West Cumbria Opportunities & Challenges 2025 84 85 Call to Action West Cumbria remains an area of contrasts, where high-wage, technology-based economy is contrasted with growing levels of food and fuel poverty, increasing number of children living in low-income families and marked health inequalities. VCSE organisations work incredibly hard to provide affordable services and support for local people. Working increasingly in partnership demand for their services continues to rise, along with competition for funding. Despite the range of opportunities that the area has to offer, too many people in West Cumbria live in poverty and too few achieve their potential. Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Strategy recognises that to achieve significant and permanent social change and economic resilience all stakeholders must work together, with intent and duration, in new ways and accepting we all have a role to play. Utilise the ‘together for good’ volunteering platform: www.togetherforgood.co.uk GIVE YOUR TIME SHARE YOUR SKILLS, EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE PROVIDE FUNDING AND RESOURCES HOW CAN PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES HELP OUR COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE? This report is the result of a shared commitment to improve the lives of the people living and growing up in West Cumbria. We can all contribute to strengthening our communities by focusing our resources into activities with organisations, partners and community assets that are addressing critical social issues in our communities. You can help address the needs identified in this report by: • Working with community partners, organisations and local stakeholders to address social issues at root cause and develop solutions through co-creation. • Targeting resources and interventions to improve the sustainability and resilience of VCSE organisations. • Being a good neighbour – engage actively in our communities, volunteer, become a trustee or director of a local VCSE organisation, share your skills and expertise, and provide funding or donations. Together for Good Volunteering is central to the long-term sustainability and resilience of VCSE organisations. To help raise the visibility of the support needed in West Cumbrian communities, Together for Good has been developed to connect third sector organisations to businesses and individuals. Launched in April 2024, the Together for Good platform is designed to connect businesses and volunteers with VCSE across West Cumbria. Through the platform, support and skills can be offered, presenting a unique opportunity to turn commitment into action. Funded through Sellafield SiX, Sellafield Ltd’s social impact programme, Together for Good is free to use for all users within West Cumbria. Companies and their employees can use the platform to match opportunities, record and report their volunteering hours. Individuals are also able to register so they can provide support in the local community in their own time. Rachel Holliday from Time to Change West Cumbria, expressed how using the platform has been a positive experience for her organisation: For more information about ‘Together for Good’ and how to sign up, please visit https://www.togetherforgood.co.uk CASE STUDY The Together for Good app is just really easy to use, it’s really quick and it saves us so much time as an organisation getting the help that we need. Tracey West and Rachel Melton from the Sellafield Social Impact Team.
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