Young people making a positive contribution to their communities

The #CanDo Fund, managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, provides grants of up to £5,000 to inspire youth social action, such as volunteering, fundraising, mentoring and campaigning.

Both Together We CIC and Wigton Youth Station have recieved the funding and will look to expand upon their current running of activities and workshops that encourage local young people to become more involved in their community and provide opportunities to gain new skills. 

Together We CIC received £5,000 to support its trial project called Discovery College, which will see teenagers from two Copeland secondary schools recruited to develop and design course materials to support young people’s mental health. 

COMMUNITY: Wigton Youth Station.

Samantha Joughin, Managing Director, Together We CIC, said: "Over the next year, we intend to develop an array of mental and physical health courses, which will be targeted at young people aged between 11-18. The ‘North Cumbria Discovery College’ will be an extension of the North Cumbria Recovery College, which currently delivers courses to 18+ all over North Cumbria.

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"Recovery colleges give people with mental health problems a chance to access education and training designed to help them on the road to recovery. The aim is to learn new and build existing skills with the ultimate intention of teaching those participating how to better manage their physical and mental wellbeing.

"The funding provided by the #Cando Fund supports us to co-create and produce course materials directly with young people who have lived experience of mental health issues," she said. 

Wigton Youth Station (WYS) received £3,545 to deliver a peer mentoring scheme which will provide an opportunity for a small group of young men to become peer mentors - which hopes to develop relationships with younger members with positive role models for years to come. 

Angela Bicknell, Centre Manager, said: "This grant will enable a small, dedicated group of young men who have been with us for four years or more, support and shape the behaviour of our younger members. They have taken ownership over this project and want to be a role model for others by leading by example. This is a legacy they will leave as they move on to college, work or an apprenticeship."

Lauren Woodham, 17 who is a member of the #CanDo Youth Advisory Panel, said: "Being on the #CanDo Youth Panel is such an empowering position to have. It’s great to know that the decisions we make have a positive effect on young people in our local area." 

The funding has been provided by  Sellafield Ltd, with match funding from Thomas Graham & Sons and local donors, #CanDo is part of Transforming West Cumbria, a multi-year social investment programme developed by Cumbria Community Foundation. 

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