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Cumbria Fund

The Cumbria Fund provides grants for charitable projects that address Cumbria Community Foundation's two key priorities: Improving Lives and Strengthening Communities. Theme 1: Improving Lives focuses on reducing poverty by providing opportunities for financial stability including support for financial advice, food and fuel security, and housing stability; reaching potential by empowering people, especially children and young people, through education, skills development, and personal growth; improving health by addressing unmet health needs, reducing inequalities, and promoting wellbeing including mental health services; and tackling social inequality by promoting equality, inclusion, and social justice for those facing systemic barriers. Theme 2: Strengthening Communities focuses on nurturing sense of place by creating stronger, more inclusive communities where people feel connected, safe, and supported; and acting on climate change through local action that builds environmental resilience and empowers communities to respond to the climate crisis. The fund prioritises revenue (operational) costs over capital (infrastructure or equipment) costs for more immediate and sustained impact. Examples of supported projects include advisory services on tackling debt and benefit entitlement, youth mentoring and skills development programmes, community mental health drop-in sessions, language classes for refugees and asylum seekers, digital access support in rural communities, and community-led climate action workshops.