The Strummer Calling Fund was set up by an anonymous fundholder in 2013. The fundholder sold their Cumbrian family led highways and construction business to a global construction materials company, and wanted to put something back into the community with the profits.

A major proportion of the 400-strong workforce lived in Cumbria and the fundholder felt they were doing their bit for the local economy through the direct employment of staff, along with utilising many locally based sub-contractors. However, they wanted to do more for the community but the difficulty was identifying and selecting where support was really needed. By partnering with Cumbria Community Foundation, who have extensive community knowledge, the fundholder is now able to guide their giving more effectively.

One organisation to benefit from the Strummer Calling Fund is The Rock Currock Youth Project in Carlisle, which provides six weekly clubs, and an outreach programme aimed at reducing youth crime in the area. The project helps to reduce anti-social behaviour by providing positive activities for young people, aiming to raise aspirations and instil pride in their local area.

The fundholder said: “The Foundation is the ideal vehicle to help put something back into the community. We established our fund in the knowledge that we have a highly professional team who make sure our fund provides help to the right groups in the right places. They do a fantastic job as demonstrated most aptly in their response to the floods of 2009 and 2015, and of course not forgetting the foot and mouth outbreak back in 2001.”