Cumbria County Council’s Allerdale Local Committee agreed at its meeting on Tuesday 4 September to support various initiatives and projects across the district.
These included £1,000 to Allerdale Dementia Action Alliance towards a slipper exchange to be used at various events in Allerdale. Unintentenial injuries, and particularly falls are the most frequent type of injury suffered by older people in the UK. Falls may happen for many reasons but poorly fitting footwear and worn-out slippers can be a contributing factor. The grant of £1,000 will be used to purchase anti-slip slippers which will reduce the likelihood of falls.
A grant of £7,520 was awarded to ‘Together We,’ to enable the organisation to employ two apprentices. The apprentices will complete a one year training programme to gain a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Active Leisure. This project supports access to employment which is one of Allerdale Local Committee’s key funding priorities.
Additionally through the 0-19 fund, an award of £9,996 was awarded to the South Workington Youth Partnership. This will go towards improving their facilities, which will in turn contribute to enhancing the quality of services provided to children and vulnerable adults in the community. The award will also help to provide kitchen equipment and storage for the partnership who deliver exercise programmes, mental health workshops, behavior management, condition management and nutritional advice.
An award of £1,500 was also awarded to Thursby Sport and Recreational Committee. This award will contribute towards the cost of developing and upgrading the play facilities at the Jubilee Playing Field.
Councillor Tony Markley, Chair of Allerdale Local Committee said: “I am pleased to support these projects and initiatives in our communities. I hope the grant awarded to Allerdale Dementia Action Alliance will go some way towards reducing the number of injuries sustained in falls in our area. This is an area of particular concern, as here in Cumbria there are approximately 2,000 emergency hospital admissions for falls each year in people aged 65 and over, and around one in three adults aged 65+ who live at home will have at least one fall a year.”
For more information on community grants, please contact the Allerdale Community Development team on 01900 706013 or visit Cumbria County Council’s website.