Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities – May 2026
May 19, 2026
Welcome to Cumbria CVS’s Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities for May 2026. 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
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – NCIC appoints Trudie Davies as permanent Chief Executive
Trudie Davies has been appointed as permanent Chief Executive at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust after just nine months in her interim role.
NHS England have backed the permanent appointment to help drive the rapid transformation needed. Confirmation of the appointment brings further stability to the Trust, building on strong early signs of recovery under Trudie’s leadership.
Trudie Davies qualified as a nurse in 1995 in north Devon, before moving into management roles in service and performance improvement in a range of NHS organisations including Leicester, Leeds, Mid Yorkshire and most recently as Chief Executive at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Under Trudie’s interim leadership, performance is showing clear signs of improvement following a renewed focus on quality and safety. The Trust is now seeing reductions in waiting times for operations, diagnostic tests and cancer care. Urgent and emergency care performance has also improved, meaning patients across North Cumbria are already experiencing the benefits. Trudie credits this improvement to the hard work of our staff. She is committed to the belief that if we have happy staff, we will have happy patients and will therefore continue her drive to support an improved culture which puts staff health and well -being as a core pillar of success.
A major new £4m investment has been agreed at the Board of Directors to strengthen urgent and emergency care services. The programme will implement a series of measures to improve the range of services available, avoiding unnecessary treatment to hospital and speeding up access to the right care at the right time for patients and ensuring that our staff can provide the highest standards of care and feel proud of what they do.
Trudie said: “It’s an absolute honour and a real privilege to have been appointed as Chief Executive at such an important moment. Since I arrived I’ve been made to feel so welcome by colleagues and the wider community and I’ve already learned so much from the incredible people here. North Cumbria is full of talented and dedicated people, who care passionately about their health services and inspire me every single day with their dedication to making a real difference.
“Together we have already begun to make encouraging steps forward on the challenges ahead, and it’s clear to me just how much potential this organisation holds. I’m genuinely excited about what we can achieve together. My focus is now on accelerating our recovery and delivering safe, high-quality care for all of our communities.”
Chair Stephen Singleton said: “I am delighted that Trudie has been confirmed in post. She has already made a huge impact in the Trust and we are seeing positive signs of moving in the right direction. We still have a lot to do, but we can be confident that we are moving forward with a very able permanent CEO supported by a strong leadership team. I know that colleagues across the organisation will welcome this stability and get behind Trudie and the team.”
Lead Governor, Jacqueline Nicol, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that NHS England have recognised the progress the Trust has made under Trudie’s leadership. She has already made a noticeable difference in how people feel and work across the Trust. Her energy and compassion has already started to lift this organisation, and her permanent appointment gives us great confidence for the future.”
COUNTYWIDE – UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry report into impact on healthcare
The Inquiry’s third report has been published, following its investigation into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems in the four nations of the UK (Module 3). This includes a chapter on the devastating impact of those receiving and providing palliative and end of life care during the pandemic, and their families, friends and loved ones.
WESTMORLAND AND FURNESS COUNCIL area – Weekly News: Helping veterans and serving personnel | Annual Plan for 2026 – 2027 | New Togetherness Service
In this week’s edition:
• TOP STORY: Helping veterans and serving personnel and their families across W&F
• This week’s headlines:
• In other news…
• The latest job vacancies from Westmorland and Furness Council
Click here to read more information
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Arts and Culture Link and Think
Castle Street
Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 8TP
Link workers will find out more about the various arts & culture in health activities on offer and learn more about how arts and culture can support the people they work with. VCFSE arts and culture organisations can connect with the link workers and explore how access to their health-focused activities could be supported.
The event will be followed by a ‘bring your own’ picnic in the Tullie grounds, and the team at Tullie are offering tours of the galleries in the afternoon.
Join the Tullie team inside the new automata exhibition to hear about why visiting museums and art galleries can be beneficial for our health and wellbeing. Learn more about our community programme, plus added extra – have a go at some slow-looking or sketching to wind down.
Link workers will also be able to attend a ‘Connect the Connector’ session directly afterwards to catch up with their colleagues in other teams/organisations. Please book this separately here.
There will be space for stalls to showcase your organisation but these must be booked in advance by emailing hollyf@cumbriacvs.org.uk.
Click here to book onto the event.
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Connect the connector
Castle Street
Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 8TP
The aim is to share challenges, successes, tears and joy! This follows on from a ‘Link and Think’ event on Arts and Culture 10-12.30, also at Tullie which can be booked here. You can attend both or either, and there will be a ‘bring your own’ networking picnic lunch in between.
Click here to book onto the event.
SOUTH CUMBRIA NHS area – ProAge Workshops
We invite you to a series of in person workshops delivered by ProAge CEO, Mike Mansfield, designed to improve the ability of employers to support older workers and foster greater levels of intergenerational collaboration in the workplace.
The workshops include:
1. Creating a multi-generational workforce
2. Retaining older workers
3. Retirement preparations and adjustments
Businesses participating in the full programme will receive a ProAge Age Friendly Employer Accreditation and will be better able to tackle age related barriers to economic inactivity and support older adults to gain or retain employment.
Each organisation/ business will be allocated one place on the programme and representation at all three workshops is required. For more information including workshop details please see attached information sheet.
The workshops are free to attend and refreshments will be provided upon arrival.
To book your place at each workshop please use the links below:
Workshop name Booking link
Retaining older workers https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GGKJ
Retirement preparations and adjustments https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GGKK
Click here for more information.
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Shaping research: Over 50s cancer event
Come and share your views on how cancer screening can be used in GP surgeries to improve the future for cancer patients.
Have your say about future plans for clinical trials and screening.
Lunch provided. Gift voucher for every participant. Book your free ticket on Eventbrite.
Thursday 4 June, 9:30am-12:30pm
The People First Conference Centre, Carlisle
For more information, email:
info@healthwatchcumberland.co.uk
COUNTYWIDE – Understanding & Tackling Digital Exclusion
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.
Workshop date: Wednesday 24 June 2026
Time: 09:30am – 1:30pm (free lunch included)
Venue: Oval Centre, Salterbeck, CA14 5HA
Why attend?
-Learn what digital exclusion looks like in our communities
-Identify who is most affected and the reasons behind digital barriers
-Understand the real-world impact on health, wellbeing and finances
-Discover practical steps your organisation can take to support digitally excluded people
-Explore local tools, resources, and Digital Champion training to help make a difference
-You’ll receive a CPD certificate on completing the workshop
This session blends lively discussion, real-life examples, and hands-on activities to help you better recognise digital barriers and respond confidently to the needs of your beneficiaries.
Registration is essential
Click here to book on.
SOUTH CUMBRIA NHS area – South Lakeland Community Mental Health Survey – We’d Value Your Input
Westmorland and Furness Council is working in partnership with the Join the Dots Community Mental Health Group in Kendal to better understand the needs of community mental health organisations across South Lakeland, with the aim of supporting their long-term sustainability.
We recognise that activities such as recruiting volunteers, providing training and hosting events can help strengthen and sustain local groups. However, we want to hear directly from you about what would make the greatest difference.
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we have created a short survey to gather your views on your current position and how we can best support your future plans.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by Sunday 31st May 2026. Your feedback will help shape the support we offer to organisations like yours.
👉 Complete the survey here: South Lakeland Community Mental Health Group – short survey – Fill out form
Your response will make a real difference, so we’d really encourage you to take part and share your experiences.
Thank you for all that you do to support your community—we truly value your contribution.
