There are just days left for community groups to apply for grants of up to £50,000 – and then the public will decide who wins.

Charity organisations across West Cumbria have until Sunday to put their names forward for the Community Choices campaign.

Anyone unfamiliar with completing forms online, or who doesn’t have access to the internet, can be helped at a number of special IT centres which have been running for the past few weeks across Allerdale and Copeland.

Grace Starkey, from Phoenix Enterprise Centre in Cleator Moor, said: “If you need help to apply, or if you just need access to a computer, you can drop into one of Phoenix Enterprise Centre’s IT centres and one of our friendly staff can talk you through the registration and application process.’’

Launched by Sellafield Ltd, with support from CN Group – publishers of the News & Star – Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) and Phoenix Enterprise Centre, the Community Choices scheme is offering a financial boost to not-for-profit organisations.


Following Sunday’s closing date, a shortlist will be drawn up by an independent panel that will review all the submissions. The public will then be given the opportunity to vote for the projects they feel will best address the issues in our communities.

Helen Fisher, head of social impact at Sellafield Ltd, said: “We are blessed in West Cumbria with a wide range of community organisations doing a tremendous amount of work. We hope Community Choices will give these organisations a chance to be even more ambitious.

“We urge groups to look at how they can achieve even more by working together, be it looking at ways that more people can benefit from the already successful work they do, develop new initiatives which tackle more community issues or make use of modern technology to really make a big difference in our communities.”

Where to apply

Visit decidingtogether.org or go to one of the IT centres in Allerdale and Copeland, which will be open on the following days until February 10:

  • Cleator Moor: Phoenix Enterprise Centre, Jacktrees Road, Wednesday and Thursday, 9am-4pm.
  • Egremont: De Lucy Centre, Market Place, Thursday, 10am-4pm.
  • Maryport: Ewanrigg Community Centre, Ennerdale Road, Monday, 10am-3pm.
  • Millom: Millom Network Centre, Salthouse Road, Friday, 11am-3pm.
  • Whitehaven: Harbour Youth Project building, Swingpump Lane, Monday and Tuesday, 9am-3pm.
  • Wigton: Market Hall, Church Street, Tuesday, 10am-3pm.
  • Workington: Bradbury Independent Living Centre, Oxford Street, Wednesday, 10am-3pm.
  • Workington: Northside Community Centre, Trinity Drive, Thursday, 10am-3pm.

Centres will reopen for the voting stage from February 27 to March 24, with the same opening days and times as above.

An independent panel will review the submissions and draw up a shortlist, before the public is given the chance to vote for the projects they feel will best address the issues in our communities.

To find out more about Community Choices and to see if you are eligible to apply, visit decidingtogether.org