February 5, 2026

People in Kendal are being asked what they’re “bothered about” – and what could be done to address these issues. Give a Day to Kendal 2026 aims to bring together the people with a passion for making a change with the volunteers who could get involved to make that difference.

It might be to tidy up an unloved area, a local facility in need of support, or a DIY-SOS style makeover – to take place throughout the first week of June 2026 which is national Volunteers Week. The ideas must come from the community, and be community-focused, so they deliver tangible positive and enduring outcomes for the residents, groups and neighbourhoods in Kendal. These might be based around community spaces, schools, cultural or sports facilities, and should aim to make life better for people, the climate and biodiversity, health and wellbeing or accessibility, for example. Each project will have a Community Champion or small team who lead the project, with support from the Give a Day to Kendal team.

Over the coming months the hunt will be on to identify a number of different projects across Kendal to be undertaken during Volunteers Week, and to recruit the willing individuals to help deliver these projects. Volunteers could sign up on their own, or with a team from their school or neighbourhood. Give a Day to Kendal is also looking to local employers who have corporate responsibility programmes to get involved, for example through workforce volunteering schemes and/or sponsoring some of the cost of materials where relevant. The projects should present a challenge but be achievable within the timeframe.

There is no direct funding available from the organisers: projects must be achievable without paid funding, relying instead on donated time, skills, materials or equipment from volunteers, local organisations or businesses. Wherever possible, materials, tools and expertise should be sourced locally to support community connections and reduce environmental impact.

Give a Day to Kendal has previously delivered projects including creating a vegetable garden and raised bed garden at Eskdale House, a supported living scheme for adults with learning disabilities. Organisations and individuals donated time, expertise, materials, and machinery to make it happen. It is hoped that scaling up Give a Day to Kendal in 2026 will enable more people to experience the buzz of volunteering on a worthwhile project and deliver more benefits to Kendal.

Give a Day to Kendal 2026 is being coordinated by Churches Together in Cumbria, Cumbria CVS, Kendal Town Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. Projects will be considered from Kendal and the immediate satellite villages including Oxenholme, Natland, Brigsteer and Burneside, within a 3 mile radius of Kendal Town Hall.

Jonny Gios, who is chairing Give a Day to Kendal 2026, said “I’m really excited to see Give a Day to Kendal grow and flourish. It can only develop by more people getting involved and making a difference however small. All those small generous acts can be infectious and build a greater community spirit for all residents. If you’re at all bothered about any part of Kendal, why not get involved with many others who want to make a difference in our beautiful town.”

Councillor Helen Chaffey, the Westmorland and Furness Cabinet Member for Communities, Customer Services, Culture and Communications, added: “I am delighted to see Give a Day to Kendal is growing bigger, which will mean more lasting impacts for the communities of Kendal, and more people getting to experience the benefits of giving a day as a volunteer. This is Community Power in action: empowering individuals to make a difference to where they live, bringing significant wider benefits for all.”

If you wish to nominate a project click here. Give a Day to Kendal 2026 looks forward to hearing from you – and seeing you in the first week of June!