Community groups in West Cumbria have received a share of £130,000 from the Cumbria Community Foundation.

Charitable organisations have received a share of the funds at a recent West Cumbria Grants Committee.

The money came from funds set up by local people and businesses including Lord Egremont, Lamont Pridmore, LLWR and Thomas Graham & Sons Ltd.

With UK unemployment figures at a record high amid the Covid-19 crisis, TEGVirtual CIC, with the support of £16,976 from the Beverley Charitable Trust Fund and Live the Dream Fund, will be offering training to young entrepreneurs affected by the pandemic.

Keith McMean, founder and group director at TEGvirtual, said: “The funding will allow 20 young people to access our Entrepreneurial Programme, supporting 16 to 25 year olds in Allerdale and Copeland. It will give young people in our community the opportunity to develop their own business ideas with the aim of actually setting up a business in West Cumbria, not only impacting on our learners on the programme, but impacting on our community and economy.”

#CanDo is part of Transforming West Cumbria, a £2.2 million programme developed by Cumbria Community Foundation and funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

#CanDo encourages young people across West Cumbria to apply for funding for community projects. Those applications are then considered by a youth panel, putting the decisions firmly in the hands of the next generation.

Together We CIC received £4,442 from #CanDo for its Together We Do project, which offers training for young people to be Community Wellbeing Champions.

Janine Ward, managing director, said: “10 young people will undertake training in delivering emotional resilience, body image, exam stress and keeping well workshops, and deliver these to groups of young people in the local community or schools. These young people will encourage conversations about mental and physical health and wellbeing with their peers and wider community members with the aim of more young people recognising skills to improve their health and wellbeing or seeking support if required.”

Last year, Spiral supported more than 500 young people affected by bullying by offering a free confidential service to build resilience and reduce the effects that bullying can have. The charity received £4,994 from #CanDo for its Peer Community project.

Centre for Leadership Performance received £4,992 from #CanDo to develop the Leading Change campaign that will enable it to engage with 12 to 14 year olds who so often fall through the gaps in career planning and work experience.

Annalee Holliday, grants and donor services officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “There are many worthy organisations in West Cumbria that will raise young people’s aspirations and build their confidence. Charitable giving puts money into disadvantaged communities and unlocks more resources through people’s voluntary efforts. We are grateful to the generosity of our fundholders to enable us to support these vital services, especially during times when local services are under pressure and struggling to meet local needs.”

To apply for a grant or for more information, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org or call a member of the grants team on 01900 825760.