Over £100,000 will be shared between good causes and charities in Cumbria, thanks to the Cumberland.
The Cumberland Hospice Accounts generated a total pot of £55,196.20, which will be shared equally between Hospice at Home West Cumbria, Eden Valley Hospice, and Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland.
Each organisation will receive £18,398.73, which will go directly towards providing end-of-life care and vital support for patients and families across the county.
Jessica Woolaghan, partnerships and fundraising co-ordinator, Hospice at Home West Cumbria, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Cumberland Building Society Affinity Accounts for their generous donation of over £18,000.
“This remarkable support will help us to continue providing care, offering comfort, dignity, and peace to patients and their families across West Cumbria.’’
The building society’s initiatives also benefit everything from sport to the natural world.
This year, the Cumberland Blues Affinity Account raised £7,130.11 for Carlisle United, continuing the society’s close relationship with the football club.
Through the Cumberland’s partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the society is funding conservation work to protect endangered red squirrels, a much-loved species whose numbers are under pressure.
This year’s donation of £22,000 is supporting ranger Joshua Adams, who is working in the red squirrels’ Lakeland heartland between Grasmere and Grizedale.
His role involves monitoring populations, protecting habitats, and engaging with local communities to ensure these much-loved animals have a future in Cumbria’s woodlands.
James Jolly, donor support officer at the trust, said: “This support has enabled us to provide a red squirrel ranger to set up and keep clean red squirrel feeding and monitoring stations, to give them the best chance of survival. In addition, specially designed drey boxes have been installed to provide nesting places for them to give birth and rear kits.
“The partnership with the Cumberland is about more than just financial support though, as many of the building society’s colleagues have helped out with practical activities to help improve nature in Cumbria.”
Community giving also extended to The Cumberland’s 175th annual general meeting in July. For every member who cast a vote, the society pledged to donate £2 to its Kinder Kind of Kitchen initiative, which supports organisations tackling food insecurity.
A total of 8,081 members took part, with all resolutions passed and £16,162 raised.
Of this, £14,098 will go to FareShare Lancashire and Cumbria, helping to provide meals for people in need across the region.
A further £2,064 will support FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland, extending the impact beyond Cumbria’s borders.
The Cumberland’s colleagues have also played their part. Every year, when employees take part in the society’s internal engagement survey, B Heard, The Cumberland pledges a donation to FareShare Cumbria and Lancashire.
Contributions from both the 2024 and 2025 surveys will add up to a further £2,578, providing additional funding for an organisation that plays a crucial role in redistributing surplus food to charities and community groups.
Victoria Rose, cluster manager for Workington and Whitehaven said: “The Cumberland’s members and colleagues continue to help us make a real difference in our communities.
“Through support of local hospices, foodbanks, wildlife conservation and more, we’re working together to assist these organisations that play crucial roles in Cumbria and beyond. We’re incredibly proud of the impact these contributions are making” she said.
