Ewins’ wishes are carried out.
She said: “We are delighted Cumbria Community Foundation have created a memorial fund for Mrs Ewins through her legacy gift. She was very committed to supporting her community for years to come, and the Margaret Ewins Memorial Fund is a fitting way to mark her generosity and ensure her wishes are fulfilled.
“We are always happy to work with anyone who is thinking of leaving a gift in their will and talk them through the various ways of creating a lasting legacy.”
The Margaret Ewins Memorial Fund will contribute income to the Cumbria Fund and the first grants will be made after 12 months.
Cumbria Community Foundation would love to hear from anyone looking to support local charities with a legacy gift. Options include donating to an existing CCF fund, such as the Cumbria Fund; setting up a new fund tailored to your charitable goals and causes you care about; or celebrating the life of a loved one by setting up a memorial fund in their name.
For more information, contact Caroline Adams on 01900 820825 or caroline@cumbriafoundation.org, or read our Guide to Giving.
High Sheriff celebrates Cumbria’s charities
Charity workers and volunteers from across Cumbria were thanked at an award ceremony this week, recognising their tireless efforts to enhance and enrich their local communities.
Representatives from more than 20 voluntary and non-profit organisations were invited to the High Sheriff Award ceremony at The Eddington, Kendal on Tuesday 18 March.
The awards are part of the High Sheriff’s Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, and publicly recognise both charities and individual volunteers who help improve their communities.
The High Sheriff of Cumbria, Chris Holmes, has visited charities and voluntary organisations around the county throughout his year of office, which comes to an end this month.
He said: “I have had the huge privilege of meeting hundreds of charity workers, volunteers and beneficiaries all over Cumbria during my year as High Sheriff. There are so many amazing non-profit groups and voluntary organisations making a real difference in their communities.
“It’s been an honour to meet these individuals and express my gratitude for their outstanding contributions to the county and to be able to recognise just a few of those today with the High Sheriff Awards.”
The High Sheriff chose 21 organisations to receive a certificate and grant funding totalling £15,750 and also issued three organisations with the prestigious High Sheriff’s Shield – BEE UNIQUE, Time to Change West Cumbria and Whamos Training and Development CIC.
Co-founders Dave and Nadia Parsons collected the award on behalf of BEE UNIQUE. The Maryport-based charity offers support and activities for children and young people with a diagnosis of autism, and those seeking a diagnosis.
Nadia said: “To be awarded the High Sheriff’s Shield is amazing, especially because we all do this completely voluntarily. Our aim is to reduce the sense of isolation felt by neurodiverse families, creating safe and calm environments to make them feel included and supported.”
Dave added: “We fundraise throughout the year and subsidise all of our sessions to make them more accessible for families who need it, so we are really delighted to receive this grant from the High Sheriff.”
Rachel Holliday and Louise Murphy were also at the ceremony to accept the award on behalf of Time to Change West Cumbria, a community interest company that aims to tackle homelessness and poverty. Projects include Calderwood House, an emergency homeless hostel in Egremont, and a grab bag scheme, providing essentials to women fleeing domestic abuse.
Director Rachel said: “We were delighted to receive our award and the High Sheriff’s Shield. It was fantastic to welcome Chris to Calderwood House where he heard first hand from our homeless residents and their journeys. Working in the VCSE sector has become more challenging and this recognition is for everyone at Time to Change West Cumbria, our staff, volunteers, directors and the people we serve.
“This money will be allocated to our emergency fund which provides essential items for residents leaving the hostel to move into their own home. Thank you to Chris and his wife Sue for championing our community organisations in Cumbria.”
Directors Alexandra Gager-Liebhart and Elizabeth Amos-Milburn accepted the High Sheriff’s Shield for Whamos Training and Development, a community interest company based in Millom, which provides specialised training and development programmes for neurodiverse people, as well as digital support for older people and the wider community.
“Receiving the shield was a complete surprise,” said Elizabeth. “We’re quite passionate about what we do so it’s nice to be recognised in this way.”
Alexandra added: “There are so many charities and CICs across Cumbria, so to be chosen is a big honour. The monetary award will make a big difference too, allowing us to add new workshops.
“Without people like Cumbria Community Foundation, none of it would be possible and Millom wouldn’t have half the charities and CICs it does. It shows the community spirit there is; we all work together for the common good and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “There are an extraordinary number of voluntary and non-profit organisations working at the heart of our communities, and this is an opportunity for them to receive the recognition and support they deserve.”
The event was catered by Waste into Wellbeing, an initiative to rescue surplus food from supermarkets, shops and eateries in and around Kendal which would otherwise be wasted. Charity representatives were served a delicious afternoon tea made up of surplus food, prepared by volunteers at Kendal People’s Café at The Eddington.
The other winners of the High Sheriff Award were:
- Anti-Racist Cumbria
- Carlisle Sea Cadets
- Carlisle Youth Zone
- Centre for Leadership Performance
- Copeland Age & Advice Service CIC
- Duddon Inshore Rescue
- Furness Multicultural Community Forum
- Growing Well
- Headway South Cumbria
- Kirkby Stephen Youth Centre
- Kirkby Lonsdale Business and Community Recovery Partnership
- North Allerdale Development Trust Limited (NADT)
- North Cumbria Search & Rescue
- Promoting Autonomy & Change (PAC)
- Proud & Diverse Cumbria
- South Lakes Citizens Advice
- St Andrew’s Church Mirehouse (Network Youth Church)
- West Cumbria Domestic Violence (The Freedom Project)
Tender opportunity – Brighter Futures programme evaluation
Cumbria Community wishes to engage a suitably qualified organisation/consultant to evaluate the Brighter Futures programme over a three-year delivery period.
Brighter Futures supports care experienced young adults in West Cumbria and Barrow to achieve their goals and build positive, independent lives. Making the transition to adult life is a difficult time for most young people, but especially difficult for those leaving care who may not have enjoyed the stability of a settled family life. Brighter Futures aims to provide the support and resources they need to build stable, fulfilling lives and achieve their full potential.
The three-year programme forms part of the national Care Leavers Programme managed by UK Community Foundations, a £3.6m match fund scheme funded by the Local Authorities’ Mutual Investment Trust (LAMIT), a shareholder of the UK’s biggest charities asset manager, CCLA. Match funding has been provided by a number of charitable trusts, companies and private donors, including BAE Systems and John Laing Charitable Trust.
Brighter Futures is managed by Cumbria Community Foundation and delivered in partnership with Cumbria Youth Alliance and Inspira, with the support of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.
For more information about the Brighter Futures programme evaluation opportunity, read the Brighter Futures Invitation to Tender.
For more information, email annalee@cumbriafoundation.org
Closing date for applications: 10am on Monday 7 April 2025