6 Annual Review 2026 7 Pears Cumbria School of Medicine Cumbria has some of the greatest health challenges in the UK. The county has a super-ageing population, with a quarter of people aged over 65. Life expectancy varies by more than 12 years between the richest and poorest areas. Around twothirds of adults, and more than one-third of 11-year-olds, are overweight. Step forward Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (PCSM) developed in partnership with Imperial College London,the University of Cumbria and generous philanthropic support from the Pears Foundation. The graduate-entry medical school based at the Fusehill Street campus in Carlise welcomed it’s first cohort of students in 2025 Professor Vassilios Papalois, Head of Professional Development Tutoring at PCSM & Professor of Transplantation Surgery at Imperial NHS Trust, explained: “The purpose of this medical school is not to give the UK another 50 or 100 doctors. It’s to give Cumbria 50 or 100 doctors, the majority of whom will stay in the area, practise in the area, and help the area get an advanced healthcare system.” Five Cumbrian students joining the first cohort received a total of £25,000 in bursaries to help with the cost of their studies, thanks to support from the Beeby Family Fund, Beverley Charitable Trust Fund, Moorhouse Grassroots Grants Fund and Pappagallino Fund. Mary Skelton, Admissions Officer at PCSM said: Around a third of our medical students are either first-generation university students, care experienced, or in financial hardship. A £5,000 bursary provides a much-needed financial boost, helping to remove barriers and ensure they can focus on their education and training to become doctors. Student Jess Thompson, of Silloth, said: “As someone who has lived here all my life, the opportunity to be able to study medicine in the region is incredibly meaningful to me and I'm really proud to be in the first cohort. “My goal is to use the education skills that I gain on this course to help improve the health and wellbeing of the communities that I have lived in all my life and understand so well. Ultimately, PCSM has the potential to transform Cumbria’s medical landscape REACHING POTENTIAL Providing skills, education and training The Farmer Network If you’re looking for a slice of rural peace and quiet, head to Borrowdale and hang a right. Tucked away down an easy to miss single-track lane, Hollows Farm is a peaceful a spot as you could hope to find. Ruby Nicholson and Matthew Fearon became National Trust tenant farmers in late 2024. Farming is in their blood: Mathew’s parents were the previous tenants and Ruby’s grandmother farms near Thirlmere. But taking on the running of a farm is not a decision ever taken lightly by those who have any understanding of the pressures involved. Data from the Office for National Statistics in 2025 showed a record number of agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses in the UK had closed down – 6,365 in just 12 months – and pressures on farmers continue to mount. The Farmer Network is a not-for-profit membership organisation offering support and training opportunities across Cumbria. It is run by farmers, for farmers. With funding from the Rankin and Barker Funds, and private individuals, the Farmer Network was able to offer a bursary scheme to the “next generation” of Cumbrian farmers. Esme Jackson from the Farmer Network explained: “Farm business incomes are lower, and environmental and climate challenges are often greater in Cumbria than in the rest of England. The support we offer through the next generation programme can make a real difference to a fledgling farm business. “Feedback from previous beneficiaries shows that a grant of up to £750 can have a huge effect. Ruby and Matthew were keen to access the support to help diversify their income streams which already included a 50 pitch campsite, two camping pods and a holiday cottage, They saw an opportunity to sell meat from the farm to visitors and applied to the Farmer Network for a grant to buy a large chest freezer for storage. “That enabled us to cull our first cow for sale, which kickstarted that side of the business,” explained Ruby. “Having the grant made it a lot easier. If we’d had to spend £600 or £700 on a freezer, the money from the first cow would be gone. Ruby is passionate about promoting the benefits eating locally produced, high welfare meat too. “We’re putting so much effort into producing meat sustainably,” she said. “We really want people to know where it came from. Our cows are grass-fed, grazing on the lakeshore." The meat is sold from a shed which acts as a shop selling cake, eggs and other goods produced within the county. Ruby and Matthews' long-term goal is to run educational talks on farming and monthly farm visit events for the public to help people better understand our food supply chain. Ruby added, My dream is to get everyone thinking about where their food is from. Pears Cumbria School of Medicine students Iona Reilly, Jess Thompson and Patrick Hughes Ruby Nicholson with some of the meat for sale at Hollows Farm. Borrowdale
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