3 Welcome from our Chairs In September 2025, David Beeby stepped down after serving a maximum nine-year term as our Chair and we welcomed Myles Thompson to the role. I can say on good authority that there is no better way of really getting under the skin of an area than being Chair of a Community Foundation. When I took on the role in 2016, I had little knowledge that, behind the picture postcard beauty of the landscape, many people faced real hardship. Spending time with groups funded by the Foundation, speaking to volunteers and hearing firsthand from those who have received support, has given me a much deeper understanding of the need and the work taking place to address this. Cumbria Community Foundation really helps to connect people who care with causes that matter in so many wonderful and inspirational ways. It has been a joy to be a part of that journey over the last nine years. During my time as Chair, our grant making grew from £2 million per year to more than £6 million per year, and the Foundation’s endowed assets grew from £15 million to over £32 million. Everyone who has supported our mission should be very proud of these figures. And yet the statistics on page two show that the need really is greater than ever – from mental health to employment chances; from childhood poverty to the super ageing population. The stories throughout this report show the work taking place across our grant making priorities: from community buses combating rural isolation, to projects empowering young people to lead the way in tackling the climate crisis; from a table tennis group for people with dementia, to a friendship group for asylum seekers. I would like to express a heartfelt personal thanks to all of our wonderful donors, large and small, to our fantastic staff and volunteers who ensure the funds are put to good work and to the thousands of inspiring people who work and volunteer in the wide range of charitable organisations that help so many people and undoubtedly help to make Cumbria a better place. It has been a real privilege to meet so many incredible people across Cumbria David Beeby CCF Chair, 2016-2025 I am honoured to have been appointed as Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation – a wonderful organisation that does so much to support communities across Cumbria. I would like to thank David Beeby for his dedication to the Foundation over the last nine years. He has left it in great shape to meet our strategic priorities and go from strength to strength in the coming years. This Annual Review gives a good snapshot of work going on across the county, funded by our many generous fundholders and supporters, to address need across our six grant making priorities: • Reducing Poverty • Reaching Potential • Improving Health • Tackling Social Inequality • Nurturing Sense of Place • Acting on Climate Change I am looking forward to finding out more about the great organisations that the Foundation supports and to meeting those working to address the county’s most urgent needs. Myles Thompson New CCF Chair Myles Thompson and David Beeby
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