A £50,000 partnership has been launched to provide support to charities, community organisations and social enterprises across Cumbria.
The initiative is backed by £50,000 of funding from the Freemason Charity and is a collaboration between the Freemasons of Cumberland and Westmorland and Cumbria CVS.
Freemasons and Communities: Building Stronger Together was developed to help voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations address increasing demand for services, funding pressures and ongoing challenges in recruiting skilled volunteers.
The work builds on previous volunteering by local Freemasons, who recently partnered with Cumbria CVS for the Building Together For Good project.
Members supported fundraising efforts at Cartmel Racecourse for Cartmel Primary School’s Goes Wild initiative.
Volunteers helped raise £10,500 for a new all-seasons outdoor play and learning environment, which was more than double the original £5,000 target.
Through the new funding, Cumbria CVS will expand its capacity to deliver one-to-one support, governance advice, funding guidance and practical workshops to organisations throughout Cumbria.
A volunteering programme will also connect Freemasons, their partners and families with local groups that need specialist expertise in areas such as finance, IT, property management, construction, project planning, governance and strategy.
Nick Wilson, head of the Freemasons of Cumberland and Westmorland, said: “This £50,000 funding and future partnership shows Freemasonry at its best and reflects our aim of Building Friendships and Serving Communities.
“By combining the expertise of our members with the reach and experience of Cumbria CVS, we can strengthen the charities, social enterprises and community groups that hold our communities together.
“We know that many organisations are facing significant pressures. Through both financial support and practical volunteering, we want to help ensure they have the skills, resilience and confidence they need to continue serving local people for years to come.”
