Second homeowners in the Lake District are urged to give back to the community in a ground-breaking new scheme.
The Cumbria Home From Home Fund, developed by Cumbria Community Foundation, will encourage holiday homeowners to give the equivalent of a week’s rental income back to local communities.
Donations will support community projects in the towns and villages where many holiday homes are located.
The fund will be managed by the foundation and has been developed in partnership with self-catering agents and holiday homeowners operating in and around Lake District and around the county.
Two of the UK’s leading agents, Travel Chapter and Original Cottages are the first to back the project.
Jacqui Currie, head of development at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The beauty of the Lake District often disguises the fact that too many of our residents are experiencing hardship.
“The charities and community groups active throughout the area serve both visitors and locals alike.
“With 2021 having seen unprecedented demand for holiday cottage accommodation, and bookings for 2022 already buoyant, it feels like the right time to launch this fund, which connects holiday and second homeowners with local communities.”
Grants of up to £10,000 available
The fund will initially award grants of up to £10,000 to community projects and initiatives that help people in and around the Lake District, such as helping young people access skills, jobs and build confidence, and supporting older people suffering from dementia, hardship, or loneliness.
Grants will also be considered for activities to help people access the outdoors, mental health support, as well as community owned initiatives such as community shops, pubs and village halls in rural areas.
Claire Logan Stephens, who has donated to the fund, said: “I, like many holiday homeowners, have a deep affection for Cumbria and I really want to help the local communities to thrive.
“I feel fortunate to own a holiday home in Troutbeck and giving a week’s rent back to help local causes feels like the right thing to do, especially after such a busy year with bookings.
“This fund provides an easy and transparent way to make a difference and will further enhance the county’s reputation for promoting responsible and ethical tourism.”
Cumbria Tourism is also helping to promote the initiative.
Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “We are happy to support this initiative from the foundation, who, along with the holiday let company Travel Chapter, are one of our strategic partners.
“We will be sharing details of the fund with our members and would encourage those who have the means to do so to support it if they can.”
The Cumbria Home from Home Fund also gives a mechanism for second homeowners who do not let their property to show their love of the Lake District by giving back to the communities that host them.
Second homeowners are already coming forward to support the fund by donating the equivalent of a week’s rental to the fund to help support the communities that maintain the landscape and lifestyle that drew them to the area.
