Overview
The Cumbria Community Resilience Fund provides grants to voluntary, community and parish‑level organisations across Cumbria. The fund supports community‑led activity that helps local people prepare for, withstand, respond to and recover from incidents, emergencies and local risks – such as flooding, power loss, extreme weather, access disruption or isolation – and reduces the unequal impact these events can have on local communities and diverse groups.
Donor
Cumbria Local Resilience Forum is made up of a wide range of organisations, working together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major emergencies or incidents in Cumbria. This fund has been made possible through the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) Trailblazers Fund from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government which focuses on three themes: accountability; leadership; and integration of resilience in Cumbria.
What is “Community Resilience”?
By community resilience, we mean how well a community can prepare for, respond to and recover from incidents, emergencies, or local risks, in ways that improve wellbeing and reduce inequalities.
This might include:
• mitigation, planning, preparation and prevention
• local response and recovery
• building strong community connections
• reducing risks for people more likely to be affected
The Fund aims to:
• help communities in Cumbria build practical resilience to emergencies and local risks
• support community‑led approaches, equipment and skills
• strengthen local response and recovery, especially for people more likely to be affected
• support innovative or test‑and‑learn approaches where appropriate
Who can apply?
• charitable, not-for-profit organisations including Parish and Town Councils
• organisations supporting specific communities or groups, for example minority ethnic communities, disabled people, carers, faith communities, or people facing social or economic barriers, are encouraged to apply (includes organisations working across more than one area or countywide)
To apply, organisations must either:
• already have a community resilience or emergency plan, or
• be part of a recognised community emergency hub, or
• commit to developing a plan or hub as part of the funded activity
Funded organisations will be required to act as a focal reference point for the community in the planning for and during future emergency events. Organisations agree to:
• be contacted during an emergency
• share communications/information/updates to their community
• be a reference point for community level emergency support.
Support available:
Support is available to help groups develop or strengthen their plans and arrangements. Funded organisations will be asked to act as a local point of contact during emergencies, including sharing information with their communities when needed. For advice and support, contact: Support.Cumbria@cumbria.gov.uk
What the Fund will support (eligible costs):
The Fund supports practical, innovative, community‑led activity that helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and local risks.
• Community and shared resilience equipment, such as:
– shared resilience equipment held by the community
– power resilience equipment, such as batteries and charging solutions
– storage and insurance for shared equipment
– communication equipment, such as radios, satellite phones or local alert systems
• Household‑level resilience (delivered through community organisations), such as:
– community‑led activity that reduces barriers during emergencies, such as communication needs or loss of power or utilities
– support that helps households become better prepared for emergencies
– targeted activity for households more likely to be affected during emergencies
• Community preparedness, engagement and reducing inequality, such as:
– raising awareness of local risks
– activities that reduce unequal impacts during emergencies
– community resilience events and engagement activities
– improving access to emergency warnings, alerts and information
– outreach to groups less likely to receive emergency information
• Planning, coordination and capacity building, such as:
– developing or improving local community resilience or emergency plans
– testing plans and learning from exercises or real events
– staff or volunteer time where this is directly linked to delivery and proportionate to the size of the grant
What the Fund will not support in addition to our normal exclusions:
– activities unrelated to resilience, preparedness, response or recovery
– specialist search and rescue equipment
– retrospective costs (already incurred)
– grants paid directly to private individuals or households
– routine core running costs not linked to a funded activity
– statutory responsibilities that should be funded elsewhere
– political or party‑political activity
How much can you apply for?
• Grants for equipment and activities will normally be up to £12,500.
Larger, innovative or phased applications may be considered where there is clear justification and impact
How applications will be assessed
Applications will be assessed fairly and proportionately, taking account of the size and capacity of the organisation. We will look for:
• Clear need and risk, including indirect impacts (e.g. power loss, access issues)
• Inclusive approaches that reduce barriers and address inequalities
• Practical and deliverable proposals with realistic costs
• Readiness to plan for emergencies, or a clear commitment to develop this
• Value for money and clear community benefit
• Learning and sustainability, including how benefits will be maintained
For more information, contact: grants@cumbriafoundation.org or 01900 825760.