A new chair has been appointed for a West Cumbrian organisation set up to tackle poverty and homelessness.
Luke Richardson has been named as the new chair for Time to Change (West Cumbria) Project CIC.
Time to Change was founded in 2013 by Rachel Holliday and its first project was Calderwood House, an emergency homeless hostel in the former Egremont police station, which is now in its 10th year of operation.
It runs several community projects including Away From It All, a joint project with Mothers Union to provide a caravan holiday by the sea for families and children who are unable to afford one, emergency shelter packs for the street homeless, grab bags for victims of domestic abuse who flee their home and a community centre providing a space for local support groups at Kells, run with Copeland Citizens Advice Bureau and Together We CIC.
Luke said: “It’s an honour to step into the role. I’ve long admired the organisation’s unwavering commitment to tackling some of the most pressing issues facing our community — from homelessness to domestic abuse.
“I’m looking forward to working alongside Rachel, the board, and the incredible team to help shape a future where everyone in West Cumbria has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we will continue to turn compassion into action and lasting impact.”
Rachel said: “Luke has always been a great support to TTC and all the projects we have been involved in over the years.
“I’m delighted Luke will bring his experience of his current community work and his social impact knowledge to help us grow and expand our services within West Cumbria.
“We value all our directors who work tirelessly throughout the year as committed volunteers and I personally value their support to me, without them we would be unable to operate all our life-saving projects.”
