Grant Stories
CUMBRIA GATEWAY
Cumbria Gateway provides support to people who have previously misused drugs and alcohol. Their services include housing, training, volunteer opportunities and practical and emotional support to help people. Since 2011 they have received a total of £53,033 from Cumbria Community Foundation, including a recent grant of £14,575 to open the centre and provide a drop in service.
Some of the service users said:
“If it wasn’t for this I would be dead.”
“Twenty years I have been drinking and now I have been clean for a year.”
“Everyone knows what you are going through and there is always someone you can call.”
Many of the service users are now qualified as peer mentors and volunteers for other organisations, with some finding employment. This is an excellent project that has a holistic approach to dealing with the issues that people face in the process of recovery from substance abuse. Cumbria Gateway supports the transition from a substance abuser to someone with the skills and confidence to take part in normal everyday life.
CARLISLE KEY
Carlisle Key work with young people aged 16-25 years of age to help them develop the skills to live independently. Their drop in service provides assistance and support with homelessness, housing, managing personal finances and other difficulties. They have received £14,000 in CCF grants since 2012.
Julie Crosby, Project Manager said “Our Project helps young people to regain their confidence and find fulfilment in their lives. We help them find accommodation, training and jobs. Our service is very proactive and we empower young people.” SAFETY NET ADVICE AND SUPPORT CENTRE
The charity works with children, young people and families who have experienced rape, sexual abuse or domestic violence.
Funding has contributed towards core costs enabling the organisation to run services such as one-to-one support work and parenting work, play and art therapy for children; and person centred, art therapy and psychotherapy for adolescents and adults. Since 2010 Safety Net Advice and Support Centre have been awarded a total of £42,533.
The need for a specialist service is clear with almost half of all referrals coming from the Child and Adult Mental Health Team. A quarter of referrals are self referred, and the remainder are from schools, Children’s Services and other charities.
PAC LTD
PAC is an independent charity based in Carlisle. It provides one-to-one counselling and art therapy sessions to young people who display emotional, inter-personal and mental health problems.
These young people and their families’ circumstances are so complex that they often fail to access support. They lack the ability to engage with services offered to help them. They do not have the skills, self-esteem or ability to succeed in life and usually experience educational, social and economic disadvantage. PAC have been awarded a total of £18,913 since 2003.
The organisation works on a one-to-one basis with young people tailoring sessions to meet each person’s needs. The sessions help them identify and understand negative patterns of behaviour. With this understanding and with support from PAC, young people can develop positive coping strategies. They also improve their decision making skills. One young person said “I am now able to let someone know how I’m feeling instead of keeping it in” and another said “I have someone to work through what’s going on in my head” and “it allows me time to talk about things with no interruptions or judgements.”
WATCHTREE WHEELERS
Awarded a total of £6,747 since 2009.
Based on the Watchtree Nature Reserve at Great Orton, Watchtree Wheelers provides opportunities for disabled people to use a range of specially adapted cycles and a purpose built track. It also specialises in providing leadership and support for groups of cyclists with learning and physical difficulties.
Since 2009, CCF have awarded the organisation £6,747 which included money to purchase 15 new mountain bikes.
Diana Matthews, The former High Sheriff of Cumbria said “Watchtree Wheelers provide a safe, friendly and enabling environment for disabled people to explore nature and the countryside. The bikes are varied and there are a number of wonderful stories associated with people with varying disabilities (blindness, severe learning difficulties, severe physical and Downs) who have all exceeded their own and their carer’s expectations in terms of what they’ve been able to achieve. The benefits in terms of confidence and self-worth must be tremendous. People are using the site and service on a regular basis and it was great to see a girl riding side by side with her carer having a lovely time.”
CUMBRIA WHEELCHAIR SPORTS CLUB
The club offers disability sports of all kinds to people of all ages and abilities across Cumbria. They work within youth and community groups raising the awareness of disability through sport. Their aim is to not only provide sporting activities that are fully inclusive but to help their members achieve in sport and to help them in their day to day lives by helping raise self- esteem and awareness. The sports that they offer are basketball, tennis, athletics, boccia and ice curling.
The club has received £23,800 in CCF grants since 2010 including a £1,000 grant from Cumberland Educational Foundation to purchase a custom built wheelchair for a specific player who is a double amputee. The player is a talented young man who is on track to play for GB within the next few years. GRANT MAKING FACTS
£2,556,468 has been given out in grants to the Carlisle area between 2002 and 2014.
Individuals Groups
• 962 individuals have been supported • 644 organisations have been supported (841 supported through the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund in 2005/2006 ) • The average grant awarded for Groups - £ 3,336 • The average grant awarded for
individuals - £ 424
Individual Applications by Value Group Applications by Value
0 - £250 £251 - £501 - £1,001 - £5,001 + £500 £1000 £5,000
Grant Making Strategic Aim
Mental Health
Children and Young People Urban Deprivation
None of these
Hidden and emerginf Need
Cumbria Community Foundation is a charitable company limited by guarantee Company No. 3713328. Registered in England & Wales. Registered Charity No. 1075120