Good causes across Cumbria receive £600,000 in grants

This funding, amounting to £603,195, was awarded to more than 100 community organisations and individuals at two recent Cumbria Community Foundation grants committee panels.

The funds originated from donations by local people and businesses, including contributions from Westmorland Ltd, Fibrus and Thomas Graham & Sons.

93 community groups were awarded a total of £578,626.

In addition, 28 persons were given a sum of £24,569 to assist with the expenses of overseas visits, attendance at sporting competitions, plus equipment and course costs.

The Carlisle Subscription Bowling Club attained £890 from the Thomas Graham Grassroots Fund for the purchase of equipment and upgrades to their facilities.

The club's social secretary, David Whitfield, said: "The grant funding will encourage and equip people of all ages to come and try bowling free of charge.

“Bowling is an activity with both physical and social benefits that we think will offer the opportunity of meeting people in a relaxed and social setting and hopefully developing a new shared interest in the sport – and if not in bowling, then at least have people think about other outdoor and social sporting activities which they can try and possibly develop an interest in, with the associated benefits to them as individuals.”

Carlisle Subscription Bowling Club (Image: Supplied)

Clifton Community Council was another recipient of funding, with a sum of £4,300 granted from the ENWL Storm Arwen Community Resilience Fund for the Clifton Info Pod Community Resilience Project.

This project involves a former BT phone box that has been repurposed into a community hub, offering a book swap and noticeboards.

The fund will support the creation of a sustainably-powered mobile phone charging point and a battery powered radio, among other amenities.

Becx Carter, a member of Clifton Community Council, said: “In the past three years alone, Clifton has suffered three major power outages for a number of hours during which the ability to charge mobile phones and access local radio would have been invaluable.

“Clifton, despite its relatively close proximity to Penrith, is a community ‘out on its own’ when bad weather emergencies happen.

"A sustainable powered mobile phone charging hub for use during these times is vital to ensure that people’s mobile phones can continue to be used for access to critical information, contacting emergency services and staying connected with family.”

The 3rd Wigton Sea Scouts benefited from £1,000 granted from the Castles & Coasts Housing Association Community Fund for setting up a Squirrel group, targeted towards children aged four to six.

Scout leader, Lynne Wright, said: “We hope that as the little ones grow, they will progress to Beavers and then Cubs, Scouts and Explorers.

"They will learn about community and learn life skills along the way.

"They will make friends and very importantly have fun along their Scouting journey."

South Lakeland Action on Climate Change (SLACC) received £20,000 from the myLakeland Fund towards the development of new premises for its Waste into Wellbeing project.

The development manager for Waste into Wellbeing, Stacy Hurley, said: "The myLakeland grant will enable us to install a state-of-the-art catering kitchen.

"It will also house our community cooking project."

Annalee Holliday, head of grants practice and programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: "We are grateful to the generosity of our fundholders to enable us to support these worthy organisations that are working hard during these difficult times to meet local needs."

For more information or to apply for funding visit, www.cumbriafoundation.org, call the grants team on 01900 820827 or email grants@cumbriafoundation.org.