We see many examples of businesses in Cumbria seeking to support their local community, but often other demands on their time mean they can struggle to respond to all the approaches they receive from local charities.

South Lakeland estate agents, Hackney and Leigh set up their fund in 2015, which awarded its first grant of £1,000 to neurological condition support group With Singing in Mind.

The singing group was set up to continue an initiative previously ran by the Alzheimer’s Society, but due to lack of funding was set to stop. A group of dedicated volunteers and trained professionals joined together to form With Singing in Mind.

Eddie Harrison, Secretary for the group said: “With Singing in Mind provides singing, fun and laughter on a regular basis, which is aimed at people who have developed some form of neurological condition perhaps deriving from Motor Neurone Disease, Dementia, Stroke or Parkinson’s.”

The grant from Hackney and Leigh contributes towards fundamental set up costs such as venue hire, first aid courses and singing facilitator costs.

John Leigh Director at Hackney and Leigh said: “Our relationship with Cumbria Community Foundation has been a real discovery. It has opened our eyes to the issues, many of them quite hidden, that exist in our communities and given us the opportunity to target our support where it is most needed.”