Charitable causes across Cumbria benefiting a number of issues including culture and heritage and health and wellbeing have received a share of £46,531.

Cumbria Community Foundation, for whom our founder, Sue Howorth is a Trustee, awarded the money to more than 20 charitable groups at its Main Grants Panel, which takes place approximately every 10 weeks. Funding was also given to 12 individuals, 6 of which were educational course costs.

The money came from 20 grant making funds, including those set up by Westmorland Ltd, CN Group and the Cumbria Victims Charitable Trust.

Manna House in Kendal received £1,000 from the Fryer Grassroots Fund and the High Sheriff’s Crimebeat Fund. The grant will help ex-offenders stay out of prison by encouraging them to volunteer and work on a community garden.

The charity’s Prison Outreach Programme (POP) supports clients from across South Lakeland during their time in prison, through the transition period of release and when they return to the community. The focus of this transition period will be a garden project where ex-offenders who are also care leavers will find meaningful and therapeutic activity.

Says Andrea Aldridge, Chief Officer of Manna House, “We are really excited at Manna House to get our ex-offender garden project off the ground. We are delighted with our new premises on Ann Street and are looking forward to our new partnership with our old friends at Growing Well, who will help us design and create our Memorial Garden as a tribute to loved ones we have lost. Gardening is a great way to engage our clients who are homeless or vulnerably housed and this grant will ensure we get the horticulture right, as well as give our guys a progression into more committed volunteering and learning.”

Cumbria Law Centre, a community-based charity and a fully accredited legal practice, received £6,999 from the Abbeyfield Carlisle Society Over 55 Community First Fund, the Older People’s Fund and the Janetta Topsy Laidlaw Trust Fund.

Pete Moran, Head of Centre said: “We never charge a client for our services. This funding will provide support to over-55s who have problems in areas relating to debt, welfare benefits, housing and employment. In particular, we are interested in the complications that can come from changes to the Welfare Benefits system, not least of which is the roll-out of Universal Credit. We are aware that older members of our community are more likely to struggle with online application and benefit management systems. They are also more likely have complicated circumstances involving disability and sickness benefits and, for example, Carer’s Allowance.

“Our goal is to ensure that those people who come to us have safe, sustainable accommodation and a decent, dependable income.”

Eden Mencap Society received £7,244 from the Brian & Ann Clark Fund towards the development of a new accessible bathroom.

Paul Stephens, Day Services Team Manager, said: “We are all very excited to have received the grant, it was the final funding we needed to get started with the accessible bathroom, the work will start at the end of February.

We have a number of people that access our day services who currently can only stay for a maximum of 3 hours as they use wheelchairs and have to go home to use hoist facilities, this new bath room with overhead hoist will allow them to stay all day.”

Tullie House Museum in Carlisle received £856 from the Abbeyfield Carlisle Society Over 55 Community First Fund to provide a green space for the community to enjoy, learn new skills and enhance wellbeing as part of the Secret Garden project.

Anna Smalley, Head of Collections & Engagement, said: “The Secret Garden is a safe, accessible community garden funded by the Postcode Local Trust and designed and created by a huge range of community partners including TCV, Unity, Carlisle Mencap, Cumbria Youth Services, and many local businesses who volunteered staff time to support the project. Throughout this spring and summer we will be running a series of drop-in gardening clubs for families, community groups and adults living with dementia and their carers, and providing access to this inspirational space for NHS groups.”

Ellen Clements, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “There are many worthy organisations around the county that continue to provide help to the local communities. We are ever grateful to the generosity of our fund holders to enable us to support these vital services.”

The closing date for the next main grants panel is 2nd April 2019. For more information, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org or call a member of the grants team on 01900 825760.