Cumbria County Council’s Local Committee for Carlisle – made up of councillors representing the district – awarded more than £20,000 in grants to local community groups in the last few weeks.
The grants will support the ongoing efforts of the community groups in helping local people through the Coronavirus pandemic.
The committee awarded the following grants:
COVID-19 Community Help Group – £10,000 to help develop the new innovative School Lunch Project, in partnership with Family Action and Carlisle Youth Zone.
The grant will be used to help families in need with a five day packed lunch box, resources for every child and support from youth workers. Working closely with Carlisle Primary Schools, who will refer children to the scheme, it is currently helping 300 children and the grant will enable the partnership to target more families across Carlisle who are in need.
Meals on Wheels Service – £5,000 towards developing the service to meet increased demand due during Coronavirus lockdown.
Meals on Wheels approached the council’s Carlisle Community Development team for help to move premises and needed funding to help expand the service to meet increased demand. The grant has helped the local charity to recruit new volunteers, and to secure a temporary new premises at Botcherby Community Centre. The grant has also paid towards a new cooker and helped contribute towards staff salaries as the service has expanded during the pandemic from delivering around 60 meals a day to up to 100 meals a day. Petteril Bank Community Centre – £3,050 towards further developing their volunteer-run emergency food hub and delivering hot meals to local children from families in food poverty.
Carlisle Vineyard Church ‘Give a Day to the City’ Project – £2,500 towards distributing ‘bags of courage’ and ‘hampers of joy’ to frontline and key workers.
Cllr Cyril Weber, Chair of Carlisle Local Committee, said: “I am delighted that the committee is able to support the work of local community groups. The grants will help them to continue providing such an important range of services for local people during these difficult times. It is humbling to see the enthusiasm and dedication of so many volunteers and local people involved in supporting and helping each other.”
Further information on local committee grants and how to apply for them is available on the council website, or by emailing the Carlisle Community Development Team – [email protected]
