Young people living in West Cumbria who are passionate about their community are urged to help make a difference.
Cumbria Community Foundation is looking for youngsters aged 16 to 25 to join the 2022 #CanDo Youth Advisory Panel.
#CanDo encourages community organisations to apply for funding for community projects, led by young people.
The applications are then considered by a youth committee, who have their say in which projects they feel will make a difference in their communities and should be supported.
This is the third round of recruitment for the committee.
Amie Todhunter, 22 of Whitehaven, said: “The #CanDo youth committee is a great way to socialise and meet new people while also helping to fund important and necessary youth-led social action in West Cumbria.
“Meeting people with the same attitude and mindset has been really important as we’ve all come together from different areas and backgrounds to discuss significant ways to help groups create their own changes in their area.”
Toni-Anne Wardle, 19, of Whitehaven, said: “I have really enjoyed being on the #CanDo committee. It has strengthened my confidence and communication skills, I have learned the real value of funding and helping young people and organisations with their work.”
Over the past two years, the youth committee has awarded £98,128 in funding to 22 youth-led projects in West Cumbria, including Community Alcohol Partnership’s, Young Health Champions programme. This supported young people to achieve a Level 2 qualification which aims to give them the skills, knowledge, and confidence to act as peer mentors to help young people to improve their health and wellbeing and understand unhealthy behaviours like alcohol misuse.
Funded by Sellafield Ltd as part of its SiX – Social Impact Multiplied programme, with match funding from Thomas Graham & Sons and local donors, #CanDo is part of Transforming West Cumbria, a multi-year social investment programme developed by Cumbria Community Foundation.
Stuart McCourt, education, community and development lead at Sellafield, said: “The #CanDo programme enables young people across West Cumbria to turn their ideas into reality and make a real difference in their communities. It is a programme where young peoples voices are heard and all the decisions are made by their peers.”
Annalee Holliday, senior grants and programmes officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are very excited to be offering this opportunity again to young people in West Cumbria. The committee was launched in 2020 and has been very successful. We believe that young people should be heard and have their views valued and acted upon.
“Young people have enormous potential to make a positive change – their involvement is crucial to the future of our communities. The young people on the panel bring expertise and a fresh pair of eyes to help us decide which projects are funded.”
Applications to join the #CanDo Youth Advisory Committee are open now and will close on Friday August 8 at 5pm. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday September 6 at 5pm.
For more information or to apply visit, www.cumbriafoundation.org/transforming-west-cumbria/cando
