A £6.5 million project launched to support people in West Cumbria has won a national award.
Transforming West Cumbria, led by Sellafield Ltd and Cumbria Community Foundation, has been honoured as Social Value Initiative of the Year at the prestigious Institute of Economic Development Annual Awards 2025.
The project was created by Cumbria Community Foundation and Sellafield Ltd in 2020.
The five-year initiative promised to bring laser focus on the causes of inequality in the area’s most vulnerable communities.
Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority invested £2.2m to help West Cumbria’s most vulnerable.
Among the initiatives were:
- a £1.3m fund for community and voluntary groups
- £660,000 to support families
- £175,000 to fund financial education
- schemes to nurture young entrepreneurs
- and a drive to make community activism the norm for young people
The Social Value Initiative of the Year award, which this year is sponsored by The Growth Company, recognises projects, teams or individuals which have championed and made a significant contribution to social value creation, developing best practice in their field and making positive impacts in their communities.
The partners’ submission said it had addressed the root causes of disadvantage across West Cumbria and generated exceptional social value.
iED director and former Chair Bev Hurley CBE, who hosted the awards honouring achievements across the public and private sectors, said: “Our judges praised Transforming West Cumbria as a benchmark for place-based social investment.
“The programme exemplifies strategic vision, deep collaboration, and measurable impact.
“With £19.9 million in social value generated, it addresses disadvantage through innovative, thematic delivery, empowers communities across generations, and serves as a replicable model of inclusive growth.
“This benchmark initiative in social value demonstrates how strategic design, inclusive delivery, and measurable outcomes can transform lives and communities.”
Tracey West, head of social impact, Sellafield Ltd, said: “We are honoured that the Transforming West Cumbria programme has been recognised nationally.
“We know that the programme has had wide-ranging, lasting impact on local communities. The programme has directly supported hundreds of local organisations and thousands of individuals and families, achieving significant outcomes in mental health support, financial wellbeing, early years development and many, many more areas.
“We are grateful for the support of all our delivery partners who have helped make Transforming West Cumbria such a success.”
Jenny Benson, director of programmes & partnerships, Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “Our collaborative approach has ensured that Transforming West Cumbria has remained responsive to community’s needs, whilst bringing about real and lasting change.
“Importantly this prestigious award recognises the work and passions of everyone involved, from those delivering key services, skilled volunteers, expert mentors to match funders and steering group members.”
