Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities – December 2025
December 18, 2025
Welcome to Cumbria CVS’s Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities for December 2025. 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.
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
COUNTYWIDE – The Big Mental Health Report 2025
This is the second year MIND have shared their annual look at mental health in England and Wales. The report shows how people are doing, how services are working, and what still needs to change. With support from Centre for Mental Health and research partners, MIND have pulled together the clearest picture yet of mental health today.
The Big Mental Health Report is for anyone looking for trusted information on how mental health problems affect people in England and Wales. Click here to view it.
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – HomeWell: Children & Young Peoples’ Mental Health Urgent Care Fund Overview
We are seeking to support innovative projects that make a real difference for children and young people aged 10–18 in North Cumbria. The aim is to provide timely, compassionate support outside of regular hours, helping young people and their families through challenging times and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. The service will focus on providing intensive, home-based support for children and young people who are at imminent risk of psychiatric hospital admission or have recently been discharged, ensuring timely intervention at critical moments when support is most needed.
Projects should:
• provide support across the North Cumbria NHS footprint be ready to help within 48 hours when a young person is in need.
• deliver focused mental health support, including home visits, to help young people feel safe and supported
• combine therapeutic interventions, family support, and crisis planning to create lasting positive change
• prioritise the safety and wellbeing of young people at every stage
• commit to the delivery and reporting standards to be set out at the Briefing session.
How much can you apply for?
• collaborative projects: up to £138,000
• individual organisations: up to £46,000
Closing date for applications and award notification:
• apply by: 23rd January 2026
• shortlisting: week beginning 2nd February
• shortlisted applicants present to panel: Week beginning 16 March 2026 (for shortlisted applicants)
• funding Decisions Announced: 23rd March 2026.
• project start date: 1st April 2026.
• additional reporting requirements will be added after/and discussed at the briefing session
Click here for more information.
COPELAND DISTRICT – Expanding Hope Haven to offer walk-in support at The Senhouse Centre
In December, walk-in support will be available between 9:30am – 4:30pm on:
- Tuesday 9th
- Friday 12th
- Tuesday 16th
- Thursday 18th
- Friday 19th
- Tuesday 23rd
- Tuesday 30th
- Friday 2nd January
And from January 6th, people will be able to walk-in to the Senhouse Centre for support EVERY Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 9:30am – 4:30pm.
(We will shortly be distributing posters and other materials which you can share to help us promote this in the new year.)
We are here if someone is worried about their (or someone else’s) mental health or mood, needs help with physical health and fitness, to tackle drug or alcohol addiction, or advice on housing, work, or money problems.
People will get a warm welcome from one of our team, and we’ll listen to find out how we can help.
Since launching in March this year, Hope Haven now also offers:
- Telephone support open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday on 01946 556 136
- A ‘Virtual Safe Haven’, offering video-call appointments between 4pm-midnight every day with trained mental health and peer support workers, bookable any time online at https://wcmhp.org.uk/hope-haven
- Drop-in sessions and activities ranging from housing and benefits advice, support for carers, to wellbeing walks and chair-based exercise classes
- Community outreach such as monthly visits to care homes
- A Chatty Café every Friday 10am – midday at Cross’s Coffee Shop, helping to tackle loneliness
We’re still hard at work getting our main building on King Street ready to offer walk-in support every single day of the week – we’ll be sharing more updates about this soon.
But Hope Haven is more than just a building, and since March we’ve already supported over 550 people.
Follow Hope Haven on Facebook @HopeHavenCumbria, visit our webpage, or call us on 01946 556136 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.
COUNTYWIDE – Work and Health “Link and Think” event
A networking and information sharing event for link workers (social prescribers, health and wellbeing coaches, care coordinators and more) and any organisations who support people around work, wellbeing and health.
This could be as part of one of the big programs such as Work Well or Connect to Work, but equally it could be local, small scale and everything in between!
Link workers will find out more about the various programs and organisations that can help anyone struggling to balance health, wellbeing and work. VCFSE organisations can connect with the link workers who are well placed to support people into their services.
Tables are available for stalls but must be reserved in advance by emailing hollyf@cumbriacvs.org.uk.
Agenda to follow, but a networking buffet lunch will be provided free of charge from 12.30.
When
4th, February 2026 from 09:30 to 13:00
Location
Wigton Market Hall
Church Street
Wigton, CA7 9AA
Click here to book on
COUNTYWIDE – Suicide Prevention conference 23.04.2026 – early bird rate available
Every Life Matters are pleased to invite you to their next Suicide Prevention Conference, taking place on Thursday, April 23rd, 2026, at Rheged, Penrith.
This year’s theme, “Take action. Prevent suicide.”, focuses on the practical steps we can all take to save lives and support those affected by suicide across Cumbria.
This full-day event brings together inspirational speakers, interactive workshops, and hands-on training to equip individuals, organisations, and community groups with the skills and confidence to help create a Suicide Safer Cumbria.
Whether you work in a school, a workplace, health or public services, the third or faith sectors, a sports club, or are attending as an individual – join us in our mission.
Your ticket includes:
- Keynote speakers
- Three sessions
- Networking opportunities
Early Bird Tickets – Now Available
Save £10 by booking before January 16th, 2026.
£85 – Private Sector
£65 – Charity, Community & Public Sectors
From January 17th 2026, tickets will be £95 / £75, you are strongly encouraged to book early to secure both your preferred sessions and the reduced rate.
Find out more and book your space HERE
WEST CUMBRIA area – Understanding & Tackling Digital Exclusion FREE workshop 28.01.2026
Interactive Workshop for the Voluntary and Community Sector (FREE)
With over 32% of UK adults unable to carry out basic digital tasks (68% of these living alone) it’s key that all our organisations understand about digital exclusion and it’s impact on health, care and isolation.
Digital access is now essential for everyday life — from managing money and healthcare to staying connected. But for many people, the digital world still feels out of reach.
It is genuinely a great workshop for laying that foundation of understanding around what Digital Exclusion is, who it affects and importantly, what we can collectively do to support them.
Workshop date: Wednesday 28 January 2026
Time: 09:30 – 11:30
Venue: Rosehill Theatre, Whitehaven
Registration is essential. Click here to register
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Can you help – Stroke Bone Health study survey
Northumbria University are exploring knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding bone health and fall-related fractures after stroke to help inform the development of digital health interventions.
They are looking for:
- UK-based stroke survivors (aged 18+)
- Carers or family members
- Healthcare professionals working with stroke survivors
The survey takes just 10–15 minutes, and all participants are entered into a £50 prize draw.
Survey Links:
- For Healthcare Professionals: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northumbria/healthcare-professionals-survey
- For Carers:https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northumbria/carers-survey
For Stroke Survivors:https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/northumbria/stroke-survivors-survey
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Medical Humanities in Practice Research Fellowships 2026
Do you think that Medical Humanities approaches or methods could help you to better understand a critical issue in your practice?
Applications have now opened for our Medical Humanities in Practice Research Fellowship scheme, which aims to support professionals and researchers from Health or Voluntary and Community sectors to develop research within the medical humanities.
This year-long, funded Fellowship will enable you to develop or deliver a research project through a Medical Humanities lens on a critical issue encountered in your practice, while continuing your existing professional role.
This scheme seeks to support development of new research questions and methods, new understandings of experiences of health and wellbeing and/or enable seldom heard groups to shape health and mental health research.
Applications are particularly encouraged for research projects which set out to explore health challenges arising at the intersection of mental health and health inequalities.
The deadline for applications is 30 January 2026, 12:00 pm (noon).
To find out more about the Fellowships and how to apply visit
Practice Research Fellowship Scheme | The Platform
Sue Crumbie
Clinical Audit & Effectiveness Facilitator
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Research & Development, Innovation and Clinical Effectiveness
Email: susan.crumbie@cntw.nhs.uk
COUNTYWIDE – Get involved in consultation on fair pay agreement adult social care workers should be agreed
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is seeking the views of individuals and organisations about fair pay agreements.
This consultation aims to gather views from the sector on how to establish the best way to collectively agree a fair pay agreement.
We want to know how you think a fair pay agreement for adult social care workers should be agreed. Your answers will help DHSC understand what people think about:
- the group that talks about pay, called the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body
- the steps to agree pay
- who and what is included in the agreement
- how to solve problems if people disagree
- how to put the agreement in place
- how to make sure the rules are followed
The consultation is open for 15 weeks.
Follow this link for more information:
