Grants totalling £393,500 have been awarded to community groups across Cumbria.

A total of 58 charitable organisations received a share of the funds at Cumbria Community Foundation’s recent grants panel.

The money will support a wide range of projects across the county such as improving community and sports facilities, offer additional youth provision, support those at risk of homelessness and give help to those with addiction issues.

17 people also received financial support towards educational and training related costs, including support to one young person’s participation of the World Challenge Expedition in Borneo.

The money came from funds administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, including those set up by Cumberland Building Society, Shepley Group and Thomas Graham & Sons Ltd.

Copeland Age and Advice Service (CAAS) CIC received £30,000 over three years from the Roselands Trust Fund and the Cumbria Fund to continue supporting older people in the local area.

Centre Manager, Becky Goddard said: “This vital funding will enable us to continue our current service provision while also enabling us to develop and expand the support we offer to our vulnerable client base, including the provision of our Dementia Support service and the set up and development of our low level aids, adaptions and equipment sales”.

“We are very excited about what the future holds for CAAS and with support of our funders, we will ensure that Copeland Age and Advice Service goes from strength to strength.”

Carlisle Key works with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The charity received £4,000 from the Cumbria Fund, Violet Laidlaw Trust Fund and Elizabeth Fell Memorial Trust Fund to support its drop-in and one-to-one support service.

It runs a drop-in centre on Fisher Street which has remained open every day during the coronavirus outbreak and has also recently opened an 11-bed supported accommodation unit which is already nearing full occupation.

Iain Mcnee, Project and Outreach worker, said: “We provide assistance and support within our drop-in service and our newly opened Supported Housing Accommodation. Our goal is to inspire young people with the knowledge and confidence to live independently and make a positive contribution to our local community and beyond.”

Heron Corn Mill in Beetham, near Kendal, is a Grade ll listed building situated on the banks of the River Bela and is one of the few working mills left in Cumbria. The re-developed barn is used as an educational and arts resource and a building for community hire. It received £4,963 from the Pappagallino Fund to continue its activities programme.

Audrey Steel, Creative Project Manager, said: “Our adapted programme in response to COVID-19, enables all our resident and community groups to stay engaged with us, whether this is through online resources, video meetings, or as with the elderly group, Powsowdie, a box delivered every month containing activities, resources and freshly prepared food, all to a theme, to gather memories and responses. Powsowdie is normally held at the Mill and is a reminiscence project. It is currently going out as a ‘boxed’ offering to isolated elderly or disabled people in the area.

One older lady said; “When my box arrived I was wondering what I could eat for tea – and this was taken care of by the wonderful tea provided! As I blew the bubbles I found in the box, I was reminded of me and my sister blowing bubbles in the garden many years ago. Thank you for the sweets – I haven’t tasted sherbet in years!”

Kent Estuary Youth (KEY) works with young people in Arnside, Levens and Milnthorpe, and received £3,000 from the Cumbria Young People’s Fund to sustain and extend the range of youth work on offer.

Greg Tagney, Trustee, said: “We are truly grateful for the support from CCF which enables KEY to continue our work with the young people within the Kent Estuary area.

“We believe in young people having a strong voice in their activities and in how KEY develops its work. We run a number of youth activities; youth club, youth cafe, schools alternative curriculum support, projects such as Random Acts of Kindness, summer holiday activities, development programmes, intergenerational work and community projects in which the young people lead their own input with the support of our staff.”

Ellen Clements, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “There are many worthy organisations around the county that hold communities together and continue to support the needs of local people. We are ever 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.”

For more information or to apply for a grant, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org or call a member of the grants team on 01900 825760.