Charities and community groups from across Cumbria are being urged to join those already benefitting from a special fund, made available by The Cumberland.

The building society has teamed up with Cumbria Community Foundation and has made more than £125,000 available to good causes across the county.

It is part of a pledge by The Cumberland to increase the amount of money it gives to charities, equating to at least 1.5 per cent of its annual profits.

One of the early charities to receive the funding has been People First Independent Advocacy. Fundraising Officer and business team leader, Lisa Blackwell, said: “The Cumberland Building Society provided a donation towards the Riverbank Kitchen, and in March, People First opened up its very own in-house café within the Carlisle Conference Centre based on Milbourne Street.

“Within this space students with learning difficulties or autism can train and learn in their very own kitchen and provide internal catering for events and conferences.”

People First is a charity which seeks to help people with such conditions through advocacy, training and a number of other initiatives. The Riverbank Kitchen project aims to support eight people to gain qualifications and job skills.

They will each spend time at the centre alongside getting experience in other hotels and restaurants to learn the trade from hospitality professionals.

Lisa continued: “We are so very grateful to all funders and supporters; The Riverbank Kitchen is an integral part of the Conference Centre and the Hospitality Academy which is providing life changing opportunities for our students.”

Branch managers are being tasked with identifying good causes in their catchment areas to receive a share of the Foundation-administered fund.

The panel will be awarding strategic grants to improve or maintain the capacity of organisations promoting the health and wellbeing of people.

There will also be a range of smaller community grants aimed at improving the life skills, education, employability and enterprise of disadvantaged people or supporting vulnerable,

older people.

Annalee Holliday, grants officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “This fund provides a vital source of funding for charitable organisations, in particular those that make a positive difference to the lives of people in its communities. The support from Cumberland Building Society provides assistance to groups in the area who are helping to meet the priority needs of their community.

“Cumberland Building Society is very hands on and its staff involvement through volunteering is fantastic. This fund really does address what is really important to communities and we’re delighted to administer this funding which has been making a big difference to local communities.”