A wide range of community projects have been boosted by investment from the Border, Fellside and North Carlisle Community Panel.
The panel, made up of Cumberland Council ward councillors, directs funding and support to grass roots projects addressing the particular needs of its communities.
At the most recent meeting, the following investments were made:
- Brampton Parish Council - £2,000 for the repair and replacement of public benches.
- Cumberland and Carlisle Community Arts Project - £2,701 for workshops allowing people to experience acting in front of a camera. In this panel area the project will be delivered at Belah Community Centre, Brampton Community Centre and supermarkets in the Stanwix and Kingstown areas, by local people with extensive industry experience. This project will also run in, and receive funding from, other Community Panel areas.
- Belah Community Centre - £2,058 for a new projector system.
- Bewcastle Parish Council - £4,500 to replace fencing at the cemetery, where sheep have been getting in and causing issues, and the playing field, which has recently had new equipment installed.
The following smaller investments were noted at the meeting, but approved separately by the relevant ward councillor, the Chair of the panel, and a senior manager.
- The Friends of Lanercost Primary School - £1,250 to replace broken car park lighting with energy-efficient lighting;
- Wetheral Parish Council - £1,500 from the Wetheral ward councillor’s funding allocation for an electronic speed indicator sign for Cotehill;
- The Watson Institute - £1,500 from the Corby and Hayton ward councillor’s allocation to replace wall mounted heaters at Castle Carrock Village Hall;
- Irthington Parish Council - £1,025 from the Houghton and Irthington councillor’s allocation, for a defibrillator in the Newby East parish;
- Stanwix Rural Parish Council - £1,000 from the Houghton and Irthington councillor’s allocation, for new benches.
- Wetheral Playing Field Association - £500 from the Wetheral councillor’s allocation, for an additional pétanque pitch and the improvement of the existing one.
- Burtholme Parish Council - £1,000 from the Brampton councillor’s allocation, to install an electrical connection for a defibrillator.
- Irthington Parish Council - £1,185 from the Houghton and Irthington councillor’s allocation, for new play equipment;
- Belah Community Centre - £255 from the Belah councillor’s allocation, for blackout blinds in the centre’s main hall;
- Lanercost Sports Club - £1,500 from the Brampton councillor’s allocation, for an extra cricket practice net and bowling machine.
Cllr Roger Dobson, Chairman of Border, Fellside and North Carlisle Community Panel, said: “It is a privilege to be able to invest in such a variety of community projects. Our residents and their third sector groups are encouragingly proactive, and are delivering improvements that make life better across the area."
The Border, Fellside and North Carlisle Community Panel covers the wards of Belah, Stanwix Urban, Longtown, Brampton, Houghton and Irthington, Corby and Hayton, and Wetheral.
The application deadline for the next round of Community Panel support for Border, Fellside and North Carlisle is 16 May. Find out more here: Border, Fellside and North Carlisle Community Panel | Cumberland Council or email the panel at BFNC@cumberland.gov.uk.
Investment projects are chosen according to how they fit with the priorities of the panel, which were set in conjunction with the community. For the Border, Fellside and North Carlisle panel, those priorities are:
- Highways (Improving roads and pavements; Addressing road safety; Improving access to transport; Supporting cycling and walking initiatives)
- Community facilities and support (Community buildings; Play parks and playing fields; Youth and sports clubs; Community activities)
- The environment (Improving biodiversity and enhancing natural spaces; Addressing climate change; Supporting energy-saving projects)