Where would we be without the community groups that play such a vital role in making lives better? Owl Blue ARFID Friends does just this, providing support for those with autism, ADHD and ARFI (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

Owl Blue ARFID Friends Support is a community group initiated by Owl Blue but run by volunteers and parents/carers who have a collaborative voice in making change to pathways and attitudes in Cumbria regarding autism and its co-occurring condition of ARFID.

A spokesperson said: “ARFID is a misunderstood and unsupported condition in Cumbria. Until recently the NHS had no pathway or care for this condition and therefore these families fit no criteria for help and are therefore dismissed.

“By reaching out to the registered charity Owl Blue, these families found a collaborative voice through Owl Blue volunteers Lisa Steele and Nichola McDougall. The NHS has now initiated an adult ARFID service in Cumbria but children remain unsupported.

“ARFID Friends meet once a month, with regular and new faces attending and being referred to by local GPs, schools and via social media awareness.”

The second nominee is The Hiking Household CIC, a family website run by Laura Earl. Its nominator said: “The Hiking Household has worked tirelessly, for free, for three years trying to help our families get outside more and access our local green spaces and outdoor areas. Laura developed a free website, learning on the job, to showcase over 200 family friendly walks for other families to enjoy. They also host family walking groups to help get more families outside and enjoying their local area as well as helping their health and wellbeing.

“Laura is a local mum with four small children. She has no background in web developing, and her website has now over 200 Cumbrian family friendly walks (www.thehikinghousehold.com). She recently became a Community Interest Company and within her first year of being a CIC she has developed many family friendly maps to help families access local areas with ease.”

The third nominee is Workington Town RLFC Supporters Club. Its nominator said: “The groups involved in this organisation have gone above and beyond at every level to support the rugby club they love. When the club fell into some financial troubles in the summer of last year, the various groups around the club got together to raise funds to support Workington Town through their difficult spell. In under a week they raised £7,500 for the club and have now been able to secure its future.

“The people within these groups are ordinary people from the ages of 18 to their 80s. Even at a time of a cost-of-living crisis, these people went into their own pockets and appealed to the community to save something that is vitally important to both the club, community and wider history of Workington. Without these people the club may not be having the great start to the season and hopes for the future they have today.”

The final nominee is The Cockermouth Emergency Response Group. A community group of over 300 volunteers, originally formed in 2015 in the aftermath of Storm Desmond, it has evolved over time to cover all emergencies, for example, floods, severe weather, power outages and the response to Covid. It does everything from supporting vulnerable people to leading the voluntary sector’s assistance in the vaccine rollout country-wide.

A spokesperson said: “The small market town of Cockermouth could have sunk or swum after the third flood hit the town in 2015. A group of individuals came together with the energy, passion and determination to support the hard hit community and make it stronger and more resilient. This continues today.”