Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities – August 2025
August 12, 2025
Welcome to Cumbria CVS’s Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities for July ’25. This page will be updated regularly, so we are delighted you have landed here today and hope that you will keep coming back for updates during the month.
To catch up on our News, Events & Opportunities from July 2025, click here
Lots of the News, Events and Opportunities information will also be appearing in our regular Health and Wellbeing Bulletin. This Bulletin is sent out to all current members of our two Networks: Action for Health and the Mental Health Provider Forum. If you have found this page useful why not join either or both Networks by following these links:
News – we will be using this as an opportunity to pick out particularly important/interesting articles from our most recent Bulletin and/or highlighting information that might be time sensitive.
Events – we will be using this as an opportunity to highlight events of interest to organisations interested in health and care issues including Network events. Most of these will be local Cumbria events but some maybe regional.
Opportunities – we will be using this to highlight health and care focused funding and project opportunities, representative roles and working groups you might want to get involved in and much more. These will focus on Cumbria but may also include regional opportunities.
If you’ve seen something you think we should be sharing, let us know! Email us:
Clare Edwards claree@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Holly Ferguson hollyf@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Sarah Penn sarah.penn@cumbriacvs.org.uk
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Latest Boost Bulletin
In the Bulletin this month:
- National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme
- Volunteers wanted to help us shape the next generation of the Boost website
- New wellbeing resource launches (for all health & care staff/volunteers)
Lots of FREE training opportunities
Click here to view the bulletin.
SOUTH CUMBRIA NHS area – NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB appoints new chief executive Aaron Cummins
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is pleased to announce that, following a robust and inclusive recruitment process, Aaron Cummins has been appointed as the organisation’s next chief executive, pending formal national approval.
With over two decades of senior leadership experience within the NHS, Aaron will bring strong leadership and skills to the role and financial and quality improvement experience. Aaron is currently chief executive at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and will join in November. The ICB will benefit from his leadership of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Provider Collaborative and build on his knowledge of the ICB through his partner member role on the ICB Board
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – NENC Annual Report
Our annual report summary for 2024 – 25 highlights the many shared achievements with partners, including:
• innovations to improve patient care
• work being done to tackle smoking and alcohol harm
• clinical conditions plan to help prevent and treat the illnesses that affect our communities most
• work underway through our housing, health and care, and health and growth accelerator programmes to reduce the inequalities
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Poverty Proofing: Workshop Series! Facilitated by Children North East
Join Us for the “Poverty Proofing: Workshop Series! Facilitated by Children North East
Are you ready to drive real change in healthcare access? This powerful sequence of three collaborative workshops is designed specifically for social prescribers who want to deepen their understanding of poverty’s impact on health—and create meaningful, systemic improvements within their services.
Please note, that ALL workshops must be attended when booking on.
Workshop 1 will also have an online option which will take place on 20th August 10am-1pm. Click here to book to attend Workshop 1 online.
Workshop Highlights:
• Workshop 1: (3rd September 2025 – 10am-1pm) Dive into comprehensive training on how poverty influences health outcomes.
• Workshop 2: (6th November 2025 – 10am-1pm)Learn compassionate strategies for talking to patients about poverty, capturing patient voice, and identifying barriers to care.
• Workshop 3: (22nd January 2025 10am-1pm) Take your insights to action with practical planning at individual, service, and trust levels.
This is an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow social prescribers, exchange ideas, and work toward a more equitable healthcare system. Together, we’ll explore how to make your service more accessible, more inclusive, and more responsive to the realities of poverty.
Let’s turn knowledge into action—reserve your place today!
Click here to book onto the event.
KESWICK AND SOLWAY area – Keswick & Solway Neighbourhood Population Health – Third Sector Event
Keswick and Solway ICC Population Health Third Sector Showcase.
Come and meet up to 100 staff based at GP practices across the Keswick and Solway Integrated Care area (this includes Aspatria, Dalston, Wigton, Keswick, Silloth, Caldbeck and Kirkbride).
The practices are hoping to understand more about the community support available to their patients so they can improve the health of everyone, especially those who are most in need.
Staff will be encouraged to browse a 3rd Sector ‘Market Place’ over their lunch, 1-2.30pm, then will be free again 3.45-4.15 in between lived experience sessions.
There is space for 20 organisations, 2 per 6ft table provided by the Market Hall, and we can’t guarantee any plug socket access.
Practice staff do not need to sign up, only the VCSE organisations who would like a stall.
17th, September 2025 from 13:00 to 16:15
Wigton Market Hall
Church Street
Wigton, CA7 9AA
Click here to book onto the event.
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – FREE Lunch with our Integrated Care Community (ICC) Reps Tuesday 30.09.2025 12.30pm to 1.30pm
You are invited to a FREE lunch on 30.09.2025 at Wigton Market Hall, Wigton.
This is an opportunity for you to meet the New team of ICC Third Sector Representative who represent our sector in the 7 ICCs across North Cumbria.
• Find out about how the ICCs work in your area
• Why not offer to come & speak about your organisation’s services at an ICC meeting
• Share new projects and ideas for partnership working that you would like to talk about with other ICC staff
• Perhaps you have a strong lived experience story you want to share with ICC staff
• Find out how you can get more involved in ICCs in your area
The NEW NHS 10 Year Plan talks a lot about Neighbourhood Teams and concepts of delivering health and care services through more integrated Teams. This is your opportunity to come and find out how this is already starting to happen in North Cumbria and how you can get involved.
Click here to book onto the event.
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – New funding available for Social Prescribing Projects – applications open
VONNE is delighted to announce the launch of a new round of investments into the VCSE sector through our 2025/26 Healthy Communities & Social Prescribing Grants Scheme.
Funded as part of the ICB’s Healthier and Fairer programme, the scheme will fund up to 8 new projects, with grants of £15,000 to £30,000 available to VCSE organisations.
This new grants scheme aims to strengthen and improve social prescribing and improve outcomes for people living and working across the North East and North Cumbria.
Projects must be delivered by the end of March 2026, and have strategic significance and potential for application across the region. For example, could your organisation:
• help improve social prescribing effectiveness, e.g. by developing new approaches/resources?
• support the development of impact measurement systems and tools for social prescribing?
• help tackle health inequalities in marginalised communities with unmet health and wellbeing needs?
• or promote and build awareness of and value in social prescribing services?
If you are interested in delivering a project in support of any of these priority areas, and are a VCSE organisation based in the North East and North Cumbria region, please do consider applying for the funding.
Full details are available in this HC&SP Grants Scheme Outline.
Applications should be made using this Expression of Interest Form.
EOI forms must be emailed to healthandwellbeing@vonne.org.uk by 12 noon on Monday 11th August 2025.
Applications will be assessed by a panel and decisions notified by Thursday 11th September 2025.
If you have any queries about this Grants Scheme please contact: healthandwellbeing@vonne.org.uk
COUNTYWIDE – Cumbria Economic Inactivity Survey
Economic inactivity is a major policy priority in the UK, driven by concerns over both labour shortages in key sectors and rising numbers of people unable to work due to health issues. This issue is highly complex, involving diverse groups with varied barriers to work, highlighting the need for a more proactive and tailored support approach. It is a prevalent, persistent and increasing issue in Cumbria. with far reaching implications for individuals, their life chances and prospects, and the local economy.
GC Insight have been commissioned to deliver a detailed and comprehensive analysis of economic inactivity in Cumbria. The study will provide vital evidence and the main guidance for potential actions to inform the development of Cumbria’s Get Britain Working Plan
VCFSE organisations will often be working directly with economically inactive people. Your frontline knowledge is crucial in helping us understand the real barriers people face and the support that makes a difference. Your input will help us build a deeper understanding of the challenges and impacts of economic inactivity in the region and guide future action.
We have two requests to make of you:
1. Support from you to disseminate / promote an anonymous survey to local people who are economically inactive.
2. Your participation in a short consultation.
Please contact Olivia Wilson olivia.wilson@gcinsght.co.uk to et us know some dates and times over the next two to three weeks that would work for you for an online consultation, and we will arrange this with one of the research team. It won’t take more than an hour.
If you’re unable to take part, we would welcome a recommendation of a colleague who may be better placed to do so, and if it’s more appropriate for us to speak to a small group, we can do this too.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Olivia if you have any questions or require any adjustments during the consultation.
WESTMORLAND AND FURNESS COUNCIL – Help for Residents in Crisis – Fuel Vouchers & More
Westmorland & Furness Council have now launched a Crisis Support Scheme (funded by the Household Support Fund) for vulnerable residents across the Westmorland and Furness council area, aimed at helping people stay healthy at home while reducing the pressure of energy costs.
Through this scheme, eligible households can access a range of free support, including:
• Fuel vouchers of up to £300
• Energy-saving appliances such as electric throws, air fryers, microwaves, and dehumidifiers.
• Access our professional draught-proofing service to help keep homes warmer and reduce energy waste.
This support is specifically targeted at residents who are in crisis or vulnerable situations. Alongside these measures, each household will also receive tailored energy advice to help them achieve ongoing savings and improve their wellbeing in the long term.
Referrals can be made in the following ways:
• By email: homes@futureproofcumbria.org.uk
• By completing our webform: Apply for Homes Assistance – Futureproof Cumbria
• Or by phone: 01768 216 500
