August 10, 2023

An award of £58k will help voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations in the former West Allerdale footprint to become more sustainable and resilient.

The award will pay for a new Development Officer for the year, with the role providing support to organisations to help them develop and deliver quality services, access funding to sustain their activity, and recruit and train volunteers.

Community Investment Funding to support this project was awarded to us by the Allerdale GDF Community Partnership and will provide much needed support to groups in Dearham and Broughton; Maryport North, Maryport South, Harrington, Moorclose & Moss Bay, Seaton, St John’s and Great Clifton, and St Michaels.

The Allerdale GDF Community Partnership provides access to £1million Community Investment Funding per year from the GDF developer as discussions progress around whether a Geological Disposal Facility could be right for Allerdale and if Allerdale is the right place for a GDF.

A GDF is a highly engineered facility designed to safely and securely dispose of ‘higher activity’ radioactive waste, deep underground.

We are now recruiting for the new Development Officer, and are looking for people already linked with or working with local communities, with the position offering a development opportunity and a chance to help make a real difference to the local community.

The locally based, tailored, support they will provide aims to build on the skills and talents already within communities and organisations across the area, enabling them to flourish. They will also help support local groups to apply to a range of funders to support their local communities and their activities.

Anyone interested in the role can contact Bridget Johns for an informal chat – bridget.johns@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Mary Bradley, Chair of Allerdale GDF Community Partnership said “The Community Partnership are extremely pleased to award Cumbria CVS with this grant which will help them to continue their essential support for third sector groups within the Allerdale Search Area.

“The success of our third sector is vital to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of local people and we are grateful to Cumbria CVS for the work they do in supporting local voluntary and community organisations to achieve their potential.”

Bridget Johns, Cumbria CVS’s District Manager (Cumberland) added “I’m really excited that we will be offering dedicated support to community groups operating in in the wards in the former Allerdale footprint. I’m looking forward to working with the new Development Officer and the groups in this area.”