10 Annual Review 2026 11 TACKLING SOCIAL INEQUALITY Promoting equality and inclusion FUNDER SPOTLIGHT Better Tomorrows was launched in 2021 with the aim of substantially increasing the number of young people able to access quality youth work and the number of trained youth workers across Cumbria. To date, the programme has trained more than 100 accredited youth workers, funded 60 new youth work roles, and engaged more than 7,000 young people across Cumbria. David Beeby, former CCF Chair and founder of the Better Tomorrows programme, said: “The feedback we have had from the newly trained youth workers, the young people they support and the organisations they work in tells us that Better Tomorrows is making a huge difference across the county.” In 2025, the Better Tomorrows Awards were launched, celebrating the best of the county’s youth work across three categories: Youth Worker of the Year, Youth Project of the Year, and Young Volunteer of the Year. More than 60 funders have contributed to Better Tomorrows, including CCF, Francis Scott Trust, Four Acre Trust, Nuclear Waste Services, many local businesses and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice and Programmes at CCF, said: “We know that early intervention and positive relationships can have a lasting impact on a young person’s future, yet too many communities still lack access to quality youth provision. “Donations to Better Tomorrows help us invest in local youth work provision that responds to the needs of young people, creating opportunities where they are needed most. Every contribution helps to expand access to youth work and ensure that more young people can benefit from the guidance, encouragement and opportunities that help them thrive.” The winners and shortlisted at the 2025 Better Tomorrows Awards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion The trustees of Cumbria Community Foundation have made a commitment to embed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles into all aspects of our work. Like many organisations we are on a journey to becoming more inclusive and improving how we serve our communities. This is reflected in how we recruit staff and volunteers, design and deliver our grant making programmes, and invest our funds. We also collect information that benchmarks our board and staff against the wider Cumbrian population, supporting us to identify voices that we need to strengthen our work. This and our DEI Statement are available on our website. Some names have been changed at the request of those featured. Anti Racist Cumbria Aaargh, they’re back! Behind you! There’s zombies everywhere! A teenage girl shrieks with laughter, gripping tightly to a flashing weapon, a VR headset transporting her to a world where an advancing undead army is her most pressing worry. She is one of around 20 Black and Brown young people taking part in the ARC (Anti Racist Cumbria) summer outing to Levels, Whitehaven’s immersive gaming centre. The trip is led by youth worker Faniri Maidment, who is funded by the Better Tomorrows youth work programme to run dedicated youth groups for Black and Brown people in Cumbria, including weekly sessions for 11-18 years old at Carlisle Youth Zone. Jess Butler, Youth Lead at ARC, explained the need for the role. “The need’s been there for as long as I can remember. For young people, the youth clubs are a way to find peers that experience the same things as them, and understand what that feels like without explanation or quantifying it. And as the youth workers facilitating the sessions are Black and Brown, there's a shared understanding.” Sessions include activities found in any youth club, from basketball to jewellery making. Once the young people start to relax in an environment where they feel safe and supported, they begin to open up about the racism they have experienced elsewhere. Twelve-year-old Georgie said: “Things have happened at school in the past and I can come to ARC and talk about it. Things like people calling me the N-word. I can feel I’m not the only one who’s experienced it. At school, you can feel quite alone. Here, everyone can relate to what you’re going through.” Jess said: “We are able to challenge schools because of what young people are telling us is happening there. So because of our young people letting us know what's happening at one school, we've managed to secure a week of assemblies to talk to pupils about anti-racism. “Things are happening every day. The other day, one young person was called the N-word and because she's mixed, the teacher told her, ‘You shouldn't be upset. You're not even really black.’ That's what we're dealing with. It's no wonder she's angry because she's been told to ignore racism.” Georgie added: “I’ve made some really good friends through ARC. We all go to different schools so I wouldn’t have met them otherwise. If I didn’t have ARC, I wouldn’t feel as open to telling people about what’s happening at school. I just feel like I can be myself at the group. I don’t have to act cool.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTI5NzM=