High Sheriff of Cumbria

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

A great pleasure today presenting a High Sheriff’s award to
Lesley Bowen, chairperson of the Freedom Project, a charity dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic abuse. Lesley took on the role during the pandemic and has led the charity through a huge increase in demand for its services. She’s an inspirational leader, making a valuable contribution to the welfare of our community. Thank you, Lesley, and volunteers everywhere.

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston offers invaluable care and support to individuals living with life-shortening illnesses and long-term conditions, as well as their families.
I was thrilled to officially unveil two new Family Rooms on the in-patient unit. These beautifully refurbished spaces provide a comfortable & welcoming environment where families can spend precious time together while their loved ones receive care.

These facilities will make a meaningful difference to local families for many years to come. 💙

St Mary’s Hospice

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

💜 New Dementia Group – Open to the Community 💜

Hosted by Florence Care Club, we are delighted to invite you to our first session 'Music & Movement', offering a warm and welcoming space to connect, socialise, and enjoy activities together.

🎵 Join us on Thursday 11th June
📌 Yewdale Community Centre
🕥 10:30am – 12:00pm
🔷️ £5 per person (including carer)

Whether you are living with dementia, caring for a loved one, or simply looking for a supportive community, we would love to welcome you.

Please let us know if you would like to come along. We look forward to seeing you there! 💜

03/06/2026

Tackling loneliness and isolation in the heart of Whitehaven: meet some of the team at the Welcome Hub. It’s a wonderful place to meet people, explore art projects with a resident artist, get information and advice from experts, and enjoy good food and company. Also great to see so many volunteers helping out during National Volunteers Week!

03/06/2026

Happy Volunteers' Week to our many dedicated volunteers at NCIC. They have dedicated thousands of hours to creating a better experience to our patients 🤩

A group of Meet and Greet volunteers - Anne Marie Hyde, June Cavanagh, Maureen Cromwell, Margaret Holliday, Linda Evans - at West Cumberland Hospital have all recently celebrated their 10th anniversary volunteering at the Trust.

Maureen, Margaret, and Linda told us about their time in the NHS.

Maureen said: “I have been volunteering with NCIC for 11 years. I retired at the age of 68 from a receptionist’s job at a doctor’s surgery in Whitehaven, where I’d worked for 17 years. I missed the job immensely and so, my daughter, who is a senior sister in the A&E Department at CIC, gave me the idea of becoming a volunteer.

“I enjoy meeting the public and get a great deal of satisfaction helping them when they come to the desk with queries. I would definitely recommend a volunteering role to anyone. It’s so worthwhile and I personally get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”

Margaret said: “I worked as a nurse for roughly 50 years and after retirement - when volunteers were needed for the new hospital - I was happy to do so. I have thoroughly enjoyed continued contact with helping patients and have made many good friends with fellow volunteers. I would recommend volunteering to anyone.”

Linda said: “Turning a page of The Whitehaven News in 2015, I came across volunteers requested for the new hospital. It’s something I'd always thought about doing and it has been really enjoyable.

“I enjoy helping others and have made some lovely friends. I would recommend volunteering to anyone.”

If you're looking for a meaningful way to volunteer, take a look a our current opportunities: ncic.nhs.uk/careers/current-vacancies

03/06/2026

Some people are not suicidal because they want to die.

Sometimes they are exhausted from carrying pain that feels impossible to explain. Sometimes they are overwhelmed by loss, trauma, loneliness, financial struggles, mental illness, or life circumstances that seem never-ending.

A recent report highlighted by CNN found that nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with mental disorders in 2023, a number that has almost doubled since 1990.
Anxiety and depression were among the most common conditions affecting people globally.

Behind many smiles are silent battles.
Behind many "I'm okay" responses are struggles that nobody sees.
And behind many suicidal thoughts is often not a desire to die, but a desire for the pain to stop.

Mental health challenges are more common than many people realize, and they can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, profession, faith, or social status.

Let us choose compassion over judgment.
Let us listen more.
Let us check in on one another.
Let us create spaces where people feel safe enough to ask for help.

You never truly know what someone may be carrying.

💛 Hope matters.
💛 Support matters.
💛 Your life matters.