Cumbria Community Foundation - Furness: Opportunities and Challenges 2021

F U R N E S S – O P P O R T U N I T I E S & C H A L L E N G E S 10 Furness Voices High Furness Julie Barton knows the area well. Originally from Ulverston, she is HR director at Forge Europa, which specialises in LED lighting, is based in Ulverston and Dalton-in-Furness and trades internationally. During her term as High Sheriff of Cumbria in 2020-21, Julie made her priority tackling social isolation and loneliness – a problem she thinks is significant in High Furness. “I chose this theme before the pandemic started,” she said. “When the pandemic began communities came together. Ulverston Resilience Group was fantastic with people stepping forward and providing support. Volunteers were amazing and there was tremendous generosity and neighbourliness. “It was the same in Grange-over-Sands where I visited their Community Foodshare and other charities like Men in Sheds. “Some people, especially in the rural areas, remain vulnerable if they are not IT literate. “Beyond Ulverston, a challenge in the rural areas and towards High Furness and the Coniston Fells, is that there are some people living isolated lives with shrinking communities due to the rise in the number of holiday homes and a reduction in public transport.” Lucy Cavendish points out that challenges faced by rural communities can be overlooked in comparison with issues like urban deprivation. Lucy is a trustee of the Community Foundation and runs the Holker Hall estate near Cartmel and said: “The farming life is hard work, round the clock, often for financially little return and this puts great pressure on the family unit. “Without extended family support, farmers are in danger of becoming increasingly isolated in what is an already lonely and demanding profession.” Lucy added: “I think the biggest risk is that we lose our skills. People grow up in Cumbria but quite often seek their future elsewhere because they don’t see that there is anything to keep them here.” Housing also presents a challenge in High Furness. “It is not plentiful nor cheap,” said Lucy. “I think house prices and availability are a big block to people staying in the area and raising their families here.” “It has been easier for those who are digitally confident and IT literate to engage with their communities during the pandemic, or gain the right support,” “But for many residents in rural High Furness poor broadband provision and lack of IT skills has left people more isolated and lonely.”