Residents of Egremont and Cockermouth can now benefit from the newly launched Lord Egremont Fund for West Cumbria.

The fund, created by Lord Egremont to support his family’s long-term involvement in the community, and managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, recently awarded its first grants.

Time to Change (West Cumbria), which runs the Calderwood House hostel in Egremont received £5,000 to help start up a new allotment project. Residents will work together, under the supervision of a trained horticulturist to grow vegetables that are then used in the kitchen. The project will offer a safe and healthy space to work as a team, giving residents a support network to deal with issues such as isolation, depression and low self-esteem, as well as getting them out in the fresh air.

Rachel Holliday, Director at Time to Change, said: “We are always looking at new ways we can work with our community for the benefit of others.

Thanks to the grant, residents will have the delight of growing their own food, providing a healthy diet with lots of learning in the fresh air, as well as keeping food costs down in the hostel. We are so excited to get going and we know this grant will leave a real legacy to help the homeless in our area.”

In addition, the project received £2,000 from the Shepley Group Grants, also administered by Cumbria Community Foundation.

A further £5,000 was given to Egremont Youth Partnership, which provides a range of activities throughout the week for young people, including young adults with learning disabilities. The sessions give youngsters an alternative to hanging around on the streets; helping to keep them out of trouble and reducing anti-social behaviour, while developing the their skills and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.

Bern Hellier, Trustee, said: “The Trustees are grateful and delighted with the support we have received this year from the Lord Egremont Fund towards our core running costs. We are entirely dependent on grant aid and fundraising. There is a real need for youth club provision in the town. Over the next year, with this support and that of our other funders, we will be able to run a varied programme for young people in youth sessions which are held on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights in our premises in Chapel Street.”

Lord Egremont, said: “I have been lucky enough to have known West Cumbria, particularly the town of Egremont, for almost seventy years. I have great admiration and respect for its people and am very happy to be able to help the community in this way.”

Community based organisations providing activities benefiting people in and around the two towns, and particularly projects that are volunteer-led or make good use of volunteers to support their work, are eligible for funding.

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer, Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are very excited to be working with Lord Egremont to help identify projects his fund can support. We know, for example, 15% of households in West Cumbria have an income of less than £10,000 per year, and it is funds like this that are crucial in helping people improve their lives and getting them involved in their communities.”

To find out more or to apply see our grants page or contact Annalee Holliday on 01900 82470 or email annalee@cumbriafoundation.org.

Community groups in Allerdale and Copeland are being offered the chance to apply for grants thanks to two new funds set up with money donated by United Utilities.

The water company has set up the Cumbria Legacy Fund which is being managed by Cumbria Community Foundation and the Cumbria Tree Fund, managed by Cumbria Woodlands.

John Hilton, West Cumbria Project Director at United Utilities, explained why the schemes had been launched: “We are carrying out a crucial infrastructure project across one of the most environmentally sensitive parts of the UK and we knew from the outset that we wanted to give something back to the communities that would be affected by up to five years of disruption.

“These funds will help leave a lasting legacy after our work has finished, helping improve the environment and the lives of people in West Cumbria.”

The Cumbria Legacy Fund is open to applications from community groups which provide activities that benefit people or the environment in the Allerdale and Copeland areas. Successful bids can expect to receive a community grant of up to £10,000 or a strategic grant of up to £30,000.

Funding will be available from 2018 to 2020 and the grants will be allocated in four phases across each year. The deadline for applications for the first phase is 23 February 2018.

Andy Beeforth, CEO of Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The Community Foundation is very pleased to be working in partnership with United Utilities who have created a significant Legacy Fund.

“The fund will be spent over the next three years and will provide valuable investment in people and communities helping to keep West Cumbria strong and able to embrace the challenges we face.”

The Cumbria Tree Fund is aimed at landowners and community groups who want to plant trees, hedges or woodlands in West Cumbria. Grants will be available for plants, trees, fencing and protective materials, as well as support and advice from Cumbria Woodlands. Applications are encouraged before the end of March 2018.

Neville Elstone at Cumbria Woodlands said: “We want to see applications that will enhance the landscape, benefit wildlife, protect the environment and involve the local community. Even if you only have a rough idea of what you want to achieve, we can help pull those ideas together into a scheme that will have a lasting benefit.”

For more information on the Cumbria Legacy Fund click here or contact Annalee Holliday on 01900 825760.

For more information on the Cumbria Tree Fund visit www.cumbriawoodlands.co.uk or contact Neville Elstone on Neville@cumbriawoodlands.co.uk or call 07966 758594.

United Utilities will be on hand to answer any questions about the project, or the grant schemes, at a regular drop-in session for the public every Thursday (starting 18th January) between 10am and 3pm, at the Visitor Centre at 32 Lake Road, Keswick, CA12 5DQ.

Cranstons Quality Butchers are warming the homes of older people in Cumbria this winter with the sale of a very special pie.

Cranstons are supporting Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal, which helps older people who are having to choose between eating a meal or heating their homes. The butchers will donate 30 pence from every ‘Steak and Eden Best Ale’ pie they sell from Tuesday 2nd January to close of business on Saturday 10th February.

Philip Cranston, owner of Cranstons Butchers, said: ‘’We are delighted to be helping to raise funds for the Winter Warmth Appeal, which helps some of the county’s most vulnerable elderly people with their fuel costs. Our steak and ale pies are a popular choice at this time of year; what’s not to love about a rich steak, ale and puff pastry topped pie? It’s the ultimate winter comfort food! We are hoping to raise awareness of this worthy cause and to donate a sizeable chunk of money to this year’s appeal.’’

Cranstons, who have been members of Cumbria Community Foundation since 2003, will also be taking part in the Big Sleep 2018, which has raised almost £100,000 for the Winter Warmth Appeal. They’ll be joining other fundraisers on Saturday 27^th January for a night sleeping out under the stars opposite the Low Wood Bay Hotel in Windermere.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive at the Foundation, said: “Older people are more ill in the winter, and it’s very important for them to stay warm so that existing conditions are not exacerbated. When you’re older you don’t cope with cold as well.

“We know that demand for help is greater than ever before, so we are very excited that Cranston’s are helping to raise much-needed funds and promote our Winter Warmth Campaign this year.”

Cranstons Quality Butchers Ltd was established in 1914 by Stanley Cranston in the village of Kirkoswald, and remains a family run business. They have traditional butcher’s shops in the old market towns of Penrith and Hexham, and food halls at Penrith, Orton Grange, Carlisle and Brampton, which opened in 2016.

A winter special, Cranstons Steak and Ale pie combines tender chunks of steak with an Eden Best Ale gravy and dry cured smoked bacon pieces, this tasty rich filling is then topped with puff pastry.

For information about the Winter Warmth Fund Appeal and the Big Sleep, contact us on 01900 825760 or email enquiries@cumbriafoundation.org.

Cumbria Community Foundation is asking people to brave the cold and raise awareness of the plight of older people who lose their lives due to the effects of the plummeting temperatures every winter.

The annual Big Sleep raises thousands of pounds for the Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal. It gives people a chance to experience what it is like to sleep without heat. It is a sponsored event so everyone that takes part collects funds, which will be used to keep older people warm and well.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of the Foundation, said: “Older Cumbrians should not be dying because they can’t afford to keep themselves warm in winter, and we need to help change that.

“In 2017 the Winter Warmth Appeal raised almost £134,000. More than £24,000 of that came from Big Sleep fundraisers who spent a night under the stars in temperatures which dropped below zero during the night.

“Every year, thanks to the warm generosity of individuals and businesses and those who brave the cold and take part in the Big Sleep, we are raising more money to help older people heat their homes. Please come and join us!”

Professor John Howarth, a GP and Deputy Chief Executive of the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust is supportive of the Winter Warmth Appeal. He said: “Simply keeping warm could save the lives of many people, who are mostly elderly or vulnerable.”

“There is a big role for neighbours, family and friends to play, to look after each other. It really is a community effort and the Winter Warmth Appeal helps address this issue.”

This year a team from Temple Heelis Solicitors in Kendal are taking part in the Big Sleep. They’ve chosen Cumbria Community Foundation as their charity of the year, and to help raise funds the staff will be joined by their families.

Shelley Savasi, Senior Probate Administrator, said: “The funds we raise will go towards keeping older Cumbrians warm and well. The team will experience a snapshot of what it is like to be exposed to winter temperatures, as do those who can’t afford to heat their homes.”

The Big Sleep is being held on Saturday 27th January 2018 on the shore of Lake Windermere. It costs £35 for adults and £5 for children – to enter visit: http://www.cumbriafoundation.org/bigsleep/. The entry fee includes a hot drink, evening meal, activities, and breakfast.

If you can’t join the Big Sleep on the night why not do your own? The 1^st Wetheral Brownies will be camping out remotely in a cold barn near Brampton. The girls will be taken on a midnight hike round Talkin Tarn, watch a movie and have a camp fire. If that isn’t an option, you can still donate to the Winter Warmth Appeal: visit: www.cumbriafoundation.org/winter-warmth-fund.

You can also send a cheque to: ‘Cumbria Community Foundation’, writing ‘Winter Warmth’ on the back to: Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0PN.

Cumbria Community Foundation is encouraging people to apply for financial assistance after flooding hit homes again across the county.

The Cumbria Disaster Fund was set up with an initial donation of £50,000 from the charity’s own funds to ensure immediate funding is available to anyone who needs help following a disaster.

The fund will initially provide support for immediate needs such as alternative accommodation costs, cleaning up, emergency repairs, clothing, food and drink, drying out and basic furniture. Priority will be given to uninsured, low income households.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Sadly, our county has seen multiple major flooding incidents in the last ten years. It is devastating to see the damage done yet again to our community over the last few days.

“We don’t yet know the full scale of the need, but we know that the flooding will cause significant financial hardship and emotional distress. The disaster isn’t over when the floodwaters recede, for many this will just be the start of a really tough time.

“The trustees committed £50,000 to a response and recovery fund for the region. At this stage, grants will be awarded to provide clean-up materials, household items and furniture to ensure that everyone has the basics needed to get their lives back up and running but that will be just the start, there is going to be a lot of ongoing need.”

The Foundation is aware that the fund can only provide a limited level of support to uninsured households. If anyone would like to donate to the Cumbria Disaster Fund, visit: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/cumbria-disaster-fund or call 01900 825760 during office hours.

To apply for the fund visit the Cumbria Disaster Fund page or speak to the grants team on 01900 825760.

The Foundation has previously raised almost £14 million following widespread flooding in 2005, 2009 and 2015, all of which has gone back into rebuilding the county.

Local causes across West Cumbria have been awarded around £90,000 thanks to funds administered by Cumbria Community Foundation.

21 community groups and 19 young people have received a share of the funds awarded at the recent grants panel. The money will support a wide range of projects including theatre workshops for children, advice for people with disabilities, improvements to community facilities and travel costs associated to school trips via the Mary Grave Trust.

Some of the funds that have supported the projects include the Broughton Moor Wind Farm Fund, the Quarry Hill Grassroots Fund and the Live the Dream Fund.

More than a hundred carers will be offered the support they need thanks to £3,000 awarded to the West Cumbria Carers. The grant from the Older Peoples Fund means that staff at the Carers Clinic, based at West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, can continue to provide emotional and practical support to carers of those who have been admitted to hospital. The clinic will also help carers take care of themselves, making sure they maintain their own mental and physical wellbeing, and providing them with an essential support network.

Clare Edwards, Project and Funding Development Manager, West Cumbria Carers said: ‘This grant will enable us to continue to run a much needed support service for carers at West Cumberland Hospital. Carers need lots of support when their loved ones get close to discharge from hospital. We help carers to understand their rights, to get their voice heard and provide them with time and space to talk about their own concerns about the discharge. Providing support at this time means carers can build a support network which can help to prevent their loved one being admitted again.’

Children in West Cumbria are growing in confidence and learning new socials skills with the help of speech and drama. Cumbria Theatre Trust received £4,000 from the Lamont Pridmore Grassroots Fund and Solway Fund to provide 20 workshops to local schools including Northside Primary School, Victoria Junior School and St. Herbert’s Church of England Primary and Nursery School. By exploring the world of The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and attending the performance this Christmas at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, the children will improve their reading and writing skills and gain confidence through participating in group drama activities. 

Cath Gaskell, a teacher at St. Herbert’s Church of England Primary and Nursery School said: “We have seen children grow and blossom as they become absorbed by the magic of theatre.”

James Cobbold, Administrative Director, Theatre by the Lake said: “We are committed to enabling children and young people to experience and engage with the arts, and particularly live theatre.  The funding we have received through Cumbria Community Foundation will enable us to broaden the impact and reach of our workshop activities with schools across North and West Cumbria in response to our Christmas production, The Secret Garden.”

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at the Foundation, said: “Our grants are vital in helping people in West Cumbria, and we are ever grateful for the continued support of all our fundholders.”

The closing date for the next round of applications is Friday 15th December 2017 to be reviewed by the panel on Wednesday 10th January 2018. For more information or to apply see out grants page or contact the grants team on 01900 825760.

THREE hundred pairs of slippers, one for each life sadly lost to the winter cold.

This image, created to launch Cumbria Community Foundation’s annual Winter Warmth Appeal, has graphically brought home the harsh reality of a cold winter and fuel poverty in the county.

Sitting alongside Surprise View and overlooking Derwentwater, near Keswick, the juxtaposition of the beautiful backdrop and the significance of the foreground, once again illustrates that Cumbria is a county of contrasts.

The charity’s chief executive, Andy Beeforth, said: “Every year we appeal to the public to give money to help keep our older neighbours warm and safe in the winter months. We know that, on average, in a bad winter an extra 300 people will lose their lives to the effects of the plummeting temperatures. In our worst winters, this figure has risen to more than 500. We know for every one degree drop in temperature, the mortality rate increases, even in relatively mild every winters.

“It’s easy to become complacent about the numbers and not think about what they mean. Our photo illustrates that each one of those older people matters, they are someone’s mum or dad, gran or grandad, brother or sister, husband or wife. Bringing the slippers together for this photo made me stop in my tracks, it made me realise just how many people we lose unnecessarily.

“More than 120,000 Cumbrians receive the Winter Fuel Payment and to many it’s a lifeline but for those that don’t need it we can pass the money on to someone who is choosing between heating and eating this winter. Maybe we can help keep some of those slippers in front of a warm fire, where they should be.”

Launched in 2010, the Winter Warmth Appeal has raised £630,000 to help thousands of older people who are in danger of becoming ill or even dying because of the cold. It literally saves lives.

We spoke to some of the people we helped to keep warm last winter:

• A couple in the South Lakeland area who were struggling to keep their gas and electric meters topped up and out of the ‘emergency’ zone. The 60 year old husband is in a wheelchair after spinal surgery and his 55 year old wife suffers from poor health. He said: “We were able to split the Winter Warmth grant between our electricity and gas meters and that meant we could keep the heating on during the day without worrying about it. We’re very careful with the heating and our house isn’t energy efficient – we lose a lot of heat through the roof because there’s no insulation between the house and the old outhouse and although the windows are double glazed, the units are not well sealed so there are draughts between the window and the wall. My back problems mean I spend I lot of time lying down and I get cold very quickly. I’d like to be more mobile so I could walk about and keep warm in the winter, but now we are stuck in the house more than we’d like to be.”

• A couple in the Barrow area who first heard about the Winter Warmth grants when their granddaughter took part in The Big Sleep, which helps to raise money for the appeal. The 81 year old woman lives with her 82 year old husband, she said: “The Winter Warmth grant meant we could replace a broken storage heater last year. It cost £1700 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 means it isn’t such a worry.”

• 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. Last winter our boiler was condemned and we had no heating from the end of November to the beginning of February. We got a loan of an electric fan heater and bought some electric blankets to try to keep warm. The fan heater kept the sitting room warm but the rest of the house was freezing. We have an electric shower, so we could use that, but we had to boil the kettle to wash up. The switch which makes the spark is broken on the gas fire and I’ve been told I shouldn’t use anything else to light the fire, so we have to do without that. Being pensioners, we can’t just put the heating on when we want. This grant means we can have it on more often though and we’re very grateful for that.”

Cumbria Community Foundation collects generous donations and shares them with vulnerable older people who struggle to heat their homes, so they can stay warm and healthy during winter. There are different ways to donate to help older people in Cumbria.

How to donate:

Online: Please visit our BT MyDonate page to make a contribution.

Online donations made between midday 28th November until midday on 5th December will be doubled as part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2017

Send a cheque: Please make cheques payable to Cumbria Community Foundation and write ‘Winter Warmth Fund’ on the back. Send cheques to our office; Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth, CA13 0PN.

Phone: Donate via credit/debit card over the phone by calling 01900 825760. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm.

If you are a tax payer, please also send a Gift Aid Declaration.

Cumbria Community Foundation recently welcomed two new members to its board of trustees.

Nicholas Coulson and Jim Johnson became newly elected trustees in October and joined the board made up of 17 other professionals, including Chairman David Beeby, who also Chairs Cumbria CBI, Vice Chair and Company Secretary Tim Cartmell, and Main Grants Committee Chair, Jane Humphries.

Cumbria Community Foundation connect people who care with causes that matter, having distributed more than £37 million in grants on behalf of its fundholders since 1999.

Nicolas Coulson is retired having spent nearly thirty years working in international financial markets. After retiring from the City, Nicholas spent six years living and working in Hong Kong, where he ran his own business. He and his wife 

Jim Johnson & Nicholas Coulson now life in Cumbria full time.

Nicholas said: “I have been aware of the work done by CCF in both highlighting and alleviating the deprivation behind the picture-postcard landscapes in Cumbria for many years. I was particularly impressed by the Foundation’s rapid, efficient and hands-on response to Storm Desmond and therefore when the opportunity came up to become a Trustee and do more first-hand to help the Foundation’s excellent work, I jumped at it.”

Jim Johnson is a life-long resident of Cumbria. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant he followed a challenging senior managerial career in professional, industrial and educational environments, and leading to specialisation in business recovery. He currently volunteers as a Trustee of Carlisle Diocesan Board of Finance, Chair of Parish Council and Churchwarden.

Jim said: “My wife and I established a Fund with the Foundation a couple of years ago, because we wanted to ensure that any charitable giving we made would be effective, efficiently administered and support mainly local needs. CCF fulfils all those objectives, as I have seen first-hand since joining the grants panel and through visiting community projects to witness the benefits of CCF’s funded support.

“When I was asked this year to join the Board of Trustees, I was delighted to accept, and consider it to be an honour to have the chance to add value to the governance of such an excellent organisation”.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation said: “We are delighted to formally welcome Nicholas and Jim to the board. We are always looking for people whose skills and expertise will compliment those of our existing Trustees, as we continue to tackle disadvantage across the county.”

Trustees’ Week, 13 to 17 November, is an annual event to showcase the great work that trustees do and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference. For more information visit www.trusteesweek.org.

Communities in West Allerdale can apply for a share of £63,000 to fund environmentally friendly projects.

Set up by energy company E.ON UK and administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, the Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund provides financial assistance to projects promoting sustainable use of energy and resources, reducing climate change, and supporting nature conservation.

Friends of Siddick Pond received £15,000 earlier this year to make improvements to the nature reserve, located behind Dunmail Park, while encouraging local school children to get involved with their work. Youngsters from Ashfield Junior School in Workington visited the site and have been working in partnership with the Workington Nature Partnership to create display boards for the interior of the bird hide by researching wildlife on the reserve, writing stories and drawing illustrations.

Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at the Foundation, said: “The fund is of huge benefit to local people, having awarded more than £420,000 to projects addressing environmental needs, while also contributing to reducing the effects of climate change and providing educational opportunities for children and young people.”

The fund is open to charitable organisations in West Allerdale, from Workington to Silloth and inland to Embleton.

Successful groups can expect to receive £1,000 – £15,000 funding. Applications are now open until Friday 15th December 2017. To find out more about the Robin Rigg West Cumbria Fund see our grants page or contact the grants team on 01900 825760.