Two community groups in Workington have been given a cash boost from family-run Cumbrian chartered accountancy firm, Lamont Pridmore.

Workington Wolves Football Club received £1,500 to set up a new under 11 football team and £1,000 was awarded to Healthy Hopes Cumbria to improve people’s emotional wellbeing and resilience.

Managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, the Lamont Pridmore Fund provides grants to organisations that improve the lives of people living in disadvantaged areas across Workington.

Workington Wolves FC was recently set up by a group of parents from Mossbay. The children had been part of Senhouse Street Stars FC but the club was no longer able to run an under 11 team and there was no other club for the children to join.

Workington Wolves FC trains twice a week, currently on the field by Moorclose but will be moving to St Patrick’s field, next door to Workington’s new leisure centre. The club will use the money to purchase training equipment such as football nets and ball bags, as well as covering the ground rent for the team to train on.

Healthy Hopes Cumbria offer free weekly Health and Wellbeing workshops in Moorclose, Northside and Hillside, Maryport. The people living in these communities face many problems including high unemployment, low aspirations and mental health and substance abuse issues.

The social enterprise will use the funding to continue renting office space in Moorclose Community Centre. This gives them a base to undertake admin duties, plan future sessions and recruit and train volunteers.

Graham Lamont, Chief Executive of Lamont Pridmore, said: “I’m delighted that the Lamont Pridmore Fund has once again helped two important local groups provide new opportunities, experiences and support to the people of West Cumbria.  We have strong roots in the area, where my son, Chris, and I were both born and raised, and we created the Lamont Pridmore Fund to give something back to our local communities.”

Cumbria Community Foundation is an independent charitable trust established to inspire local giving for local need. The Community Foundation works both with fund holders who want to give something back to their local communities, and the voluntary groups providing vital services for local people.

Annalee Holliday, Grants and Donor Services at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The grants provide an opportunity for organisations to receive a helping hand as they address a need in their community. The Fund demonstrates how people can make a real difference to an issue they care about by creating a fund with the Foundation.”

As many as 300 older people die every winter across Cumbria because of the effects of the cold weather. Today sees the launch of a major appeal to help older people stay warm this winter.

Cumbria Community Foundation is encouraging people to donate to the Winter Warmth Appeal, which last year helped more than 1,000 older Cumbrians out of fuel poverty.

The Appeal was set up in 2010 when a few leading Cumbrians decided they wanted to donate their Winter Fuel Payments to support others who were less fortunate than themselves. Since then, half a million pounds has been raised.

Anyone born before 5th May 1953 is automatically entitled to the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment and for many people this is vital. While no one wants to see the end of this universal benefit, some people can manage without it and are putting it to good use.

The money raised is distributed in partnership with Age UK West Cumbria, Age UK Carlisle and Eden, Age UK South Lakeland and The Oaklea Trust, and last year went a long way in helping vulnerable older people in Cumbria keep warm throughout the winter.

Hilda Peace, 65 from Carlisle benefited from a grant last winter. She said: “I hesitate to put the heating on all the time because of the cost and I know the costs are going to rise again this year, which is a real problem. I live on my own and struggle to keep warm. I don’t like to go out much in winter in case I slip and have an accident so I prefer to stay in. I usually go to bed at 7pm to stay warm and avoid putting the heating on.”

“I didn’t like to ask for help as I thought there were people worse off than me but someone persuaded me to apply and I’ve had a grant for the last three years now. I think it’s a generational thing but we need to break through the barrier of getting older people to ask for help when they need it. I would encourage anyone to apply.”

Cumbria has a super aging population; the number of older people living in the county has risen dramatically over the last six years. Between 2009 and 2015, there was an increase of 10,000 people aged 60 and over living in Cumbria.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Every winter, in every corner of Cumbria, there are older people who are struggling to keep warm.

“As our aging population increases, it is vital that we are in a position to help. We never want to have to say no to helping an older, vulnerable person in need and that’s why this year’s appeal is challenging the people of Cumbria to join together and beat last year’s record amount raised.

“The people of Cumbria have been consistently brilliant at supporting this important appeal, thank you so much to all that have donated so far.”

To raise even more money for the appeal, the Foundation is also hosting the fourth Big Sleep on Saturday 28^th January 2017 where people are sponsored to spend a night sleeping under the stars on the shore of Lake Windermere when temperatures have previously plummeted to minus 6 degrees.

Cumbria Community Foundation would like people to pledge their Winter Fuel Payment or if they don’t receive it to make a donation to help those desperately in need of extra support during the winter. You can do this via the website www.cumbriafoundation.org or by calling 01900 825760.

Latest figures show that one in five households are still not home after December’s floods.

Almost a thousand families out of the original 5,264 that were made homeless are still in temporary accommodation.

As we head towards winter, Cumbria Community Foundation is relaunching its Flood Recovery Appeal, not for more donations but for people to ask for financial help.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive, said: “We know that there are people out there who were flooded and still haven’t come forward for help. We think this is partly because some people still think they are not eligible for a grant or that someone else is in greater need. It’s also partly because some people who had insurance are still waiting to see what they are not covered for.”

One family didn’t apply for help until this month because they didn’t realise that they hadn’t submitted their application form.

The family who don’t want to be identified, from Carlisle, filled in the grant application after they lost everything in their rented property in the Warwick Road area of the city. But it was only three weeks ago when they went through old emails that they realised they hadn’t pressed send.

“We thought that we didn’t qualify for a grant and that’s why we hadn’t heard anything. I sent it in when I realised we hadn’t sent in the application and I got a phone call the next morning offering a grant.

“On that Saturday back in December, I kept going out every half an hour to see how high the water was against the flood defences and it didn’t look like it was going to breach, so my wife and my children and I all went to bed. Then at half past midnight a policeman knocked on the door and said we had to evacuate immediately. My older daughters were staying with us that night too, it was terrifying.

“We lost everything, the water was five feet deep. All our white goods and furniture – including a brand new sofa which we are still paying for now.”

The family and their four year old daughter moved to temporary accommodation in Wigton which made getting to work in Penrith as a postman and getting to Longtown to work as a teacher difficult for the family.

Luckily, their family and friends rallied round and helped get them back on their feet – donating furniture and helping them when they finally found another property to rent in Newtown Road.

“Getting that phone call from Cumbria Community Foundation was lovely. We had maxed out on our credit cards. We were living in a shell. We had the basics – a sofa and a television, but we have been able to pay off some of our debt and buy wardrobes and make the house feel like a home again.”

The family have had another reason to be happy, a new baby arrived just three weeks ago. The father continued: “There were so many times we were in tears and we wondered how we were going to get through. The pressure that we have been under, it released the pressure. For so long it was so bleak. I couldn’t see a way out. I know there are people worse off than us. Some don’t have the support from family, friends or any insurance. It’s enough to send someone into a deep depression. You can’t believe the happiness we feel now. When we were told we could get the money. I can’t tell you. I’d say to anyone who hasn’t applied yet, do it, getting this grant can make all the difference.”

While this family have been buoyed by the strength of support from their friends and family. Others have been less fortunate and are struggling.

Cumbria Community Foundation is helping other families who are buckling under the pressure by funding support groups and one to one therapy sessions across the county.

CADAS (Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service) has seen an increase in the number of people who have turned to alcohol or prescription drugs as a way of coping with life after the floods.

North Services Manager Helen Lawrie, said: “We have seen an increasing number of people accessing our service on a one-to-one basis who maybe had issues before the floods and have now become more vulnerable. People may have gone from having the occasional glass of wine to half a bottle a night. We find that some people are also addicted to prescription drugs, those who normally wouldn’t are going to their GP for an antidepressant and six months or a year on are still using it to cope.

Some people feel that nothing has changed in terms of extra flood defences or infrastructure and they have an ongoing anxiety that it is going to happen again this winter.

“Thanks to support from Cumbria Community Foundation, we are launching courses around the county to help those who need it to develop their resilience. There’ll be one in Carlisle, one in Kendal and one out west. It’s called Mindfulness and it helps people to stop feeling anxious, to think more clearly, to cope better and to have clear plans and strategies for when they have an anxious thought and then think what if, what if, what if.

“We can’t change their circumstances, we can’t help get them back home any quicker or prevent another flood, but we can give people tactics to help them cope better.”

Cumbria Community Foundation raised more than £10 million pounds to help anyone financially affected by last December’s floods. Anyone who is suffering hardship can apply, even if they had house and contents insurance. There are also grants of up to £2,000 to help households protect their properties from a future flood.

So far £5.7 million pounds has been distributed. Everything you need to know about how to apply for a grant is available here.

Barrow Community Trust distributes funds to local community organisations that tackle poverty and social deprivation in the area. More than £4 million has been invested in projects across the Furness area since 2002.

The Trust is looking to recruit new volunteers to add to its Grants Committee, which meets five times a year, currently on a Wednesday morning for approximately 90 minutes. Applicants should have experience of the voluntary sector, preferably across more than one area, and an interest in supporting community groups in the local area.

Training will be provided and expenses can be paid. If you are interested in the position, please complete the simple application from and return it via email by Monday 31st October 2016. If you would like more information about the role, please contact Ellen Clements on 01900 825760 or email ellen@cumbriafoundation.org

Caroline Thomson, Mike Starkie, Steve Cockayne and Tony Keen have been appointed as new trustees to the board of Cumbria Community Foundation.

The Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter across the county. More than £2m a year is awarded in grants through its philanthropic funds, supporting community projects which make a lasting and positive difference to the area.

Caroline Thomson is chair of Digital UK, the body which is responsible for digital terrestrial television, she is a Director of CN Group, trustee of Tullie House Museum and was Chief Operating Officer for the BBC before stepping down from her role in September 2012.

Caroline said: ““I have been really impressed by the work that CCF has done in the community over the years and most especially recently on helping flood victims. I hope in some small way I can help it remain an effective force in the future.”

Steve Cockayne is Chief Engineer for Sellafield Ltd. He joined Sellafield in 1991 as Commissioning Engineer and went on to hold a number of senior operational and engineering roles before taking up his current position as Chief Engineer for the site.

Steve said: “Sellafield Ltd has had a very supportive relationship with CCF through Nuclear Management Partners. Since the change in the management model at Sellafield, our CEO is keen that this relationship continues. I was delighted to be asked to represent Sellafield Ltd and become a trustee to support CCF in helping the local communities.”

Tony Keen is Managing Director of Barrow-based engineering company SN Group. Previously he was a Director of Barrow AFC and has also held positions with Centrica.

Mike Starkie was elected Mayor of Copeland in May 2015. He previously worked in financial services for 26 years in senior corporate roles for companies such as Pearl, Axa and Zurich.

Mike said: “I became a trustee to help make Copeland a better place to live, work and visit. I am proud to be involved in such an inspirational initiative for Cumbrian communities. The Cumbria Community Foundation works incredibly hard to support individuals and organisations wishing to invest in the local community, which in turn makes a huge difference to the most disadvantaged people in our communities.”

The trustees’ appointments were formally ratified at the Board’s quarterly meeting on 22nd July.

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation said: ““We are pleased to welcome the new members to the Board. They bring a breadth of knowledge as well as various skills and expertise to complement our current trustees. I look forward to working with them all as we continue to tackle disadvantage across the county.”

The new trustees join a board of 18 current trustees that include Chair Ian Brown, partner with Dodd and Co accountants, Chief Executive of Cumbria County Council, Diane Wood and former CEO of Cumbria Tourism, Chris Tomlinson OBE.

A charity which helps families cope with the loss of a loved one can increase it’s service thanks to a generous donation.

Cumbria Community Foundation is seeking to recruit a Chair to lead the organisation in its next phase of development from December 2017 for an initial period of up to three years.

The Foundation is an award-winning provider of philanthropic services to families, charitable trusts, the public sector and businesses. With the support of its donors it has invested over £30m in grants to the local community and built long term funds in excess of £13m.

Please read the person specification and job description before applying in writing. You should submit your CV and explain in no more than 500 words your interest in and suitability for the position.

Completed applications should be emailed to Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive andy@cumbriafoundation.org by no later than 29 July 2016.

Alternatively, please post your application to: Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth CA13 0PN marked ‘Private & Confidential’

Question: What do you get if you cross a leader of the NFU, with the former head of tourism, a solicitor, a magistrate, a nurse, two head teachers and a businesswoman?

Answer: The most amazing team of volunteers.

Cumbria Community Foundation is celebrating Volunteers Week (1-12 June) by shining the spotlight on a group of professionals who have given up their time to review flood grant applications. This week also coincides with the six-month anniversary of Storm Desmond hitting our region.

Willie Slavin, Nick Utting, Chris Tomlinson, Tim Cartmell, Jane Humphries, John Whittle, Hokey Bennett-Jones and Saj Ghafoor have worked tirelessly to help the charity consider flood grant applications since the devastating storms in December 2015.

Chief Executive Andy Beeforth said: “They are amazing. I don’t think there have been many days since the floods that they haven’t volunteered a few hours each night to discuss the thousands of grant applications we have had. Many of them are trustees or sit on our normal grant panels, but everything they have done for the past six months has been in addition to that and I can’t tell you what a difference they have made. They are my unsung heroes of the floods, having their help meant we could turn applications for grant funding around in 48 hours.”

Chris Tomlinson, 65, is from west Cumbria but now lives in the Kendal area. She was the chief executive of Cumbria Tourism before retiring. Every day at 4pm she sits down to do her ‘homework’ on the grant applications, she said: “I seem to have been considering grants forever, which just emphasises how many people are still suffering extreme hardship in Cumbria. Your home is a place of comfort, your retreat, the place you feel safe and I cannot imagine how desperate it must be to see it underwater. It changes everything. It can never be that place again. Every storm, every rainy night, every flood alert will bring it all back and there will be no peace. It is heartbreaking to read the stories of the folks who need our help. We are not amazing. Those who stoically soldier on rebuilding their lives – they are amazing. I just wish we could do more.”

John Whittle, 67, lives in the Penrith area. He is a retired secondary school headteacher and former chair of Penrith Mountains Rescue Team, who has spent two to three hours every night since December 6 reviewing grant applications. He said: “It has been very moving and very demanding, but one of the best and most humbling experiences I have had.”

Each of them agree that there are a disproportionate number of those affected by the floods that were already living with a degree of hardship. People who live on the ground floor are the elderly, the disabled, single mums with buggies to push. People who cannot retreat upstairs. These are the ones that have lost everything because they live on one level – the flood level.

Jane Humphries, 69, lives in the Carlisle area but was born and bred north of the border. Her working life was spent with statutory and voluntary sector organisations working with mainly children and young people, though she managed an Age Concern organisation at one time. She has been a magistrate for 11 years.

Jane took over as chair of the grants committee from Susan Aglionby in 2010 and spends about two hours every night volunteering.

Jane said: “The big change from my normal grant work has been considering individual applications from people whose lives have been affected, not just organisations. It has struck me just how many people normally have to manage on very small incomes and how being flooded was the ‘last straw.’ We are very privileged to be allowed to enter these lives at a time of great stress, but also to be in a position of being part of this great organisation – Cumbria Community Foundation – that can change lives and make a difference when life is tough.

“The sub-committee has been fantastic to work with – everyone brings their own skills, experience and expertise and together the sum of the parts is greater. No one has been on an ego trip – we have all had the welfare of the Cumbrian community as the focus and it is notable that they are all committed to the long haul.

“There has been a true partnership between the dedicated staff who have gone beyond the call of duty and us volunteers. There is an ability to be creative and constantly evolve as the situation has changed.

“The public response to the appeal has been amazing and the work will leave its mark as it has been rewarding, emotional, humbling, but a privilege.”

Nick Utting, 66, lives in the Ullswater area, he is a retired group secretary for the National Farmers Union.

Nick said: “I have given a couple of hours a night to viewing and considering requests for support from flood victims. These having been first assessed by the flood team. There have been many desperate cases to consider and I have been deeply moved by the plight of so many families hit by the floods in December 2015.”

Tim Cartmell, 68, lives in the Penrith area, he is a retired solicitor who was born in Carlisle and brought up in Brampton. He said: “I joined the flood grants panel the first two weeks after Storm Desmond hit and have given about an hour every other weekday to the process – in the beginning it was much more. I find it really interesting and quite difficult at times, trying to make the right award to help the households who have suffered from the floods. We work in pairs or fours for any grant more than £3,000 and always have the flood teams’ recommendations to help us. Two or more minds is better than one.”

Willie Slavin says he is older than both John and Tim, he used to be a primary school headteacher in Whitehaven and since retiring in 1999 he was the chair of trustees for the Howgill Family Centre, until last year when he stepped down to be a trustee.

He said: “As a direct consequence of working with families in greatest need, I helped to found the West Cumbria Child Poverty Forum, which I have chaired since its inception since 2009. I have also been a trustee of CCF since November 2009, with perfect timing to play a part in the 2009 flood appeal distribution. I am vice-chair of CCF’s Grants Committee and chair of CCF’s West Cumbria Grants Panel.

“I have spent on average three hours a night for three nights a week working on flood grant applications since the beginning of December. The experience has been demanding, invariably rewarding and frequently eye-opening to the level of poverty within our Cumbrian community. Most of the poverty is attributable to a low waged rural economy, evidence of which rarely surfaces statistically. The Flood Recovery Appeal and the grants it has awarded have been vital in supporting our communities following the cutback of public service provision in this post flood period.”

Hokey Bennett-Jones is 62 and has lived in Cumbria for the last 27 years. She often worked overseas as a nurse and has experience of caring for people in remote and very challenging environments. Hokey has been part of CCF’s Grants Committee for a number of years and also supported the flood team back in 2009.

“It takes about 1-3 hours each evening to review and discuss the applications. I am continuously humbled by peoples’ experiences from flooding and I hope, in some way, to have helped them to recover,” said Hokey.

Saj Ghafoor is the baby among the group of wonderful volunteers, she is about to turn 50 in June, she runs HDM Spice Shop in Carlisle with her husband and has four grown up children.

Saj said: “I come from a traditional Pakistani immigrant family and having lived in Pakistan as a teenager I have vivid memories of a very different lifestyle of relative poverty. I have had to be patient and fight for my family, cultural and religious differences and always try to focus on positive similarities instead. I love living in Carlisle, our customers and friends give me and my family immense happiness and sense of belonging within the community we live.

“I believe that if you don’t try, you’ll never know and if you don’t ask you won’t get! Life is about learning, not regretting.

“I have spent about four to six hours a week since January considering grant applications. It has been overwhelming, emotional, heart-breaking and frustrating, but it has made me feel grateful, humbled and privileged to have the opportunity to make a difference and get to work with people who have tirelessly committed their time and effort with such compassion and concern at Cumbria Community Foundation.”

National Volunteers Week runs for 12 days and celebrates the 21 million people who volunteer in the UK every year.

The Fresh Ideas Fund is a grant programme developed by Northern Rock Foundation to enable voluntary, community and social enterprises in Cumbria to explore new opportunities to help them grow in size, improve long term sustainability and increase their impact, through grants of up to £50,000.

Cumbria Community Foundation is administering the Fresh Ideas Fund on behalf of The Northstar Foundation, launched by Northstar Ventures after Northern Rock passed all funds over to the venture capital firm to create a new regional foundation.

The funding is intended to have long-term impact and benefit in the region, both to support the sustainability of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and to have a positive and long-term impact on beneficiaries. The money can be spent on feasibility studies, expert advice and start-up costs. Successful applicants will also receive support from mentors from Northstar Ventures.

Michelle Cooper, Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures, said: “I am looking forward to increasing Northstar’s network even further. Proposals that have previously secured funding were extremely diverse and include e-learning projects, a community farm and vintage retail outlets.”

Whilst there are no restrictions on the size or turnover of an applicant organisation it is expected that they will have the capacity to deliver the proposed projects. Applicants that are looking at new and innovative ways of generating income in order to achieve greater sustainability and impact are invited to apply.

Nigel Pattison, Grants and Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Northstar Venture. Their funding will help local organisations make a positive impact on both the area and its residents, while at the same time helping them to become more sustainable.”

The first deadline for applications is Friday 22nd July. The second round will be launched in December 2016.

Full details can be found on here or contact Nigel Pattison on 01900 825760 or email nigel@cumbriafoundation.org