Cumbria Community Foundation

03/09/2026

Barrovians - don't forget! Next drop-in session is tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, 1-3pm. Come and talk to us about your community project idea💡

Great to meet so many community groups and charities at the first Barrow Helping Barrow Fund drop-in information session earlier this week. A special thanks to the members of the community panel who gave up their time to come along to explain the application process and answer questions.

The next session will be two weeks today - 1-3pm on Friday 4 September at The Bridge in Barrow. If you'd like to find out more about whether your group or project could be eligible for a slice of £85,000 community funding, please do come along.

There will also be an online session on Tuesday 15 September, 6-7pm. Email [email protected] for more details.

Funding for the Barrow Helping Barrow Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation on behalf of Team Barrow, has been provided by the UK Government and Team Barrow’s Delivery Board through a grant from the Social Impact Fund, which aims to make Barrow a better place to live, work, study, visit, and invest in. Barrow Rising

25/08/2026

Today's national coverage has highlighted the devastating reality facing too many young people leaving care. The transition to adulthood can bring a sudden loss of support, relationships and stability, creating a damaging "cliff edge" at exactly the time young people need support most.

At Cumbria Community Foundation, we're committed to helping care-experienced young people build positive futures. Through our Brighter Futures programme, delivered in partnership with Cumbria Youth Alliance and Inspira, we provide personalised mentoring, life skills support, work experience and employment opportunities to help young people make a successful transition into adulthood. The programme was specifically designed to bridge gaps in support and ensure care-experienced young people have the relationships, confidence and opportunities they need to thrive.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and funding partners, Brighter Futures has already supported more than 60 care-experienced young people across Barrow and West Cumbria, and we're now expanding the programme across the county so that even more young people can access the support they deserve.

No young person should have to navigate adulthood alone.

If you'd like to help create brighter futures for care-experienced young adults in Cumbria, please get in touch. Your support could help ensure that vulnerable young people receive the guidance, encouragement and opportunities they need at one of the most important stages of their lives.

One-fifth of deaths of those in care occur at 18, in what experts call a ‘care cliff’, as vital support is lost

24/08/2026

We're delighted to announce that the Better Tomorrows Awards are back for 2026 - a celebration of outstanding youth work across Cumbria.

The awards will shine a spotlight on the people and projects making a real difference in the lives of young people. Public nominations are now open for three categories:

- Youth Worker of the Year
- Youth Project of the Year
- Young Volunteer of the Year

Better Tomorrows was launched by Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) in 2021 with the aim of substantially increasing the number of young people able to access quality youth work and the number of trained youth workers across Cumbria.

David Beeby, former CCF Chair and founder of the Better Tomorrows programme, said: “The feedback we have had from the newly trained youth workers, the young people they support and the organisations they work in tells us that Better Tomorrows is making a huge difference across the county.

“Last year we held these awards for the first time to recognise and celebrate the incredible work happening across our communities – both paid and voluntary – to support and inspire young people. We had some fantastic nominations and the awards evening was an inspirational celebration of youth work at its best. I can’t wait to see this year’s entries.”

Nominations close at 10am on Monday, 28 September.

Nominate at www.cumbriafoundation.org/programmes/better-tomorrows/better-tomorrows-awards

21/08/2026

Great to meet so many community groups and charities at the first Barrow Helping Barrow Fund drop-in information session earlier this week. A special thanks to the members of the community panel who gave up their time to come along to explain the application process and answer questions.

The next session will be two weeks today - 1-3pm on Friday 4 September at The Bridge in Barrow. If you'd like to find out more about whether your group or project could be eligible for a slice of £85,000 community funding, please do come along.

There will also be an online session on Tuesday 15 September, 6-7pm. Email [email protected] for more details.

Funding for the Barrow Helping Barrow Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation on behalf of Team Barrow, has been provided by the UK Government and Team Barrow’s Delivery Board through a grant from the Social Impact Fund, which aims to make Barrow a better place to live, work, study, visit, and invest in. Barrow Rising

21/08/2026

A huge thank you to Judith and her army of volunteers - this promises to be a fantastic event, raising funds for our vital Winter Warmth Appeal ❄💗👇

Go along to Mungrisdale Village Hall on 30th August and enjoy a wonderfully cooked breakfast and the added bonus is, it's for a great cause. 🐴

19/08/2026

We were absolutely stunned and delighted to learn of the £1 million legacy left to the Community Foundation by Carlisle solicitor Rachael Rodway.

Rachael's incredible legacy gift will go into the Cumbria Fund, our general fund which enables us to target need across the county, addressing issues including poverty, poor health, inequality, community cohesion and climate change.

Our development manager Caroline Adams said: "As the driving force behind Carlisle Foodbank, Rachael understood the Cumbrian charity sector better than anyone. Therefore, we’re particularly pleased that she entrusted her money to us to make a difference in Cumbrian communities where it is most needed."

Anyone can donate into the Cumbria Fund - either in your will or during your lifetime. There's no minimum amount and you certainly don't have to be a millionaire to make a difference. The collective power of philanthropy means every penny counts.

Thank you Rachael and thank you to all of our incredible supporters ❤️

17/08/2026

A great opportunity to have your say on community life in the UK 👇

The is a major UK-wide listening exercise asking people about their experiences of community life, run for the The Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion.

Featuring across BBC Breakfast, The Mirror, The Sun, The Guardian, and other major outlets, thousands of people have already shared their vision for the UK’s future.

At UK Community Foundations, we want to do our bit to support the conversation. Please take a moment to fill out the survey:

📣 English: https://www.national-conversation.ox.ac.uk/en/cf

📣 Cymraeg (Welsh): https://www.national-conversation.ox.ac.uk/cy/cf

Everyone deserves the chance to have their say on how we can live well together. By sharing this with your networks, you can ensure that the broadest possible range of voices are represented in the Commission's report.

11/08/2026

An exciting new fund created by local people, for local people in Barrow to support community projects and help those in need is now open for applications.

£85,000 in grant funding is up for grabs and local volunteers have been taking part in workshops over the past few weeks to decide how the money should be spent. The community panel has created a fund that will bring people together, strengthen communities, create opportunities for local residents, and support community-led ideas that deliver lasting benefits.

To find out more and get help with applying, head to one of the following drop-in sessions:
• Monday 17 August 2026, 10am to 12noon, The Bridge, Barrow
• Friday, 4 September 2026, 1pm to 3pm, The Bridge, Barrow
• Tuesday 15 September 2026, 6pm to 7pm, online

Contact Siona at CCF for more information: [email protected]

The funding, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation on behalf of Team Barrow, has been provided by the UK Government and Team Barrow’s Delivery Board through a grant from the Social Impact Fund, which aims to make Barrow a better place to live, work, study, visit, and invest in. Barrow Rising

05/08/2026

Happy Play Day across Cumbria: Play here, there and everywhere. We're proud to be part of Free to Play UK, a new outdoor play initiative in development with UK Community Foundations and Play England😀

04/08/2026

If you're a Cumbrian farmer, or know someone who is, please spread the word!

We've joined forces with The Cumbria Farmer Network, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and the Cumbria Combined Authority on a new initiative to support the long-term future of farming in the county.

We've formed a partnership to bid for funding from the DEFRA Farmer Collaboration Fund (FCF). The fund supports practical, farmer-led projects that help farmers and land managers work together to improve sustainability, productivity and resilience.

Cumbria already has a number of successful farm cluster groups where farmers share knowledge and coordinate their activities in support of their farms, the economy and the natural environment. The new partnership wants to build on that success by working with existing groups and encouraging new ones to form to ensure the whole farming community can benefit.

To find out more and register your interest, visit https://www.cumbriafarmercollaboration.org.uk/