Charity workers and volunteers from across Cumbria were thanked at an award ceremony last week, recognising their tireless efforts to enhance and enrich their local communities.

Representatives from nine community and non-profit organisations were invited to the High Sheriff Award ceremony at Brougham Hall, Penrith on Thursday 12 March.

The awards are part of the High Sheriff’s Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation. They publicly recognise both charities and individual volunteers who help improve their communities.

The High Sheriff of Cumbria, Dr Geoff Jolliffe, has travelled around the county visiting many charities and voluntary organisations throughout his year of office, which comes to an end this month.

He said: “It’s been humbling to meet these groups and individuals, to see the brilliance of their work and to be able to recognise and thank them on behalf of all Cumbrians for their outstanding contributions to the county. I recognise just a few of those today with the High Sheriff Awards.

“I want to be clear that so many could have been winners – the breadth and depth of activity I have witnessed is outstanding.”

The High Sheriff chose nine organisations to receive a certificate and grant funding totalling £8,070.

County Chair Abigail Graham, Vice Chair Hector Meanwell and Eden Valley YFC member Jade Pearson received the award on behalf of Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

Abigail said: “It has been truly inspiring to hear about all the incredible work happening within our communities and we were honoured to receive recognition for the contribution our young farmers make within the county.”

Emma Wells accepted the award on behalf of Unseen Victims, which provides support and assistance to the loved ones of individuals involved in the criminal justice system. She said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected to receive this award this year. It means a great deal to have the High Sheriff recognise the often-overlooked impact that crime has on indirect victims, and the importance of supporting those whose lives are affected beyond the immediate incident.

James Cobbold, Director of Raise Collective, said: “We’re honoured to receive this award because it recognises the contribution neurodivergent people are making to environmental work in Cumbria, and the importance of creating spaces where different ways of thinking and experiencing the world are valued. It is a credit to the hard work of the Raise team and to the partners, landowners and communities who are helping to grow the Cumbria Community Forest.”

Recognition

“This recognition reinforces our commitment to continuing our work in raising awareness and providing support to those who are too often unseen.”

Three organisations received the prestigious High Sheriff’s Shield.

The first went to 4Eden, a Penrith-based charity that provides coaching, support and services for people throughout the Eden Valley, specialising in learning disability, neurodiversity and additional learning needs.

The second shield was awarded to Camp JoJo, which provides fully adapted camping breaks near Appleby for families of children with complex and life-limiting needs.

Greengate Junior School in Barrow also received the High Sheriff’s Shield for their work with neurodiverse children.

Lexie Gager-Liebhart of Whamos, one of the 2025 recipients of the High Sheriff’s Shield, gave an update on their year since winning. She said: “Receiving the High Sheriff Award last year meant a great deal to us. Not just as recognition, but as validation. It showed us that the work happening quietly in our community matters. That small teams, local people, and grassroots effort can make a real difference.

“Much of community work goes unseen. It is early mornings, late evenings, difficult conversations, and constant problem-solving. The award gave us visibility. It opened doors to partnerships and opportunities that may not have happened otherwise. It helped us show others that community-led work has real impact.”

The High Sheriff’s Chaplain, Debbie Wilde, also addressed the winners.

Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “At Cumbria Community Foundation, the High Sheriff Award ceremony is one of the highlights of our year. It’s wonderful to get together so many charity workers and volunteers to thank them for all they do, week in, week out.

“There are so many incredible 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.”

Before the award ceremony and lunch, the High Sheriff officially reopened Brougham Hall. The 14th century hall was bought last year by a group of artists who had workshops there and now operates as a social enterprise.

The winners:

Shield and £1,390 grant:

• 4Eden
• Camp JoJo
• Greengate Junior School

Certificate and £650 grant:

• Emma Wells, of Unseen Victims CIC
• St Mary’s Hospice therapists
• Jade Clifford, of iCan Wellbeing Group
• Raise Collective
• Cumbria Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs
• Cumbria police cadets and their trainers

Jobseekers in West Cumbria are receiving a helping hand to find work, thanks to grant funding totalling more than £40,000.

The Programme and Project Partners (PPP) Social Impact Fund – managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, and funded by Kellogg Brown and Root Ltd, Amentum Clean Energy Ltd, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, and Altrad Babcock Ltd – was set up last year.

It aims to enable access to educational and training activities that raise career aspirations; support individuals in becoming “work ready”; facilitate entry into meaningful employment; and remove barriers to employment and economic participation.

Since then, £42,520 has been awarded to projects across West Cumbria.

Social enterprise Time to Change West Cumbria (TTC) has received £10,000 to support individuals seeking work. The funding could provide a bicycle or bus pass for travel to work trials, a CSCS card needed to work on a construction site, or other essential equipment.

Rachel Holliday, TTC Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be awarded £10,000 from the PPP Social Impact Fund to continue to help local people in need in our area. So many people are struggling financially with the cost of living crisis and are just not able to make ends meet. By supporting people into work and helping them sustain their employment, we can help many people move towards a better life and a brighter future.”

People First Independent Advocacy has been awarded £10,000 towards funding a Job Coach to support staff with learning disabilities and/or autism at Harbour Place Community Cafe in Workington.
Revive Furniture Recycling has received £10,000 towards the cost of delivering a community training and employment project to residents in Copeland who are NEET, unemployed, or facing multiple barriers.

And Whamos Training and Development in Millom has been awarded £2,520 to cover staff costs for delivering one-to-one and small-group sessions in Digital Skills, English, Maths, Life Skills and Employability.

Last year £10,000 was awarded to Goodlives, a charity that runs training centres for adults facing long-term unemployment, social exclusion or poor mental health, in Cleator Moor and at West Lakes Science Park, near Whitehaven. The grant helped to fund a Project Trainer to provide support for adults to improve their skills and self-confidence and help with their job search.

Partnership

The PPP is a 20-year partnership established by Sellafield Ltd in 2019 to deliver major infrastructure projects. Other businesses have now stepped forward to contribute to the fund, seeing the impact it is having in transforming lives in West Cumbria.

Global AI-powered digital transformation leader Atos, which has a base in Whitehaven, has donated £5,072 to the fund. Phil Lazell, Account Director at Atos said, “As a business with roots here in West Cumbria, we strongly believe in supporting the local community. We’re delighted to be able to help the team at PPP in the vital work they do, removing barriers for people to get back into meaningful and fulfilling work.”

Bauer Technologies has contributed £500 to the fund.

The PPP Social Impact Fund is also open to applications from individuals, particularly those facing complex barriers to employment or living in areas of high deprivation.

Grants of up to £2,000 are available for individuals aged 18 and over, living in the former boroughs of Allerdale and Copeland. Applicants must have the backing of a recognised professional, such as a support worker or teaching professional.

Steve Harnwell, PPP managing director, said: “I’m delighted to see our latest grants being awarded to such a mix of amazing community organisations. Each is doing incredible work investing in skills, training and giving people the confidence to pursue meaningful work.

“Our Social Impact Fund helps them to deliver this vital work by removing barriers to employment and creating opportunities that make a lasting difference to people’s lives.”

Dr Jenny Benson, Director of Programmes & Partnerships at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to work with Partnership and Project Partners to ensure this funding reaches those who need it most. We know many people in West Cumbria face significant barriers to securing employment and this fund is making a real difference, providing practical support where it is most needed.”

Find out more about the fund.

For further information on applying to the fund, please contact the Grants Team on 01900 825760 or email grants@cumbriafoundation.org.

Cumbria Community Foundation gives around £6 million in grants a year to local charities and voluntary groups through over 100 grant making funds set up by generous businesses, individuals and families.

To find out more about setting up a fund or becoming a member and supporting those in need in Cumbria, contact Development Manager Caroline Adams on 01900 820825 or email caroline@cumbriafoundation.org.