A NEW book festival is among the projects supported by the Lakes to Sea Community Panel recently.
The panel of ward councillors met to allocate funding for community projects and agree its priorities for the coming year.
- £670 was awarded to Cockermouth Town Council for planters, signs and other items for the town centre.
- The Friends of Fairfield Primary School in Cockermouth received £3,029 towards a sensory hub for West Cumbrian children with special educational needs.
- All Saints Church in Cockermouth was awarded £10,000 towards making church hall events more accessible – including new toilets, a kitchen and improved access.
- Keswick Town Council will use £1,073 to create bicycle parking in Hope Park, to encourage people to cycle into the town centre.
- 1st Flimby Girls Brigade were allocated £500 for activity materials.
- £8,000 was given to Bothel Village Hall to help make the building more sustainable and cost effective, and to make it suitable as a community hub during events such as extreme weather.
- Healthy Hopes, which supports health and wellbeing in communities, netted £4,323 towards the cost of employing a new staff member.
- The Kirkgate Centre in Cockermouth received £1,000 toward staging a book festival.
The panel - part of Cumberland Council – also formally adopted its four priorities, agreed through consultation with the community.
They are:
- Transport for the community
- Community health and wellbeing
- Community resilience
- Community involvement
These priorities will run alongside Cumberland Council’s central aim of improving the health and wellbeing of residents.
Cllr Andrew Semple, Chair of the Lakes to Sea Community Panel, said: “This was an excellent collection of community schemes, that we were happy to support. Each of them will make a real difference to residents and it is great that we have been able to fund such a wide range of projects.
"Our discussions with the community help us find out what our towns and villages really want and need – and I think these projects support that. I know they will add immeasurably to the quality of life for people in our area."
Cllr Lisa Brown, Cumberland Council Deputy Leader, said: “We are here to help create and sustain vibrant, healthy communities – and that work is led by our residents.
“Community Panels allow us to invest directly in grass-roots projects and these ones look fantastic. It will be great to see how they progress, and to see further community-led investment through the panels in the future.”
The Lakes to Sea Community Panel covers the wards of Bothel and Wharrels, Cockermouth North, Cockermouth South, Dearham and Broughton, Keswick, Maryport North and Maryport South.
The application deadline for the next round of Community Panel support for the Lakes to Sea area is 19 February. Find out more here: Lakes to Sea | Cumberland Council.