draft act gazette - autumn 2010 · access to services: services profile of the parish housing:...

Working with the people and communities of Cumbria to realise their potentialCharity Registration Number 1080875 Company Limited by Guarantee 3957858

ACT uses 100% recycled unbleached paper as part of its commitment to tackling climate change

What’s inside this issue:Community Led Planning & Development The Cumbria Rural Dataset - Now available from ACT The Big Society in Eden - Eden chosen to be part of national initiative

Community Led Planning in Cumbria

Community Assets Case Study: Holmrook Reading Room Biodiversity Project The Hadfield Charitable Trust

Hallmark Quality Standards Scheme

Energy monitors - Available to borrow for free from ACT

ACT Project Updates & Upcoming Events

ACRE Headlines - Selection of articles from the ACRE website

Other News - New programmes, events, seminars, funding information etc

International Quality Award for ACTACT is proud to announce its success in achieving the ISO(International Organisation for Standardisation) 9001Award, recognised worldwide as a benchmark for Quality.

The award reflects ACT’s ongoing commitment to achievingan exceptional quality of service and the effort we’veinvested in management systems to support our work.

Village Hall ConferencesThe final North West Together We Can Village Hall Conference is being held on Saturday 25thSeptember 2010, 10am - 3pm, at Bothel Village Hall, Bothel, Nr Wigton. If you missed any of theearlier dates this is your last chance to attend. Please contact us at ACT for a booking form.

ACT Gazette:Issue 3: Autumn 2010



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The Cumbria Rural DatasetACT has recently been involved in a nationalproject which aims to improve understanding ofthe extent to which rural communities areaffected by aspects of deprivation such as lowpay, unemployment and ill-health.

As part of the Rural Community ActionNetwork, we have collaborated with OxfordConsultants for Social Inclusion to develop aset of Rural Share reports which are nowavailable at County, Local Authority District,Parliamentary Constituency and Parish levels.

National indices, such as the Index of MultipleDeprivation, are effective at identifying areaswhere large numbers of similar people live.They are less effective at identifying need incommunities where the population is muchmore diverse in character, as is usually thecase in rural areas.

The Rural Share reports, now available fromACT, differ by drawing data from the samenational sources but interpreting this at a locallevel and looking at the numbers of peopleaffected as distinct from the proportion.

Reports available at county and district levelhelp us to understand:Where the more deprived rural areas areThe proportion of people affected by

particular issues that live in the rural parts ofthe county or district

The nature of the working population in thoserural areas.

A slightly different report is available at parishlevel. The “Parish Profile” provides parish level

information with relevant comparative data forCumbria and NW Region:Population: Who lives in the parishEconomy & Employment: Who is working in

the parish and what skill levels there areEconomy and Employment: What jobs people

are doing in the parishDeprivation and Low Income: Social

exclusion in the parishHealth: Health in the parishAccess to Services: Services profile of the

parishHousing: Housing profile of the parish

This information is likely to prove very useful ininforming local activity, such as Community LedPlanning.

Nationally, over £50,000 was invested by theRural Community Action Network in sourcingthe relevant data and developing the reports.Despite this significant cost we are pleased tobe able to offer copies of relevant standardreports free of charge to Parish Councils,Community Led Planning groups, charities andsimilar organisations. However, charges willapply in providing data to public and privatesector organisations.

If you think you might benefit from havingaccess to the information for your area pleasecontact your local Development Officer (seeback page for details).

Executive SummaryTo raise awareness, especially among publicsector partners, about the extent to whichCumbria’s rural communities are affected byaspects of deprivation, ACT recently published“The Rural Share of Deprivation in Cumbria:Executive Summary”.

This provides a brief overview of the headlinefindings from these reports. For a free copy ofthe report contact us at ACT (see back page fordetails), or download from:www.cumbriaaction.org.uk/resources/publications

Community Led Planning & Development



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The Big Societyin Eden

In July the Prime Minister, David Cameron,announced a Vanguard programme for theGovernment’s “Big Society” initiative. Theexciting news for Cumbria is that Eden hasbeen identified as one of the four participatingareas nationally, and is the only rural area inthe initiative. More recently, details of theinitiative have started to become clear.

The Cumbrian area of the Vanguardprogramme covers the Community LedPlanning clusters of ‘Heart of Eden’, ‘LyvennetValley’, and ‘Upper Eden’ (32 parishes in total).The common features that bind thesecommunities together are; the passion andambition of their Plans, strong commitment toimplementing their proposals, and the progressbeing made towards establishing deliveryarrangements in the form of locally ownedtrusts. They have also each featured strongleadership from Parish Councils in their areas.

It has also been made clear that the BigSociety Vanguard programme is not a newfunding programme that will see theparticipating areas receive significant extrafunds, nor is it a process whereby publicagencies and authorities will descend uponEden and do things for people.

Instead, the commitment being made by bothcentral and local government is to support thecommunities in taking forward the initiativesthat they have already described in theirCommunity Led Plans, especially by helpingthem to overcome or remove barriers they areexperiencing that originate within the publicsector. At a recent meeting Rory Stewart MPdescribed this as a “good hearted” approach tosupporting community action, but one in whichthe communities themselves will give the leadand set the pace.

ACT has worked with all three of theseCommunity Led Planning groups over the lastfew years and will continue to do so. As well assupporting the official participants, ACT will betrying to ensure that the learning from theVanguard programme communities is madeavailable to other communities in Cumbria as itemerges.

Community Led Planningin Cumbria

Many communities are currently working onproducing Community Led Plans; both newPlans and revising existing ones. If you wouldlike to know who is working on Plans in yourarea, please contact your local DevelopmentOfficer (see back page for details).

Newly Completed Plans: Eden

Lyvennet Valley Community Plan 2010(Crsoby Ravensworth, Kings Meaburnand1/2 Sleagill Parish)

Bampton Community Plan 2010

Want to see other Completed Plans?Don’t forget, you can view completedCommunity Plans on the ACT website bysearching under the Parish name. If you’vedone a Plan and it isn’t listed, please contactus (see back page for details) and we canupload it for others to see.

www.cumbriaaction.org.uk

Community Led Planning & Development



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Case Study

Holmrook Reading RoomBiodiversity Project

CommunityHolmrook is a small village on the A595 inWest Cumbria, near the rivers Irt and Esk asthey open out into the sea near Ravenglass.Holmrook Reading Room was built, on thebank of the river Irt, in 1925 to provide acommunity space for villagers, and still does.

BackgroundThe land behind the Reading Room has alwaysbeen open to the public and is a lovely, quietspot in the centre of the village, but the value towildlife had declined in recent years. TheReading Room Committee wanted to addressthis.

Work began in 2008 when grant funding wasfirst sought. At a CVS Funding Fair, we heardabout ACT’s Biodiversity and CommunityBuilding’s project and made contact with HelenKnowles the Biodiversity Officer.

Helen visited the site and advised us on how totake the project forward to create the meadow.Helen recommended CWMET (Cumbria WasteManagement Environment Trust) as a potentialsource of funding.

With support from Helen Squires, CWMETGrants Manager, in 2009 we were successfulin our application to the Cumbria AggregatesLevy Sustainability Fund (CALSF). This is aDefra funded scheme, administered byCWMET on behalf of Cumbria County Council.

We simply could not believe it when we wereawarded £7210, the whole amount that weneeded for the project. This covered 80% ofthe project costs, the remaining 20% we metwith in kind contribution.

Everyone on the Holmrook Reading Roomcommittee had been anxious to use the landfor the benefit of local wildlife and suddenly wewere in business!

The Starting point -Ground Zero

The finishedCumbrian Dyke,

August 2010

What has been achieved?When the grant was awarded, the race was onto make all the improvements to the space,which included the creation of a diverseselection of habitats, planting native wildflowers and bushes to provide food andnesting / resting space for everything fromsolitary bees to hedgehogs.

We developed our project plan throughconsultation with villagers and local authorities,and chose plants to suit the soil and existingenvironment. Without many big trees, we hadto find another way of putting up all our nestboxes.

We now have an acre of wonderfully plantedmeadow, with around 40 nesting boxes andcountless spaces for ground nesting/burrowinganimals. The Cumbrian Dyke, which replacedthe fence, is a sight to behold as well asoffering nesting space for small animals. In theAutumn we will put in the young bushes, whichwill supply fruit for our residents, next year.

Community Assets



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The LearningWhilst developing the project it was useful tovisit our local SSSI’s (Sites of Special ScientificInterest) for inspiration, and we called uponseveral experts for advice.

It was important to involve specialist agenciessuch as South Cumbria Rivers Trust in order toconsider all elements of the project, from therisk of flooding to avoiding damage to treeswhen placing nest boxes.

An entire food chain is being created in theprecious meadow space and it may take yearsto establish itself, but the first faltering stepshave been taken.

Eventually there will be bird boxes tailored foralmost every space with food and a safeenvironment for all. As Helen Knowles, ACT’sBiodiversity Officer, had said, it is no good justproviding nesting space - there has to bespace for a whole ecosystem including plantlife and insects.

We want to ensure that this haven will besustainable, and made sure we involved localyoung people in planting and fixing the nestboxes. It is hoped that continued involvementwill provide the ‘helpers for tomorrow’, and ourReading Room Garden Club annual £9membership fees, will help with ongoing costs.

We are keen to share our ecosystem; it’s awonderful spot that we want people to visit andenjoy, but it’s important to remember that herethe animals and plants come first - it’s theirworld! If you would like more information aboutthe project, or would like to make a donation,please contact Val Graham, Holmrook ReadingRoom Secretary, on Tel: 019467 24105 orEmail: [email protected]

ACT’s Biodiversity at Community Buildings projecthas now ended, see page 9 for more information.

CWMET is a project hosted by ACT. For moreinformation about grants contact: Helen Squires,Grants Manager on Tel: 01768 242140 or Email:[email protected]

The Hadfield Charitable TrustThe Hadfield Trust was established in 1997with the objective of giving grants to charitablecauses in Cumbria. Applicants do not have tobe registered charities but they should have aformal constitution. The Trust currentlydistributes about £270,000 per annum toapproximately 120 causes.

From the beginning, there has beenconsiderable emphasis on supporting villageand community halls, as the Trust realises thatthese often are the lifeblood of the communityand in a county such as Cumbria a vibrantvillage or community hall is absolutely vital tothe area.

The policy is targeted towards helping localcommunities, disadvantaged people, the youngand the elderly, and those who are vulnerable,all of whom often rely on the village hall for avariety of reasons.

The size of grants range from £300 to £5000but on occasion larger grants can be made.Capital funding is preferred but the Trusteescan support applications of a revenue nature.Grants are one-off but applicants are welcometo apply again 2 years after a grant has beenmade. Grants are not made to individuals andfor a full list of the areas which are notsupported, please see the website:

www.hadfieldtrust.org.uk

The Trustees meet 3 times each year inNovember, March and July to decide on grantsand the deadlines for receipt of applicationsare 1st October, 1st February and 1st June.

Application forms can be downloaded from thewebsite or requested from Michael Hope, theAdministrator on Tel: 01704 834887. We alsoencourage applicants to discuss projects withMichael.

Community Assets



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Hallmark QualityStandards Scheme

ACT is pleased to be able to offer thoseresponsible for managing community assets inCumbria the chance to take part in theHallmark quality standards scheme.

Hallmark promotes the delivery of effective andwell-managed village halls through a qualitystandards scheme which is backed up by asystem of peer visitors. The trained peervisitors use a system of checklists to identifyperformance and provide an external validationof achievement.

Hallmark aims to:

Reward and establish good practiceEncourage improvement in established

customs and proceduresGain recognition for obtaining good standards

in the management of the Hall

The main benefits are that it:

Provides funders and other organisationsinterested in Village Halls with a benchmarkfor a well managed Hall

Gives Village Hall voluntary Trusteesconfidence that they are running the Hall inthe correct way.

There are three Hallmarks:

Hallmark 1: Charitable Administration andManagement assesses whether the Hall iscomplying with the requirements of itscharitable status

Hallmark 2: Health, Safety, Security andLicences assesses compliance with legislativeissues

Hallmark 3: Community, Social Awareness,Forward Planning and Developmentexamines and assesses the role of the Hall inthe community and how it interacts with itsusers and the wider community.

Each Hallmark has to be achieved before thenext Hallmark can be applied for, and eachHallmark is valid for three years from the dateof the visit.

The procedureHalls are assessed by visitors against the listedstandards of the Hallmark scheme. In order toachieve a Hallmark, 70% of the listed standardshave to receive a positive response from thevisitors.

The listed standards are sent to the committeebeforehand, so there are no nasty surprises, asthe idea is not to catch Hall Committees out.

Hallmark One has to be achieved beforeHallmark Two can be applied for, and HallmarkTwo needs to be achieved before HallmarkThree can be achieved. Each Hallmark is validfor three years from the date of the visit.

VisitorsThe essence behind Hallmark is peer review,therefore visitors will be volunteers who areeither currently serving committee members, orthose who have served or been closely involvedwith a Village Hall Management Committee.

Visitors will receive training on carrying outassessments, and will be reimbursed formileage costs incurred whilst carrying out visits.

ACT will be recruiting visitors shortly, however ifin the meantime you have a burning desire toput yourself forward, please feel free to contactACT.

If you are interested in taking part in theHallmark scheme, please contact ACT on Tel:01768 840827 or Email:[email protected]

Community Assets



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Appliance Energy MonitorsACT has four mains power energy monitorsavailable for Halls to borrow and see howmuch energy plug-in appliances are using.

Simply plug the monitor into the socket, plugthe appliance into the monitor, and see howmuch energy is used by each appliance overany given amount of time.

Building Energy MonitorsFor a more comprehensive view of the energyuse of the whole building, ACT also has threeWattson energy monitors available for halls toborrow. Having this information can help indeciding which tariff your Hall should be on.

Clip the monitor to the incoming cable at thefuse box, and the information is relayed to adisplay unit where it can even be downloadedto produced graphs of usage patterns.

ACT has trialled the monitors, in the office, andat home with some eye-opening results. Ifyou’d like to borrow one of the monitors foryour hall, please contact Carl Glynn at ACT(see back page for details) and we’ll be happyto send one out on loan for a month at a time.

Help finding the best utility tariff:LSI Independent Utility Broker can help you toidentify which utility company offers the besttariff for your Hall. To find out more, contact:

LSI Independent Utility Broker, 1st Floor,Hastings House, 12 Park Industrial Estate,Park Street, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2DRTel: 01727 877020 Fax: 01727 875116Email: [email protected]

Community Assets

The MarketplaceThis section offers the opportunity for VillageHalls to share / exchange items, or send outa plea for help tracking down that muchneeded item or service.

Thinking of running a duck race, and haveeverything sorted but the ducks?

Soulby Village Hall (nr Kirkby Stephen) haveplastic ducks for hire! Hirer to collect.

Rates for hiring:300 ducks for £25600 ducks for £40

For more details contact Tel: 017683 71554

Community AssetsAdvice Service

The Community Assets Advice Service existsto help keep Village Hall and CommunityBuilding Management Committee membersup to date and well informed of any changesrelating to them, and to feed back at regionaland national level the needs and concerns asa collective voice.

If you have a query or concern please contact:Carl Glynn - Community Assets AdviserTel: 01768 869525Email: [email protected]

This is a part time role worked on flexiblehours, therefore it may not be possible torespond to your query immediately. Pleaseleave a clear message with your name,contact details, and query. Carl will endeavourto answer as quickly as possible.

Energy Monitors to Borrow for free



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Rural Energy Advice

FREE is a 3 year rural energy adviceprogramme, aimed at communities that are off-mains gas, across England. The programmeaims to bring practical independent advice andinformation regarding fuel choices, energyefficient technologies, and carbon reductionmeasures, helping to reduce households’energy consumption and fuel costs.

The programme is aimed at areas that are off-mains gas, where Affordable Warmth / FuelPoverty has been identified as an issue. InCumbria this includes the following Parishes:

Eden: Ainstable, Askham, Bampton, Barton,Castle Sowerby, Catterlen, Culgaith,Glassonby, Hesket, Hunsonby, Kirkoswald,Langwathby, Lowther, Martindale,Orton, Ousby, Skelton, and Tebay.

Carlisle: Arthuret, Bewcastle, Hethersgill,Kirkandrews, Kirklinton Middle, Nicholforest,and Solport & Stapleton.

Allerdale; Blindcrake, Blindbothel, Buttermere,Embleton & District, Lorton, and Loweswater

Copeland: Millom Without, Ulpha, Whicham

ACT plans to deliver this programme byworking with existing organisations, agenciesand community groups, and attending events inthese communities, to raise awareness aboutAffordable Warmth. If you would like moreinformation about the project please contact:Hellen Aitken - ACT Development OfficerTel: 01768 869520Email: [email protected]

Saturday 18th September9.30am - 6pm

Rheged, Penrith CA11 0DQ

Rory Stewart, Penrith & The Borders MP, isholding a conference to explore the ways inwhich industry, government and local peoplecan work together to bring broadband to one ofthe most challenging and dramatic landscapesin England.

9.30am - Registration & Coffee10.00am - Main Conference (inc. lunch)4.30pm - Networking with refreshments6.00pm - Event Close

The cost of the conference is £15.00, includinglunch and coffee, and is open to all. Topurchase your ticket please contact:Jo Dunning-Thomas at RhegedTel: 01768 860011Email [email protected]

For any other enquiries please contact:Alice Unwin, Projects Manager,Office of Rory Stewart MPTel: 07824555409Email: [email protected]

ACT Project Updates and Upcoming Events



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Open Green Space GuidesUpdated

The Our Green Space project has updated andre-printed three popular guides on issuesrelating to open green spaces:

An Introduction to their Legal Status andProtection

A Guide to Common Management Issues

An Introduction to Managing for Wildlife

These free guides provide easy to read, usefulinformation for anyone who is involved inmanaging or developing their local greenspaces or for anyone with an interest orconcerns about the green spaces where theylive.

Copies of the guides can be downloaded at:www.ourgreenspace.org.uk or contact Friendsof the Lake District on Tel: 015397 20788. Formore information about the Our Green Spaceproject, please contact Roe Baker Tel: 01768869522 or Email: [email protected]

Our Green Space project is funded by the HeritageLottery Fund and managed by Friends of the LakeDistrict in partnership with Action with Communitiesin Cumbria (ACT) www.ourgreenspace.org.uk

Biodiversity at CommunityBuildings

In 2008 ACT, in partnership with CumbriaWaste Management Environment Trust(CWMET) began a 2 year Biodiversity atCommunity Buildings Project. The project wasdesigned to deliver elements of Cumbria’sBiodiversity Action Plan (BAP), whichrecognises that in many places in our builtenvironment, there is an unfulfilled potential tocreate wildlife habitat.

Since then the Biodiversity Officer, HelenKnowles, has supported 34 community groupsacross the county, to identify and develophabitat creation projects. These includedprojects at Village Halls, Community Centres,Schools, Village Greens, Sports Clubs, andother community facilities.

One such project is the development of a new£11,000 Community Garden at Petteril BankCommunity Centre in Carlisle. The BiodiversityOfficer has supported the group throughout theproject, from initial project planning and design,accessing funding, sourcing materials andlabour, and site support.

The Community Garden (see photo) will have arange of wildlife habitats to help increase localbiodiversity. The project includes a sensorygarden, pond, wildlife friendly hedgerow andoutdoor space for children from the nearbynursery and school to play and learn.

The Biodiversity at Community Buildingsproject at ACT has now come to an end,however, if you would like more informationabout biodiversity projects please contactGraham Jackson-Pitt, Local BiodiversityManager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust onTel: 01539 816306 or Email:[email protected]

ACT Project Updates and Upcoming Events



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The Future for England’sUpland Communities –

High ground, high potential

The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC)has launched its report into Upland England‘High ground, high potential – The Future forEngland’s Upland Communities’. It also callsfor a new integrated approach to maximisingthe potential of these unique and diversenatural assets.

At present, the inquiry found a lack of joined-upthinking, with too many of the well-intentionedinitiatives having unintended negativeconsequences for communities, farmers andland owners alike. To remedy this, the CRCrecommends the appointment of a singleindividual who would be responsible for thisnew uplands strategy.

Also included in the publication arerecommendations for improving broadbandservices for upland areas, and a need for theCLG to provide clear guidance on affordablehousing for upland communities, and the needfor communities to be able to approve smallaffordable housing schemes without formalplanning consent, dependant on communities’needs.

For all the recommendations and to see thereport in full, more information can be found onthe CRC website:http://ruralcommunities.gov.uk/2010/06/15/upland-communities-2/

Defra abolish Commission forRural Communities

The Defra Secretary of State has announcedthat The Commission for Rural Communitieswill be abolished.

Whilst paying tribute to the work of CRC andthe Rural Advocate in acting as a championand helping shape national policy, she said inher statement that the Government believespolicy advice should be carried out byDepartments, not arms length bodies.

Defra will, therefore, reinforce its capacity toundertake rural work within the Department; astrengthened Rural Communities Policy Unitwill work across Government to ensure that theinterests of rural communities are fully reflectedin policies and programmes.

The Secretary of State said “We are committedto improving the quality of life for those living inrural areas and we will put the fair treatment ofrural communities at the centre of Government.

“Focusing rural policy making within thedepartment will give rural communities andinterest groups a direct link to centralpolicymakers and a stronger champion for ruralissues at the heart of Government.”

The full Ministerial announcement is availableat the Defra website:http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/2010/06/29/agencies-shake-up/

ACRE Headlines

These are a selection of headline articles taken from the ACRE website over the past fewweeks. More information can be found at: www.acre.org.uk

Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) is the national umbrella of the RuralCommunity Action Network (RCAN), which operates at national, regional and local level insupport of rural communities across the country.



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Climate Change minister sets outvision for local energy economies

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker haslaunched the first stage of the Government’splans to help communities become more self-sufficient in the way they use heat and power.Empowering communities to generate theirown energy on a large and a small scale cannot only bring in an income but also help savemoney on fuel bills and increase domesticenergy security. Homes, schools andbusinesses are already guaranteed cashpayments through the ‘feed-in tariff’ forproducing their own green electricity throughtechnologies such as solar panels or smallwind turbines, as well as for selling it to thenational grid. More information is available onthe Department of Energy and Climate Changewebsite: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn10_079/pn10_079.aspx

NHF launch new report intoaffordable housing

The National Housing Federation (NHF) havelaunched ‘Affordable Housing – KeepingVillages alive’. Over the last year the NHF hasbeen working on raising the profile ofaffordable rural housing as a means to creatingmore vibrant and sustainable ruralcommunities.

The report, (produced by the NHF) has been ajoint venture between the NHF, ACRE, theCountryside Alliance, The CRC and TheCPRE. Villages have a long history ofresilience and self help. In tackling today’schallenges, many rural communities haveidentified affordable housing as part of thesolution. Typically, just a handful of welldesigned homes can help sustain more localservices and jobs for local people. The currentreality is that there is a massive shortage ofrural affordable housing. Rural council waitinglists show a marked increase from 428,045 in2005 to 474,970 in 2008 – a growth of 11%. Acopy of this report can be found on the ACREwebsite: http://www.acre.org.uk/

Public Sector cuts have adisproportionate effect

on rural areas

Alongside the impact of the inevitable reductionin public services, rural areas could suffer adisproportionate impact as a result of publicsector job losses. Research done by IvanAnnibal of Rose Regeneration, shows thatOxfordshire, David Cameron’s home county, istop of the list. On average, 33% of jobs in‘predominantly rural’ authorities are publicsector compared to 27% for other authorities.

Six predominantly rural authorities are amongstthe top 25 council areas in England in terms ofpublic sector jobs (24%), despite suchauthorities making up less than 14% of the firsttier councils in England. More information canbe found on the Rose Regeneration website:http://www.roseregeneration.co.uk/news.php

‘DO or DIE’ Challenge forRural Communities

The Rural Coalition, under the chairmanship ofLord Matthew Taylor, has launched its report:‘The Rural Challenge – Achieving sustainablerural communities for the 21st Century’. Thisreport follows on from their last publication,‘The future is rural too’, published inSeptember 2009.

ACRE is a founder member of the RuralCoalition and Sylvia Brown, ACRE’s ChiefExecutive, said: “Rural communities alreadydemonstrate the Big Society in action, but witha supportive context set by central and localgovernment, they can and will do far more torespond to new opportunities. We are pleasedto see the Rural Coalition’s backing for usingthe principles of Community Led Planning tohelp local people decide on how they canbetter meet their aspirations.”

Read the full report at: http://www.acre.org.uk/DOCUMENTS/publications/News%20releases/RuralCoalitionWEBAug%202010.pdf

ACRE Headlines



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Churches, Housing,Rural Communities

Conference exploring the use of faith buildingsand land for affordable housing andsustainable communities.

Wednesday 13th October 11am – 4pmPenrith Methodist Church

To celebrate and share existing goodpractise of creating affordable housing andcommunity uses in churches and on church-owned land in Cumbria and further afield.

To explore the challenges faced in increasingthese developments in faith buildings withinthe current context of the Government’sagenda of ‘Big Society’ and localism, policychanges and budget cuts.

This event will be of interest to anyone lookingto create and maintain vibrant ruralcommunities, and particularly those working in;Church Communities, Rural Communities, andRural Housing.

The conference is free to all unfundedindividuals (church community members andcommunity activists) and £30 per person forfunded individuals attending on behalf of theirorganisations. Lunch is provided.

For more information or to book a place,please contact the booking coordinator VickyThirlwell at Cumbria Rural Housing Trust on:Tel: 01768 210264 Email: [email protected]

Groundwork in Cumbria

Groundwork is a group of charities helpingpeople and organisations make changes inorder to create better neighbourhoods, to buildskills and job prospects, and to live and workin a greener way.

Our 5 main areas of work are:Building people's skills & improving job

prospectsRedesigning our neglected open spaces for

twenty-first century useHelping people make decisions about their

areaMotivating & developing young peoplePromoting greener ways of living & working

Groundwork has had a strong presence inCumbria before and we want to see how wecan work in the county again. DevelopmentManager, Julian Smith will guide thedevelopment process and can advise on thewide range of skills and experience of staffwithin Groundwork, particularly in the NorthWest and North East regions. On the ground,capacity is currently limited, so he’s particularlykeen to work with local organisations to bringforward and deliver projects.

Any initiative that is about changing places andchanging lives – for example adapting toclimate change, tackling worklessness,promoting health and well-being or improvinghousing environments - is a good fit with theGroundwork approach to creating sustainablecommunities.

To discuss how Groundwork might be able tohelp develop and deliver projects in Cumbria,contact: Julian Smith, Development Manageron Tel: 01768 212863 / 07912 669667 orEmail: [email protected]

Other News

Cumbria RuralHousing Trust



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Community Wildlife Programme

Community Wildlife is the Big Lottery Fund’snew programme for projects that bring localpeople together to discover, enjoy and protectthe wildlife in their local area.

The programme is now open to a wide rangeof organisations including voluntary andcommunity organisations, schools, town andparish councils, and statutory healthauthorities. BIG’s Community Wildlife fundingprogramme will offer grants of between £300and £10,000 for:

Projects that improve rural or urbanenvironments for people to enjoy, for example:

Protecting wildlife habitatsCreating a nature trail, woodland walk or

wildlife gardenImproving community spaces, such as rivers,

ponds and woodlands

Projects that get people more active andhealthier, for example:

Exploring parks, rivers and the countryside tolook for rare or endangered species

Encouraging people to take up gardening orgo on nature walks

Providing opportunities for children to learnabout nature through play

The Community Wildlife programme is runningin partnership with the BBC and complementstheir ‘Go Wild’ campaign. The programme hasbeen launched with up to £2 million availableacross the UK and organisations can submitapplications before the three programmedeadlines of 21st July, 22nd September andthe 24th November 2010.

For an application form and further details visit:www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/communitywildlifeor call the helpline on Tel: 0845 367 0610

Website launch

We are pleased to announce the launch of TheCumbria Advice Network (CAN) website:

www.cumbriaadvicenetwork.org.uk

The Cumbria Advice Network (CAN) is a fiveyear Big Lottery funded project, with the goalof linking all of Cumbria’s advice organisationsallowing them to better communicate and co-ordinate their efforts to improve the lives of thepeople of Cumbria.

The CAN website is designed to providereliable and up-to-date information aboutadvice provision throughout the County. It iscontinually evolving and updated regularly asmore organisations join the network.

Key features of the website include:Information by organisation and by areas of

adviceAn embedded map showing organisations by

locationLinks to local and national information

sourcesUp-to-date information on all aspects of the

CAN project

Also available are the CAN quarterly e-newsletter and ‘Campaigning for Change’Bulletin.

For more information about Cumbria AdviceNetwork, please contact Mandy Pfleger,Development Champion at Cumbria AdviceNetwork on: Tel: 01900 604735Email: [email protected]

Other News



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HELPING MIGRANTSIN CUMBRIA

Cumbria County Council invites local groupsand organisations to apply for funding forprojects which can help in achieving our aim ofimproving life for all Cumbria’s residents andvisitors.

Migrants overall make a positive economiccontribution but also access public servicessuch as education and healthcare increasingtheir cost.

Negative public perceptions of unfairness, inthat some migrants are perceived to receivemore from the state than they contribute, canadversely affect community cohesion.

Cumbria is the largest and most sparselypopulated sub-region in the North West and isfaced with the challenge of a rapidly ageingpopulation combined with a history of youngpeople leaving the county.

Until 2004 Cumbria was the slowest growingsub-region in the UK. Inward overseasmigration has played a major part in reversingthis economic decline. Migrants are helping tokeep local industries afloat, and to keep ruralservices such as schools, libraries and postoffices going.

In Cumbria there have been a number ofparticular impacts on public services:Rising costs of providing interpreters and

translators.An increasing demand for English language

support.Public perceptions of migrant workers and

the effect of migrant communities oncommunity cohesion

Migrants’ needs in accessing advice,information and advocacy.

Cumbria County Council wants to addressthese impacts by:Maximising the amount of interpretation and

translation done within the county.Developing migrant self help organisations

to deliver support in the community.

Training and developing public sector staffwith skills to support migrants.

Changing the way services are run so thatsupport for migrants is integrated intomainstream funding.

In particular Cumbria County Council isinterested in developing:Helping migrants develop language skills

through English Language volunteering,mentoring and informal tutoring

Improving the availability of trained localinterpreters through the Cumbria InterpreterBank and increasing the languages covered

Creating and developing Communityoutreach services

Creating Multi-lingual self help guides toservices

Promoting home and road safety formigrants

If you think your group or organisation, has aproject or an idea which supports whatCumbria County Council is trying to achieve insupporting and integrating migrants in thecounty, and supporting services, industry andcommunities, you may be able to apply forfinancial support from the County Council.

For more details about application criteria andan application form please contact:

Joel RasbashEquality and Cohesion ManagerTel: 01228 226639Email [email protected]

Or write to: Equality and Cohesion Unit,Cumbria County Council, The Courts,Carlisle CA3 8NA

Other News



15

Other News

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Funding Fairs2010 - 2011

Eden - Thurs 30 September 2010South - Thurs 18 November 2010Carlisle - Thurs 27 January 2011

EdenThe Eden fair will place on Thursday 30thSeptember 2010 at Cumbria Rural EnterpriseAgency (CREA) in Penrith. For a copy of theprogramme and to book a place, pleasecontact the Eden office on Tel: 01768 800 350or Email: [email protected]

SouthThe South Funding Fair will take place onThursday 18th November 2010 at LanternHouse in Ulverston. The programme will beavailable in the early autumn, but in themeantime if you have any queries, pleasecontact the South office on Tel: 01539 742 627or Email: [email protected]

CarlisleThe Carlisle Funding Fair will take place onThursday 27th January 2011 at theRacecourse Carlisle. A programme will beavailable in late autumn.

Funding Fairs provide groups with an excellentopportunity to meet with local, regional andnational funders to discuss projects, attendworkshops and training, and receive valuableadvice, information and support.

Cumbrian Credit Unions Working Together



16

Useful contacts at ACT

This newsletter, and previous editions can be downloaded from the ACTwebsite: www.cumbriaaction.org.uk

© ACT 2010. Voluntary Action Cumbria, The Old Stables, Redhills, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0DT. This publication may bereproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context.

The material must be acknowledged as Action with Communities in Cumbria copyright and the title of the publication specified.

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, ACT does not accept responsibility for anyerrors or omissions in the information provided in this publication or the content of external websites listed.

Nicola Kirby - Development ManagerDirect Tel: 01768 869528Email: [email protected]

Julia Wilson - Senior Development Officer,South Lakeland and FurnessDirect Tel: 01768 869524Email: [email protected]

Hellen Aitken - Development Officer, CarlisleDirect Tel: 01768 869520Email: [email protected]

Carl Glynn - Development Officer, Eden &Community Assets AdvisorDirect Tel: 01768 869525Email: [email protected]

Jeff Downham - Development Officer, WestCumbriaDirect Tel: 01768 869526Email: [email protected]

Terry McCormick - Senior DevelopmentOfficer, West CumbriaDirect Tel: 01768 869523Email: [email protected]

Claire Hudson - Enterprise Officer & BASISProject CoordinatorDirect Tel: 01768 869538Email: [email protected]

Claire Watters - BASIS Project OfficerDirect Tel: 01768 869518Email: [email protected]

Annie Hamilton-Gibney - Development Officer,Tebay & Orton Local DistinctivenessDirect Tel: 01768 869517Email: [email protected]

If we’re unavailable and you have an urgentenquiry please contact ACT reception on:

Tel: 01768 840827 Fax: 01768 242134Email: [email protected]

The ACT Gazette is partfunded by The Big Lottery

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