Millom Network Centre has been awarded a £9,000 grant by Cumbria Housing Partners Fund, managed by the Foundation, to support a new employability project ‘Opening New Doors’. The programme aims to help people in South Copeland open doors to new opportunities and find success in their lives.

Millom Network Centre offers a variety of activities to support local people improve their life chances. It provides free, one to one support to help people access the training and qualifications they need to find voluntary or paid employment. In addition to key subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science it can help people access practical skills training in construction and horticulture.  It also offers support to overcome personal hurdles which may be barriers to work, such as improving social skills, CV writing, job searches and interview techniques.

Centre Manager, Paul Stewart, said “Achieving success in life is a different measure for everyone. ‘Opening New Doors’ aims to support people overcome their personal barriers to success by offering learning opportunities which not only increase their employability but importantly help to improve their self-esteem.

“One of our participants, Pauline, has just completed an online course which has increased her personal confidence and digital skills; she said: “Thanks to the Opening New Doors programme and passing my recent qualification, I really feel on top of the world!”

“By helping people to grow in confidence they are better able to deal with the challenges they face in day to day life, raise their personal aspirations and become valued members of the community.”

John Clasper, Chair of Cumbria Housing Partners, said:  “We are delighted to support this project. People living in rural communities, like Millom, can experience additional barriers to employment including access to training and employment opportunities due to their location.  By offering local training solutions Millom Network Centre provides a vital link to the future success of individuals and the whole community.

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer for Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Millom is rurally isolated with residents having to travel 45 minutes to the nearest large towns. It also has higher unemployment than the national average but with the injection of funding, Millom Network Centre is working hard to encourage enterprise and improve life-long training provision.”

Over the past year Cumbria Housing Partners Fund, administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, has provided grants to individuals, community and voluntary organisations for training and projects aimed at improving people’s employability or education. The £100,000 fund has also supported projects which provide advice and guidance, support and engage people in their local community, and improve community facilities.

For more information about the centre’s services contact Carol Pugh, Team Officer, on 01229 719650.

Applications are being encouraged from students studying for qualifications in the farming, forestry and horticulture industry.

The Swales Trust, administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, offers grants of up to £1,000 towards the cost of land-based qualifications and the funding can be used to purchase study materials, specialist equipment or towards travel costs.

Priority will be given to students studying in Cumbria but is also available to people who live in Cumbria but are studying outside the county.

Carol Douglas,  48, from Sedbergh in South Lakeland, received £250 towards the cost of a Woodland Ecology Course at the Green Wood Centre near Telford.

Working part-time at the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and a parent of two teenage children, Carol was unable to afford all the costs involved in attending courses to further her professional development within the forestry industry. Ineligible for funding for a Foundation Degree in Forestry, she decided short courses were another way to get the skills and experience she needed.

Carol said, “I have gained a breadth of knowledge that will be useful in my workplace. This has given me greater confidence in my role as Woodland Officer at the Millennium Trust. The grant gave me the motivation to look into available woodland courses and encouraged my employer to support me in this process. It has also spurred me very much into wanting to learn more.”

Ellen Clements, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation said: “As Cumbria is such a rural county it is so important that we invest in the future of its farmers, foresters and horticulturalists. The Swales Trust aims to level the educational playing field and support people of all ages who are looking to pursue land-based qualifications but need a bit of money to help them along the way.”

The closing date for applications is 27^th July 2018 to be reviewed by the panel on 28^th August 2018. To apply visit www.cumbriafoundation.org or for more information contact Ellen Clements on 01900 825760 or email ellen@cumbriafoundation.org

In Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 it has been announced that a mental health charity based in West Cumbria has been granted £7,000 towards the costs of a new three year project, Open Mind. The grant was made from Cumbria Housing Partners Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation to Mind in West Cumbria, a registered charity which exists to promote good mental health and wellbeing for people in Allerdale and Copeland.  It works in collaboration with other agencies and local partners, to deliver holistic and bespoke services to support adults with experience of mental distress and learning disabilities.

“Open Mind” will support people living with mental health issues to overcome some of the barriers which stop them getting into employment. By offering training in personal social skills and basic education, alongside other therapeutic support, the holistic project aims to increase employability – enabling members to reach their potential and fulfil their aspirations.

Dr Brian Campbell, Chairman of Mind in West Cumbria says: “Many of our members are relatively young, presently unemployable but with a large part of life ahead of them. Some are in need of basic, social, literacy and numeracy skills as a result of their schooling being disrupted due to mental health issues. The grant will enable us to provide a series of weekly courses relevant to our member’s needs, from basic skills through to accessing higher and further education. This will complement other one to one work we are doing to support them.

“Mental health issues are common, one in four are likely to suffer from diagnosable mental health problems. Anyone, at any stage or age may experience poor mental health causing them to “drop out” of their lives temporarily or for a longer term. Many people with ongoing mental health issues can, and do, learn to manage their symptoms and have fulfilling lives as vital members of their communities, professionally and personally.

“Through this project and our other work we want to encourage personal development, to help them rekindle their ambitions and reach beyond the horizons which seem limited due to illness, and on to a brighter space where they can thrive as individuals.”

John Clasper, Chair of Cumbria Housing Partners, said: “Supporting projects which help local people into employment is the key aim of the Cumbria Housing Partners Fund. This project offers an opportunity for people whose aspirations have been curtailed as a result of mental health issues to overcome barriers to employment and we are proud to be able to fund it.”

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer for Cumbria Community Foundation, added: “Mental health issues can affect people from all walks of life. The Foundation supports local projects that provide a lifeline for people with nowhere else to turn, whether they are recovering from trauma, addiction or mental breakdown, or coping daily with stress, depression, anxiety or loneliness. This funding comes at a critical time, demand for funding support in this area is set to grow as statutory mental health services continue to be affected by cuts and are stretched to capacity.”

Cumbria Housing Partners is the only local procurement group for social housing landlords in Cumbria. We help our member landlords save time and money by buying materials and contractors for repair and maintenance work on their homes. By working together and using our combined buying power, we make savings for our members that can be reinvested to improve the lives and futures of people living in our communities.

Over the past year Cumbria Housing Partners Fund has provided grants to individuals, community and voluntary organisations for training and projects aimed at improving people’s employability or education. The £100,000 fund has also supported projects which provide advice and guidance, support and engage people in their local community, and improve community facilities.

For more information on the Cumbria Housing Partners Fund click here.

Today lovable Lake District brand herdy formally launched their herdyfund as an official charitable fund.

The herdyfund has been in existence since day one of herdy but up to now had been funded from a percentage of profits from the company. Today marks the beginning of a new charitable fund which will be managed by the registered charity, Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF). herdy will still direct how the fund works but it means they can now accept donations for the first time. Its purpose is to fund, sponsor, interact, help inspire and support Cumbrian rural farming communities.

Original plans for the launch of the fund got derailed by Storm Emma aka The Beast from the East. As reports came in of the devastating impact it had wreaked on farms across the county, herdy founders Spencer and Diane Hannah agreed with Andy Beeforth OBE, who is CEO of the Foundation, that the priority should be to help the farmers who had been hardest hit. herdy put in a pot of £10,000 and CCF matched it to create a relief programme for the farmers affected. The programme finished on Thursday 15 May, having received applications from some 80 farmers.

Adam Day from the Farmer Network helped distribute the funds amongst the farmers. He said the farmers had appreciated the help from the fund but perhaps the most special thing about it to them, was to know that other people actually cared.

Spencer Hannah of herdy co-founder said “We recently visited two of the farmers to listen to their experience of the storm. Cumbrian farmers are nothing if not resilient, quite capable of surviving most things but even they could not compete with the 127mph winds and 15ft snow drifts.

“We recognise that whilst our region’s countryside and heritage is admired worldwide; the fell farmers and rural communities who manage and maintain our cultural landscape can sometimes be ‘unseen’. Our plans for the herdyfund don’t just include providing funding for dealing with tough situations. We’re working on ideas for this year and beyond where we can come together to interact, share and inspire each other as we have done for the last eleven years. The herdyfund always has and will continue to work with and alongside our upland fell farmers and rural communities to create a sustainable future. We’re proud of what has been achieved since the beginning but even more hopeful about what lies ahead. In particular, we are delighted to be working with Cumbria Community Foundation, we are confident it will enable the herdyfund to reach its true potential.”

Andy Beeforth OBE of the Cumbria Community Foundation said: “We’re pleased to be working with herdy to help manage their fund, which will have a positive long-term impact and will provide support at a very local level to help improve the quality of life for people in our rural communities.”

Herdy makes colourful design-led home and giftware items based on the local hardy Herdwick sheep. The company has received numerous awards for their sustainable approach over the years, including; the Business in the Community Award from the Prince of Wales in 2010 and just this month Spencer Hannah was a finalist at the Institute of Directors Award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

An appeal to keep older Cumbrians warm and well throughout the winter has received almost £170,000 in donations – the most ever received in one year.

More than 28,000 Cumbrians live in fuel poverty, defined as spending more than 10 per cent of income on fuel. Cumbria Community Foundation’s annual Winter Warmth Appeal has been tackling fuel poverty for the past eight years, supporting thousands of people in that time.

Working in partnership with Age UK across the county, small grants are provided to the most vulnerable individuals who may face crisis.

Andy Beeforth, the community foundation’s Chief Executive, said: “Health studies show that older people or those with disabilities are more vulnerable in cold weather because they are unable to move around to keep warm. Cold weather can make illnesses associated with respiratory and circulatory conditions far worse.

“Around 300 people die in Cumbria each year simply because they cannot afford to heat their home properly. We have heard from people who can only heat one room in their home for part of the day, even when temperatures are hovering around freezing outside.”

The appeal has given out more than £132,000 to just under a thousand individuals and families across the county, many of them elderly or infirm. The rest of the money will be distributed next winter so grants can be made immediately when the weather starts getting cold again.

“The response has been fantastic, people have been very generous,” said Mr Beeforth. “We are so grateful to everyone who has contributed. We know these payments make a real difference to those who receive them, it really can save a life.”

In West Cumbria, a 74 year old man described the grant as meaning he didn’t have to wear his overcoat in the house to keep warm, he said: “I have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and asbestosis and if the temperature drops I can’t breathe properly and I can’t talk. If we can keep the heating on, I can breathe and talk normally. Being a pensioner means I can’t just put the heating on when I want. This grant meant I could have it on more often though and I’m very grateful for that.”

A couple in their eighties from Barrow, said: “The grant meant we could replace a broken storage heater. It cost £1,700 just for the one heater, but it is much more efficient than the old one and doesn’t cost as much to run. Our electricity bills are so high around Christmas time, getting this grant meant it isn’t such a worry.”

A South Lakeland couple who have health and mobility problems, said: “Being a wheelchair user is limiting as we can’t walk around to keep warmer in winter. We were able to split the grant between our electricity and gas meters and that meant we could keep the heating on during the day without worrying about it.”

Much of the money has been raised by hundreds of individuals pledging their government Winter Fuel Payment. Donations to the appeal also came from organisations and charitable trusts, Big Sleep fundraisers as well as benefiting from £40,000 match funding from the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

Since the Winter Warmth Appeal first launched in 2010, the appeal has raised more than £750,000 in total for the county’s older residents. The appeal will be launched again this October.

To donate to the appeal or find out more about the wider work of Cumbria Community Foundation call 01900 825760.

A new emergency relief fund has been established thanks to a donation from the herdyfund and Cumbria Community Foundation to relieve household hardship after the Beast from the East and Storm Emma hit eastern parts of the county.

Farms and communities in and around Alston Moor, Bewcastle, the East Fellside and Greenhead have suffered catastrophic losses during Storm Emma and have been very badly affected by the snow with sheep buried in snow drifts, uncollected milk and damage to field boundaries. Additional costs faced by farmers include carcass collection, uninsured losses of livestock and the likelihood of higher lamb losses from ewes that spent some days under snow drifts.

The purpose of the Storm Emma Relief Fund, administered by the Farmer Network is not to directly compensate for the losses but to address household hardship that has occurred as a direct consequence of this extreme weather event.

Adam Day, Managing Director at the Farmer Network, said: “The snowstorm proved to be, in the words of many farmers, “the worst in living memory”. With the news that the government could offer no further support, we were delighted to be approached by the Community Foundation to provide assistance. The Farmer Network is now geared up to help the farming community in applying to this emergency fund. Although the fund cannot directly compensate for losses, it can provide support for households who suffered as a result of the extreme weather conditions.”

Spencer Hannah, Director of The Herdy Company, said: “We were saddened to hear the plight of these local farmers. One of the reasons why the herdyfund was set up was to help at times like these. We have spent time with some of the farmers who were affected by the harsh weather conditions and while their approach to the crisis was stoic, it was clear many were devastated and it’s vital we support these farmers when they need it most.”

The fund has the support of Rory Stewart MP. He said: “I got in touch with Cumbria Community Foundation as soon as it became apparent that the effects of Storm Emma were disproportionate in certain farming communities where a loss of stock, damage to infrastructure, and use of resources were severe and will impact on some of our small family farms at the most critical time in the farming calendar.”

Awards will typically range between £250 and £500 but in exceptional circumstances higher awards may be considered. If you have been badly affected by the snow and have costs that cannot be met by insurance, please call the Farmer Network on 01768 868615. You do not need to be a member of the Farmer Network to apply. The application will be as straightforward as possible, and Officers will guide you through the process.

To find out more, click here.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund is helping to cover the administration costs of the Farmer Network thereby ensuring as much money as possible goes to affected communities.

If you are not a farmer but have suffered hardship, please contact Gary Higgs at Cumbria Community Foundation on 01900 825760.

If you would like to donate to the fund, an online fundraising page has been created, alternatively call Cumbria Community Foundation on 01900 825760.

Grants and Donor Services Officer – Cumbria Community Foundation

22.5 hours per week (hours are negotiable)

Salary £22-£27K FTE depending on experience

Due to our continued growth, we are seeking to appoint a confident and committed professional to join our Grants team.  The Grants and Donor Services Officer will work with existing team members to ensure funds and programmes are delivered to the highest standard as well as supporting the development of new funds.

The successful candidate will be bright, articulate, enthusiastic, flexible in thought and have excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to lead on a variety of funds and programmes.

If you’re looking for an opportunity where you can make a difference, want to work with an established organisation with a varied and interesting work load, then download an application form and the job description and person specification or contact yvette@cumbriafoundation.org and return your form (a supplementary CV can be supplied in lieu of completing the application form as long as all relevant information is supplied) together with a covering letter explaining why you think you are suitable for the role.

Challenges are multiplying for communities in Cumbria that have already faced inequality and deprivation for years. There is a growing need to advocate for more – and more targeted – support for grassroots, community-led investment. This is an exciting opportunity to improve the lives of people in need in Cumbria by contributing to the philanthropic grant making capacity of the Community Foundation. If you have the drive to help us make an impact, we want to hear from you. 

The post is based in our office in Dovenby Hall near Cockermouth.

Completed application forms or CVs should be emailed with a covering letter to yvette@cumbriafoundation.org (subject line marked Private & Confidential).

The closing date for applications is midnight on Thursday 5th April 2018.

Shortlisting will not take place until the week commencing 16th April 2018.

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 1st May.

Older people in Cumbria struggling to survive the winter months in comfort are being urged to seek help after the Met Office warned the county is about to enter a period of chilly weather lasting throughout the rest of February and possibly into March.

Cumbria Community Foundation, which raises money for the Winter Warmth Appeal, is urging people over 60 and in need to contact their local Age UK to receive a one-off grant of up to £250. The winter fuel grants will pay for anything to do with keeping warm and well – energy bills, contributions towards new boilers and even hot meals, insulation or clothing.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive at the Foundation, said: “With the recent and forecasted drop in temperatures, and daytime highs barely getting above freezing, this support offers an essential lifeline to older people in fuel poverty.

“Falling temperatures place an increasing financial stress on older people, who often have to ration their energy use. Many are at risk and even die because of the combined effects of fuel poverty and social isolation.”

The lifesaving appeal initially started eight years ago because of shocking statistics of winter mortality among older people in Cumbria – an average of 300 people lose their life due to the effects of the cold weather every winter. The appeal, which encourages those who receive the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment to donate it to someone in need, has raised £150,000 and already supported 900 people this winter.

To find out more or donate to the appeal click here or call 01900 825760.

Signal Film and Media are delighted to announce the long-awaited return of Cooke’s Crew next month, the film club for 12-16yr olds, thanks to funding from Cumbria Housing Partners and Barrow Borough Council.

The last Cooke’s Crew project ended in March 2017 and was originally scheduled for return last September, but had to be postponed due to funding limitations, now the cameras are ready to roll again.

The 20-week project will begin recruitment in March for a start in April 2018 and will target young Barrovians who don’t usually take up out-of-school learning opportunities using the language of film. Cooke’s Crew uses exciting varieties of creative digital media activities specially designed to offer an alternative pathway towards employment, further education and social development.

Independent Think-Tank, DotEveryone, identified people in Barrow as being ‘highly likely to experience digital exclusion’. Although young people inherently learn digital skills through using social media, computer games and access at school, in areas of social deprivation this does not translate to acquiring essential skills and knowledge about how to use technology productively – to improve life chances and to access job opportunities.

Kerry Kolbe, Co-Director at Signal Film and Media, said: “By encouraging the exploration of creative digital media through storytelling, young people will learn how technology, used positively, can be a platform for expression of opinion, sharing of experiences and communication to peers and the wider world.”

At the end of the course Cooke’s Crew participants will present a community screening of their work and will have worked towards an Arts Award qualification; a nationally accredited certificate that provides a recognisable marker of achievement.

The Cumbria Housing Partners Fund, administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, provides grants of up to £10,000 to community and voluntary organisations running projects aimed at improving people’s employability or education. Over the last 10 years Cumbria Housing Partners’ has been successful in supporting apprenticeships and community projects in neighbourhoods across Cumbria.

John Clasper, Cumbria Housing Partners Chair said: “We are delighted to fund this exciting project which will support over 100 young people in Barrow to access media and arts learning leading to qualifications. The skills they learn will boost their confidence and support them as they move towards independent life and employment. We very much look forward to seeing the finished project at the screening and meeting the participants.”

Andy Beeforth, CEO of Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The Cumbria Housing Partners Fund aims to bring real, positive change and bring local communities in Cumbria closer together. We are passionate about matching fundholders with the most deserving projects in Cumbria. This fund is particularly important because it will directly improve skills of some of the most disadvantaged people in our community.”

Community projects promoting sustainable living along the Solway Coast have received a share of £65,000 from the Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund.

The fund, set up by energy company E.ON and administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, benefits community projects close to the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm that promote sustainable use of energy and resources, reduce climate change, and support nature conservation.

Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC), based at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle received £10,000 to help fund their Solway Nature Networks project. Working in the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, CBDC will encourage local people to volunteer and map, identify and record the habitats and species of the Solway plain. This will provide valuable information about the area that hasn’t until now been sufficiently recorded. The project will end with a roving exhibition of the wildlife discovered and celebrate the hard work of the volunteers.

Deborah Muscat, Manager at CBDC, said: “Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre noticed that it was not receiving as much wildlife data for the Solway Coast as other parts of Cumbria.  We are delighted to receive a grant for our Solway Nature Networks project from E.ON and CCF.  It will allow us to recruit and train a group of volunteers to help us find out more about habitats and species in the area.”

Formerly known as The Settlement, the Castle Hill Trust in Maryport received £15,000 to upgrade the heating system in the building. The Trust, formed in 2017, provides volunteer-led activities such as arts and crafts sessions, a Job Seekers club and Friday night youth provision. The funding will make the grade 2-listed Georgian building a warmer, more pleasant place to meet, with reduced energy consumption and running costs, meaning more  to spend on new activities.

Jim O’Rourke, Trustee, said: “I was delighted when I heard we had received the grant. The improvements should significantly reduce our energy bill, enabling us to provide more support to the local community. Cumbria Community Foundation has supported our predecessors and we are extremely grateful that they have agreed to continue to support local people through Castle Hill Trust.”

Emma Skelton, E.ON Business service coordinator, said: “E.ON is proud to be an active member of the community. It’s great to see our fund benefiting so many local areas and projects.”

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Since the fund was established in 2009 it has invested almost half a million pounds into the local community. Promoting sustainable living is so important these days, and funds like the Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund are crucial in helping projects make a bigger impact in their area.”

The Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund considers applications once a year. The closing date for the next round is 23rd November. For more information, visit our grants page.