December 23, 2025

Well, 2025 certainly ended in a bit of a blur!

Our AGM was on the 3rd December, but we barely seemed to have a chance to blink before we were into Christmas parties, school holidays, and Christmas itself.

So what did we learn at our AGM about what devolution looks like for Cumbria? If you weren’t able to be there, you can read the slides here. We heard that it opens up new opportunities for funding, and for influence, that are only open to Mayoral Combined Authorities.

But, importantly, we were reminded that it’s about ensuring that decisions that are currently made in London will move towards being made in Cumbria – it’s certainly not about going back to Cumbria County Council – both of the “new” Unitaries (Cumberland Council & Westmorland and Furness Council) will still exist, and will keep doing what they’re currently doing – there’s not going to be a sudden return to county-wide services.

And what might the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector want from devolution? Warren Escadale gave us some ideas from other parts of the North West and beyond. Representation on the Combined Authority (and/or its working groups), and the ability to influence as it develops its policies? A secondment role to champion the role of the VCFSE from within the Combined Authority? Agreed principles about how we work together? A commitment to devolving some decisions even closer to communities? A Combined Authority that’s big, bold, and cares about people?

We gathered some early thoughts, around some of the key responsibilities of a Combined Authority, in the afternoon workshops. And those people who expressed an interest in staying involved will soon get an invite to some online workshops as we start to develop a VCFSE Manifesto for Cumbria. Mayoral elections might not be until May 2027, but there are plenty of opportunities to get involved, and to influence its development, before that.

And somewhere in that pre-Christmas rush, the Cumbria Combined Authority moved a step closer to existing, as the statutory instrument to establish it was laid in Parliament…..

 

Carolyn Otley
Chief Executive
Cumbria CVS