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The Gurney Charitable Trust
Cumbria Community Foundation helps philanthropic individuals and businesses by managing their funds to put something back into their chosen community.
The Gurney family have been associated with Cumbria since 1906 when land agent, surveyor and entrepreneur James Gurney, who loved the Lake District, bought Ireby Grange Estate in 1906, which has remained under family ownership ever since.
The Gurney Charitable Trust was set up in 1990, originally making grants to smaller charities in Buckinghamshire. The Trustees, who are all members of the Gurney family, then set up endowments with local Community Foundations in Sussex, Buckinghamshire and more recently Cumbria. The grants from the endowments are assessed by each Community Foundation to make sure that the donations give the best expected benefit to the local community.
The grants address a range of charitable causes including health and medical issues, disability and disadvantage, natural history and the arts, and wildlife and conservation. Keswick Museum and Art Gallery received a grant towards a creative project that celebrates the many inspiring and unsung women of Cumbria and marks the centenary of the first UK votes for women.
The Northern Lakes and in particular, the community of Ireby, is of much interest to the family. They like to focus very much on the local community, supporting projects or causes, however small they may be.
The family have a trusted relationship with the Foundation, as we are able to support the causes they they care most about and aim to meet the needs of those who apply for help.
If you would like to know how to apply for a grant or create a grant making fund, click on the links or please call 01900 825760.
Festive fundraiser keeps older people warm & well this winter
With temperatures this winter dipping to almost -7C in some parts of Cumbria, the fundraising efforts of a local couple have meant that more vulnerable older people will be warm this winter.
Judith Egan, with the support of the community of Mungrisdale, has raised £1,957 for the Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal with thanks to some festive fundraising. From generous winter fuel allowance donations to the purchasing of Christmas cakes, mince pies, mincemeat, and attending wreath making classes, this is the fourth year Judith has supported the winter initiative.
The Winter Warmth Appeal was set up by Cumbria Community Foundation in 2010 to make sure that vulnerable older people who may have to choose between heating and eating, can stay warm and well through the cold weather.
Judith said: “The first year I organised a coffee morning and last year I introduced wreath making classes. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic there were no coffee mornings this time around.
“Instead, I emailed people who had supported us in the past, announcing that I would still love to receive donations from their winter fuel allowance, and I would also be making mince pies, mincemeat, Christmas cakes and wreaths which they could order.
“I also held four wreath making classes. These were only for three people at a time so we could be safe and social distance. These were really enjoyable days where the ladies loved being out making something and having a good chat, after the November lockdown. They were provided with all the materials for the wreath making and a light lunch, and refreshments.
“I feel our Winter Warmth fundraising just gets better, the support from the local community is just wonderful. This is a nationwide problem, but Cumbria Community Foundation has excelled at promoting the Winter Warmth Appeal in our county.
“Please join the campaign and help protect the elderly to keep warm this year and every year.”
This year in partnership with Age UK and Copeland Age and Advice Service, Cumbria Community Foundation has been able to award more than £200,000 to hundreds of older people helping to keep them warm, safe and well while easing financial pressure during the cold season. While this is an amazing achievement, there are still many older people who desperately need support. Altogether £1.2m has been distributed since the start of the fund in 2010.
Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said:
“It’s more important than ever that the Winter Warmth Appeal receives widespread support, and we are very thankful for Judith’s support again this year.
“The coronavirus outbreak means that, for many older and vulnerable people, this winter has been even more difficult. Many need to stay at home to keep themselves safe and find themselves cut off from family and friends, facing higher costs to heat their homes.”
If you would like to support the Winter Warmth Appeal and organising your own fundraiser you can donate online, call 01900 825760 Monday – Friday between 9am and 5pm or send a cheque payable to ‘Cumbria Community Foundation’ (write Winter Warmth on the back) and post to Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth, Cumbria, CA13 0PN.
Good causes in West Cumbria receive financial support
Cumbria Community Foundation is continuing to support community groups in West Cumbria through grants worth almost £130,000.
25 charitable organisations received a share of the funds at its recent West Cumbria Grants Committee. The money came from funds set up by local people and businesses including Lord Egremont, Lamont Pridmore, LLWR and Thomas Graham & Sons Ltd.
With UK unemployment figures at a record high amid the COVID-19 crisis, TEGVirtual CIC, with the support of £16,976 from the Beverley Charitable Trust Fund and Live the Dream Fund, will be offering training to young entrepreneurs affected by the pandemic.
Keith McMean, Founder & Group Director at TEGvirtual, said: “The funding will allow 20 young people to access our Entrepreneurial Programme, supporting 16 – 25 year olds in Allerdale and Copeland. It will give young people in our community the opportunity to develop their own business ideas with the aim of actually setting up a business in West Cumbria, not only impacting on our learners on the programme, but impacting on our community and economy.”
“If you are aged between 16-25 and live in the Allerdale or Copeland area and have a business idea, we would like to hear from you, please visit our website for further information www.virtual.teguk.co.uk.”
#CanDo is part of Transforming West Cumbria, a £2.2 million programme developed by Cumbria Community Foundation and funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).
#CanDo encourages young people across West Cumbria to apply for funding for community projects. Those applications are then considered by a youth panel, putting the decisions firmly in the hands of the next generation.
Together We CIC received £4,442 from #CanDo for its Together We Do project, which offers training for young people to be Community Wellbeing Champions (CWCs).
Janine Ward, Managing Director, said: “10 young person will undertake training in delivering emotional resilience, body image, exam stress and keeping well workshops, and deliver these to groups of young people in the local community or schools. These young people will encourage conversations about mental and physical health and wellbeing with their peers and wider community members with the aim of more young people recognising skills to improve their health and wellbeing or seeking support if required.”
Last year, Spiral supported more than 500 young people affected by bullying by offering a free confidential service to build resilience and reduce the effects that bullying can have. The charity received £4,994 from #CanDo for its Peer Community project.
Founder, Maryann Liddle said: “The funding is a great boost for staff and volunteer moral at Spiral. We can continue to employ our young project worker and recruit up to four volunteers. With COVID-19 there has been a huge disruption in ‘normal life’, young people are not able to socialise and this is an important part of their development, this is causing uncertainty in young people which is leading to increased anxiety and low mood.
“The peer community site will be a monitored space where young people can talk to other peers, staff, and volunteers, attend game nights run by staff and volunteers, access free downloadable resources and local information. With young people’s mental health worsening, a positive social interaction can make a big difference; it supports the developing brain and cognitive thinking and can bring some happiness to their day.”
Centre for Leadership Performance (CfLP) received £4,992 from #CanDo to develop the Leading Change campaign that will enable it to engage with 12-14 year olds who so often fall through the gaps in career planning and work experience.
Sarah Glass, Executive Director, said: “A central element of our work is providing new opportunities for young people to see beyond their own circumstances to a better, more prosperous future, and to give them the confidence and self-belief that is such an important part of personal success. Our activities with young people also equip them with the life skills that come with wider experience and interaction with role models beyond their own family and school orbit.
“Leading Change gives them a voice and empowers them to make decisions, to make commitments and ultimately to make a difference to their communities. We know from our other programmes that sort of activity can be a life-changing experience for your people, broadening their horizons and instilling a new confidence in themselves, and in their futures.”
Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “There are many worthy organisations in West Cumbria that will raise young people’s aspirations and build their confidence. Charitable giving puts money into disadvantaged communities and unlocks more resources through people’s voluntary efforts. We are grateful to the generosity of our fundholders to enable us to support these vital services, especially during times when local services are under pressure and struggling to meet local needs.”
To apply for a grant or for more information, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org or call a member of the grants team on 01900 825760.
Grants available from Cumbrian legacy fund
Cumbria Community Foundation is urging more community groups in the Wigton area to apply for funding through the Joyce Wilkinson Trust Fund.
Joyce Wilkinson, who lived in Westward, left a lasting legacy to her community and a wonderful way to be remembered. Since the fund was managed by the Foundation in 2006, more than 91 local organisations have benefited from a share of £600,000.
One of the organisations to have benefitted year on year from grants is the Northern Fells Group, receiving a total of 26 awards. Other groups have included Wigton Baths, Chrysalis and Citizen Advice Allerdale.
Like many leisure facilities, Wigton Baths was closed for most of last year, resulting in a loss of income. The 115 year old community baths will continue to offer its facilities thanks to a grant for £5,000 meaning local residents and school children can continue enjoying the wellbeing benefits of swimming.
Kath Tyson, Director of Wigton Baths Trust, said: “Wigton Baths Trust are thrilled to accept this grant from Joyce Wilkinson Trust Fund. It will make all the difference to the shortfall we now face. No one could predict what happened last year and the impact it has had on all our lives and businesses in this extraordinary way.”
Due to the coronavirus crisis, Chrysalis, which provides support to adults with learning disabilities, had to adapt it services and offer alternative support through outreach activities in the community. A grant for £2,924 will support outdoor activities throughout the colder and wetter months thanks to outdoor garden shelters at each of its locations. These will provide a community hub at each site where members and support staff can drop into when the weather becomes bad, or to pop into and use for refreshments and lunches.
Claire Doherty, CEO at Chrysalis, said: “Since the pandemic, we now provide a lot more support on an outreach basis in the community, and this funding has provided a dry and safe place to stop for a while.”
Introducing Cumbrian primary school children to leadership, entrepreneurship, and teamwork is the Centre for Leadership Performance (CfLP) Bright Stars programme designed to get children excited about the world of business.
Centre for Leadership Performance received £2,072 to enable pupils from Tomlinson School and Silloth Primary School to benefit from this extra- curricular activity.
Claire Johnson, Primary Programme Manager, said: “The additional funding will enable us to work with more schools in the Wigton and Silloth area and provide more opportunities for primary school children to take part in this exciting programme. Bright Stars introduces children to enterprise and leadership and the world of business from a young age while helping to nurture creative thinking, confidence and aspirations. The programme provides opportunities for schools and business to forge ongoing relationships and for young children to link their learning to local careers and jobs.
“Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s competition has moved ‘from making a profit’ to ‘making a difference’. In 2021, the children and their business partners are challenged to develop campaigns to deliver positive change on an issue or subject that matters to them. School business teams will develop digitally led marketing ideas and activities and will also compete to win funds for their schools with prizes in ten categories including best leadership and teamworking. But most importantly, pupils and their business partners will have fun! We look forward to seeing the ideas put forward by our area’s future entrepreneurs.”
The funding is available to community groups in the former county of Cumberland, especially those in the Rosley and Westward, Caldbeck, Wigton and Aspatria parishes.
Grants are distributed from the fund twice a year and the Foundation is looking for more applications especially from projects supporting older people, children and young people.
Ellen Clements, Senior Grants and Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are enormously proud to have been able to carry on Joyce Wilkinson’s legacy. It shows how amazing the gesture was for Mrs Wilkinson to have created the Trust for the benefit of the community that she lived in.”
Applying to the Foundation for a grant is straight forward and staff are always looking to help organisations with their applications.
The deadline for applications to the Joyce Wilkinson Charitable Trust Fund is 10th May 2021. For more information about how to apply, contact Ellen Clements by phone 01900 825760 or by email ellen@cumbriafoundation.org
£1.1 million NHS England funding secured for North East and Cumbria charity sector
Thanks to funding provided by NHS England, charities and community groups across the North East and Cumbria will receive additional money this winter to support people experiencing hardship and at risk of mental ill health.
The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) is working with Cumbria Community Foundation and County Durham Community Foundation to directly fund a number of voluntary sector organisations providing additional capacity and relieving winter pressures on the wider healthcare system.
Anxiety, stress and depression are normal reactions to life events such as losing someone, losing your job, or suffering isolation. It isn’t inevitable that everyone needs a medical intervention and emotional and practical support may be better delivered by small, local organisations.
Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We know that the challenges people face are often amplified during the winter period, especially when they come on top of the additional stresses experienced because of COVID-19. Not only will this funding support the immediate mental winter pressures, it aims to safeguard and develop services delivered by voluntary and community sector groups that provide day to day support for our most vulnerable residents.”
Grants of up to £25,000 are available to support voluntary and community sector interventions, which promote positive mental health and wellbeing in the widest sense and for all ages. Successful applicants must spend their award by 31st March 2021.
Funding awarded could include retention of much needed community resources and services, to develop or extend healthy activities or initiatives, projects targeting isolation, vulnerability and support to those shielding, and peer-support initiatives. There will be a particular focus on supporting people facing health inequalities, as well as those who are experiencing the impact of the pandemic.
John Lawlor, Chief Executive at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Responsible Office for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System Mental Health Programme, said: “2020 has been a challenging year for all of us and partnership working continues to be the foundation of our developing integrated care system. The NHS Winter Funding allocation will enable us to work collaboratively with charities and community groups across the region to proactively support people in their communities.
The NHS recognises the fantastic service that is provided by voluntary and community sector groups and this funding will help to ensure that people across the North East and North Cumbria have access to timely support that is, most importantly, determined by local needs.”
Andy continues: “Social prescribing teams are increasingly referring people to local charities and community groups that are providing a range of non-clinical services, from holistic interventions and general wellbeing, such as singing for health, to financial support. However, these groups have been massively affected by COVID-19, and many have lost significant funds. That is why there will be a particular focus on supporting organisations experiencing financial challenges as a result of the pandemic, either due to reduction in income and/or an increase in demand for services.”
To find out more about the Fund, click here or to apply call the grants team on 01900 825760.
High Sheriff hosts online auction and prize draw to help support communities
High Sheriff of Cumbria, Julie Barton, is hoping to raise thousands of pounds to support charitable organisations across the county via an online auction and prize draw.
The auction and prize draw will take place entirely online and run from Sunday 15th November at 10am and until Sunday 6th December at 9pm. The auction lots up for grabs range from a luxury two night spa break for two people at the Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa with dinner in the Blue Smoke Restaurant and a five night rental of a Swift motorhome, to memorabilia such as a Liverpool shirt signed by the Premiership winning team and a signed Barrow AFC ball in the year the Bluebirds returned to the football league, to unique experiences such as a ride in a 1923 Bentley and a cruise in a retro skippered boat.
The money raised will go to the High Sheriff’s General Fund, which is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation. Grants are made from the fund to local charitable projects that help improve the lives of disadvantaged people across Cumbria; improve life skills, education, employability and enterprise for disadvantaged people, support vulnerable older people, improve the health and wellbeing of people and strengthen and support fragile communities.
Julie Barton said: “There are many worthy organisations in Cumbria that hold communities together. vital in helping local people and our communities to thrive. I am delighted to be able to hold this online auction and prize draw in support of Cumbria Community Foundation by raising funds for the High Sheriff’s General Fund. I am also very grateful indeed to all the local businesses and individuals who have stepped forward with such excellent lots for both the auction and prize draw. Their generosity has been outstanding.”
There are 24 auction lots and six raffle prizes up for grabs. The full list of lots and prizes can be viewed here: https://givergy.uk/HighSheriffofCumbriaCharityAuction/ where you can also place your bids or enter prize draws.
Andy Beeforth, CEO of Cumbria Community Foundation said: “It has been a very unusual year for the High Sheriff of Cumbria with the presence of COVID-19, but this hasn’t stopped Julie from assisting and promoting the work of Cumbria Community Foundation and local charities, and helping to raise the profile of the valuable work we do. We are grateful for her continued support and for the amazing range of auction and raffle prizes that have been so generously donated.”
For more information visit https://givergy.uk/HighSheriffofCumbriaCharityAuction/
or email hscumbria2020@hotmail.com
or visit www.highsheriffofcumbria.co.uk
West Cumbrian families to benefit from new funding opportunity
Charitable groups and partnerships supporting vulnerable children and young families in West Cumbria are being encouraged to apply for funding.
Part of Transforming West Cumbria, Family Wellbeing will give cash grants of up to £50,000 a year for three years to projects that improve the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families in West Cumbria by:
- Encouraging a whole-family approach, supporting parents and families to engage and actively support their children’s development
- Supporting children to build emotional resilience, particularly at critical transition points in their lives
- Acknowledging the importance of early years (0-5 years) interventions and the need for intensive family centred support.
The scheme is part of wider £2.2 million investment that Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) will be injecting into local communities over the next three years.
Gary McKeating, Sellafield Ltd’s head of community and development, said: “I am delighted that we are able to make quick progress on delivering Transforming West Cumbria. The fact that we are in a position to award grants so quickly is a testament to Cumbria Community Foundation’s commitment to the programme.
“There are many amazing charities that are doing vital work with some of the most vulnerable people in our community. I’d encourage them all to look at how the Family Wellbeing might be able to help them support even more people, or make their work more sustainable, and get their grant applications in as quickly as possible.”
Transforming West Cumbria, developed by Cumbria Community Foundation, focuses on promoting thriving communities by supporting sustainable activities that create self-reliance and independence.
Annalee Holliday, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We recognise that to really transform children’s life chances, they need sustained interventions that meet the diversity of their needs and that participation and co-production must be a key component of any service.
“Children and families in West Cumbria are supported by many charities to improve their lives so that they reach their full potential. These groups are part of the community, trusted by families and can make a real difference, providing help and hope.
“Family Wellbeing will address a need for more support to work with parents and families to establish stability in the lives of children and achieve lasting positive outcomes.”
More information can be found at www.cumbriafoundation.org/fund/transforming-west-cumbria-family-wellbeing or by calling 01900 825760. Applications must be received by 4th September 2020.
Hear from voices on the COVID-19 frontline
As part of Small Charity Week 2020, which takes place between 15th and 21st June, we have organised a free event to find out more about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected small charities in our county and how they are responding to support those most affected.
Please join us on Zoom, Thursday 18th June at 4pm for an online presentation and panel discussion on the impact of COVID-19 in Cumbria, and the remarkable community response. We will share how we have distributed almost £1 million in grants to date and provide an opportunity to hear from people working in organisations on the frontline.
We will be joined on the panel by Assistant Chief Constable Andy Slattery who chairs the Cumbria Covid-19 Strategic Coordination Group, and three groups who have benefited from a grant from the Foundation’s Cumbria COVID 19 Response Fund: Martyn Telford, Chief Officer of Allerdale’s Citizen’s Advice Bureau; Veronica Waller, Project Manager at The Farmer Network; and Hugh Tomlinson Chief Executive of Age UK South Lakeland.
As we begin to look towards rebuilding and recovery, we also want to hear views on how we seek to shape the future of our region.
Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund awards £67,680 to support the community.
Charities battling the coronavirus pandemic have received a welcome boost this week.
Another £67,680 was awarded from the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund to support projects tackling social isolation, offering advice and guidance and those affected by bereavement.
Over the past month, £577,450 has been awarded from various funds within the Foundation, benefiting 80 local community and voluntary organisations, including the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund, which was set up to support the increased demand that Cumbrian charities and voluntary groups are facing in the wake of COVID-19 and its related closures.
Cruse Cumbria is offering a telephone counselling service to ensure bereaved people have somewhere to turn. It will provide bereavement support to an estimated 200 extra people who are affected by a death whether as a direct result of COVID-19 or any other death where the crisis affects bereavement. It received £4,860 for additional training for its existing and new volunteers so they can provide specialist bereavement support in these unprecedented times.
Amy Green, Operations Manager, Cruse Cumbria, said: “We are anticipating a huge increase in demand due to COVID-19 and this funding will support us in meeting that demand. Our volunteers provide much needed specialist bereavement support, which is important now more than ever. We are committed to making sure all bereaved people across Cumbria can continue to access support.”
Ford Park Community Group is working with Ulverston Self-Isolation Group to help the most vulnerable members of its community. The commercial kitchen and premises will be used to prepare ‘ready meals’ and hot food. The group received £5,000 to support those who are self-isolating and those who have lost an immediate family member and are struggling to cope and care for themselves during initial period of grief and isolation. At least twice a week, a group of volunteers in Ulverston will prepare and distribute the food to residents who are most vulnerable at this time. Jill Salmon, CEO at Ford Park Community Group, said: “Ulverston Self-Isolation group and its volunteers are leading efforts to support the community during this very challenging period. Using our kitchen and premises, we will work with Ulverston Self-Isolation Group to prepare and deliver meals for those most in need of support.”
Alston Moor Emergency Response Group have set up a local support service run by volunteers for residents in the rural area of Alston Moor. The group received £4,400 to offer services such as prescription delivery to patients who are in the ‘high risk group’. The group have also set up a local helpline, phone buddying, a food delivery service working with local businesses and a newsletter to keep local residents informed.
Claire Driver, lead coordinator, said: “We are hugely grateful for this money which allows us to continue to reach those most in need at this challenging time. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit and neighbourliness shown by our volunteers and the wider community, and Alston Moor continues to be a shining example of what can be achieved when we all pull together.”
Many people will not be able to attend their usual self-help meetings due to the current restrictions. Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service (Cadas) received £11,000 to set up a new helpline and campaign to help people address a broader range of addictive and dependent behaviours, including gambling, social media use as well as substances.
Providing advice and information when local residents are needing it most is Citizens Advice Allerdale. It received £10,000 to provide advice, information and support via telephone and email. It is offering support to people needing advice on benefits and housing, household debts, employment advice, financial support for the self-employed and small businesses, as well as supporting people in a domestic abuse situation and advice on relationship breakdowns.
Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The people of Cumbria have responded amazingly to the COVID-19 outbreak. We’ve had some of the highest recorded cases in the UK and it has been a worrying time for everyone.
“Tens of thousands of older people and people with medical conditions have been locked down in their homes for weeks. Funding projects that are adapting and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities is exactly why we set the Fund up. We can only support these groups thanks to the generosity of our donors. As the demand for our grants grow, we will soon expend the funds we hold. That is why we have decided to raise the fundraising target to £3 million and ask everyone who can give to the Fund, to please do so.”
Fundraising target to help the helpers raised to £3 Million
Cumbria Community Foundation launched the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund four weeks ago with an initial target of £1million to support community and voluntary organisations that are helping to feed and protect elderly and vulnerable Cumbrians as part of the county’s co-ordinated response to the pandemic.
In that time, more than half a million pounds has already been given out by the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund and the charity is now raising the target to £3 million.
The Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund has helped to provide much needed food and medicine to isolated old and vulnerable people sheltering in their homes. It has helped families in poverty and those in temporary accommodation, women affected by domestic violence, and supported isolated and vulnerable young people. Grants have also been given to help charities that have seen a rise in demand for their services, such as mental health provision and carers organisations.
Throughout the county, thousands of volunteers have come forward to create new self-help groups, alongside support from many of the existing 6,000 charitable groups across Cumbria that are stepping up and working to reduce pressures on the NHS. Teamwork among public, private and charitable organisations means Cumbria now has a call centre and a network of hubs coordinating volunteers and delivery of food and medicines.
Andy Beeforth OBE, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation said: “Cumbria has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic with some of the highest recorded incidences of the disease. Our doctors, nurses, health workers and all key workers have all been magnificent and we thank them.
“As we enter a further three weeks of lockdown, many people are unable to work. Families are applying for Universal Credit for the first time and many businesses have been without income for weeks.
“The need is great and growing. Our charities are at the forefront of supporting people at this desperate time. The money we’ve given out so far has kept people safe but what we have raised will soon run out. Some of our most important charities are themselves facing financial problems and without support from the COVID-19 Fund they may have to close. “
Assistant Chief Constable, Andy Slattery, who chairs the Cumbria Covid-19 Strategic Coordination group said: “I have seen the way local charities and community volunteers have worked together in support of our most vulnerable people. I understand the significant impact the virus is having.
“It is vital that we have funds available for local charities and voluntary organisations to support people in urgent need.”
Colin Cox, Director Public Health, said: “Supporting older and vulnerable people to self-isolate is particularly challenging for community groups, as the situation is exacerbated by the remote, rural nature of our county. In addition, there are proportionally more people in the vulnerable self-isolating category as the county is characterised by a ‘super-ageing’ population, particularly in the more rural areas.
“The need for practical support will last for at least three months and may well be extended beyond that, such as the delivery of food and essential items to those who are self-isolating. There is also a need for other types of support, such as befriending, emotional wellbeing, mental health, bereavement and counselling, which will increase and be required over a longer period.”
One in eight households in Cumbria have an income of less than £10,000 a year. People locked in poverty are more likely to be in poor health, disabled, and to be caring for others. In addition, people stuck in poverty are more likely to experience anxiety, depression and other mental health difficulties.
The implications of COVID-19 also mean that many more people struggling to keep their heads above water could be swept into poverty as a result. The virus has forced many people to look for help in areas that they may have thought they’d never need, and local Citizens Advice have seen an unprecedented demand for their services.
Andy Auld, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden, said: “Since the Coronavirus crisis started, we have seen an increase locally in the number of people seeking our help – particularly on the issues of unemployment, paying bills, furloughing and access to food. Residents contacting us often need to address multiple issues at once – getting food vouchers, applying for benefits, and preventing eviction and reorganising debt repayments longer term.
“The crisis is disproportionately affecting those on lower incomes – people working in service industries, those on zero-hour contracts are amongst the first to be dismissed or furloughed. Many working people are already on low incomes and will struggle with any further reduction. This will likely result in increased poverty and further ill-health. We are particularly concerned about the links between the lockdown, poverty and mental health problems – these can lead on to difficulties with debt, housing etc. Part of our work is to try to help break this cycle.”
Older people are particularly vulnerable to Coronavirus. Along with having isolation and mobility challenges, older people often have a weaker immune system and are also more likely to have conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes or kidney disease, which weaken their body’s ability to fight infectious diseases.
In South Lakeland, over a quarter of residents are aged over 65. The Fund has helped organisations such as Age UK South Lakeland to offer a variety of emergency services including telephone shopping and befriending, and a prescription collection and hospital transport service. Hugh Tomlinson, Chief Officer, said: With the extension of the current restrictions, we expect the need for services such as the befriending scheme to continue to rise. We should be under no illusion that the level of help required by these vulnerable groups will not end with any relaxation of the current restrictions and many will require support well beyond the lifting of social isolation measures.
At Age UK South Lakeland, we have taken the decision to continue to deliver as full a service as possible and have remained open throughout this difficult period. This decision was not easy because all our shops have had to close at this time, significantly reducing our income. However, we are here and ready to provide that support and deliver the services needed. The funding received from Cumbria Community Foundation will help us to do that.”
Much more needs to be done to support families with children in this time of national crisis. As unemployment rises over the coming weeks and months, many more families will require welfare support to get by. 12,000 children across Cumbria live in poverty and in Barrow, it’s one in three. Free school meals make a huge difference to those on low income, but we know there have been issues with children receiving the vouchers provided to replace the meals they would receive at school. Many more families will need to turn to food banks, which have also been hit by shortages and many are running low on essentials.
Love Barrow Families CIC works with families who live in the most deprived wards in the town. Many have relationship difficulties and mental health issues, which are exacerbated by the virus. The charity received £4,000 to enable staff and volunteers to work remotely and to cover costs associated with the food and prescription delivery service.
Trina Robson, Director at Love Barrow Families, said: “This crisis has taken away the place where our families came together, and we are doing our best to continue to reach out to everyone and to put people in touch with each other. We know that it is relationships and love that count, and we are finding as many ways as possible to provide this. One way is through our volunteers providing a home cooked meal for all the families who need it every week and an activity or challenge that families can complete. We are using various means of having fun and staying in touch remotely and the funding will help us to do this. For our families this is a lifeline. It means that they can access the right support, be that psychological or practical, from the right place at the right moment to stay well and keep going through this difficult time.”
For all these reasons, Cumbria Community Foundation is asking those people who can afford to donate, to please do so and help them meet the new fundraising target of £3 million for the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund. To make a donation and support local groups, please click here.
