West Cumbria Opportunities & Challenges 2025 76 77 Strong and Connected Communities Despite the significant restrictions imposed on individual liberties and freedom of movement, the global pandemic saw communities in West Cumbria once again come together to support each other. Local people, VCSE organisations and statutory authorities joined forces and mobilised to ensure that those in the greatest need remained connected and supported. Many of these relationships and partnerships remain in place today and this is testament to the significant goodwill, commitment and insight held within West Cumbria’s VCSE sector. But with mounting pressures, caused in part by the cost-of-living crisis, many VCSE organisations are now reaching crisis point. Demand for services has sharply increased, particularly for those organisations providing support for mental health, children and young people and the elderly, whilst at the same time staff and volunteer burnout is visibly on the rise. There are an estimated 674 VCSE organisations across Copeland (239) and Allerdale (435)1 made up of many different sizes of organisations.2 Sector Structure in Local Authorities and former district councils (%)3 Allerdale Copeland Micro (Income below £10,000) 54.4 47.5 Small (income £10,000-£49,999) 22.9 24.3 Medium (income £50,000 - £249,000) 16.7 23.2 Large (income £250,000 – £999,999) 3.4 4.5 Big (income £1m-£25m) 2.5 0.6 Total 353 177 In Allerdale, 13.6% are based in Index of Multiple Deprivation areas 1 and 2 while in Copeland, 22.6% are in these areas. Conversely 8.7% in Allerdale and 11.7% in Copeland are based in the least deprived areas (IMD 9-10). Although these figures are helpful to understand the geography of the sector, many organisations deliver across multiple areas and boundaries. When the contribution of the value of the sector is monetised, the financial value of sector energy is £242m in Cumberland. Within Allerdale, total value stands at £105.3m. In Copeland value stands at £57.9m. Further analysis of the data relating to Cumberland reveals that the employment of this energy leads to approximately £858m of value with 16% of energy devoted to issues of financial security; 27% to health and wellbeing; 27% to personal and social wellbeing and 30% to community wellbeing.4 In 2019 there were 1104 social enterprises throughout Cumbria employing approximately 9,000 people. Allerdale had 233 social enterprises, while Copeland had 126, representing 21% and 11% respectively of Cumbria’s total.5 By 2024, the sector had grown significantly across the county, with an estimated 1,400 social enterprises employing 11,000 people and contributing £475 million annually to the local economy.6 Social enterprises are playing an increasingly important role in addressing societal challenges in West Cumbria, particularly in areas such as health, wellbeing, and the creative industries. This growth has been supported in part by initiatives like Transforming West Cumbria’s Spark programme.7 1Cumbria CVS data figure includes those registered with the Charity Commission as Charities or CIOs and other groups such as CICs, Cooperatives, Community Benefit Societies and Community Amateur Sports clubs. The data does not include national or regional third sector organisations registered outside of Cumbria. 2Local Health and Social Wellbeing: The Contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector in Cumbria: Durham University, 2023. • West Cumbria’s strong sense of community spirit and identity has remained, despite significant challenges caused by the global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. • New partnerships and relationships have developed, including the Food and Financial Resilience Group and the Thriving Communities Group, and are working collaboratively to offer practical solution to the challenges facing West Cumbria. • Community Panels, established following Local Government Reorganisation, have been introduced to further help communities identify local issues and present collective solutions. • There continues to be an active and diverse range of VCSE organisations representing distinct geographies, and tackling a wide range of social, environmental and local economic issues.8 • The Transforming West Cumbria Social Investment Programme, and its associated partnership has made a difference across West Cumbria’s VCSE sector, building resilience, capacity and entrepreneurship via programmes such as Bedrock.9 • A network of Warm Hubs in rural and urban localities including in Whitehaven alongside the delivery of outreach services by many VCSE organisations are facilitating access for communities to much needed services, helping to overcome social exclusion and isolation. • Increasing demand for the support offered by VCSE organisations, particularly for those services where statutory providers are also at capacity and residents struggle to find the help they need. • Valuable support offered by some VCSE organisations cannot always be developed into ‘traded services’ capable of contributing to income generation. Such support exists, precisely because market forces have failed, and therefore grant funding often remains the only option to ensure delivery. • Short term funding of projects remains an issue, restricting the VCSE’s ability to develop permanent solutions to West Cumbria’s long term economic, social and community problems. • Staff and volunteer recruitment, retention and mental health burn out is evident within the sector. • Service delivery in rural areas is sometimes restricted by a lack of community assets, including transport and digital infrastructure. OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES West Cumbria’s strong sense of community spirit and identity has remained, despite significant challenges caused by the pandemic and the cost-ofliving crisis. 3This table only refers to registered charities and CIOs, due to insufficient data sources on the sizes of other organisations within the sector. 4For an explanation of how this value is defined and calculated please see p43-55 in Local Health and Social Wellbeing: The Contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector in Cumbria: Durham University, 2023. 5Mapping and Evaluation Final Report: Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership, 2019. 6Mapping and Evaluation Final Report: Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership, 2023. 7The Spark Programme is designed to address low levels of business and social enterprise start up. Through specialist support and business mentors, the programme aims to support entrepreneurial talent across West Cumbria. 8Community Panels in West Cumbria include Workington Together; Whitehaven and Coastal; South Cumberland; Lakes to Sea; and Fells and Solway. 9The Bedrock programme is designed to build organisational resilience, capabilities and financial sustainability. Through peer-to-peer support and mentoring interventions the programme aims to overcome the vulnerability and financial instability of organisations delivering essential services across West Cumbria. 10Based on 2022 estimates in Local Health and Social Wellbeing: The Contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector in Cumbria: Durham University, 2023. 11The Impact of Covid-19 on the Mental Health of Grassroots Voluntary and Community Sector Workers: Peoples Health Trust, 2022, https://ph-trust.files.svdcdn.com/production/ documents/We-were-absolutely-invisible_The-impact-of-Covid-19-on-mental-health-of-VCS-workers.pdf?v=1655974991&dm=1655974992 12Local Health and Social Wellbeing: The Contribution of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector in Cumbria: Durham University, 2023.
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