Also in this week's edition:
The newly transformed tennis courts in Bitts Park, Carlisle opened this weekend.
The eight tennis courts in Bitts Park, Carlisle have undergone a massive transformation following support from Cumberland Council, Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), GLL and Cumbria Lawn Tennis Association.
We're also working with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the park sites. This will include weekly organised Barclays Free Park Tennis sessions delivered by local volunteers for people of all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided, meaning that people will not need someone to play with or their own racket.
To book a court in Bitts Park, go to Bitts Park (Carlisle) / Home (lta.org.uk)
Alongside the investment, Local Tennis Leagues will provide friendly, sociable, opportunities to get active through local competition.
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A new recruitment hub has been launched to recruit urgently needed foster carers across Cumbria and Lancashire.
The Regional Fostering Recruitment and Retention Hub, created as part of a £1.2m successful regional bid between Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council, Cumberland Council, Westmorland and Furness Council, and Lancashire County Council to boost foster care recruitment in the region.
Foster With Us, acts as a first point of contact for those interested in fostering to help them make an informed choice about how fostering could work for them.
Communities are coming together in Cumberland this summer.
Cumberland Council’s Local Focus Hubs will host five fantastic free events to engender a sense of community spirit and pride.
The Operation Respect events will include community clean-ups, lots of advice, sport, activities, food and interaction from the agencies who keep Cumbria safe.
The annual series of events will run in five locations across the Cumberland Council patch – Egremont, Whitehaven, Workington, Aspatria, and Carlisle.
There will be advice on budgeting, housing, crime prevention, health, fire safety, family wellbeing and other issues, as well as free activities and healthy snacks.
Family Action will be on hand with activities and advice, and at some events Cumbria Cricket and Active Cumbria will run sessions for the whole family. More details about what will happen at each event will be shared on social media.
As well as providing fun activities and access to support, the Operation Respect events will allow people to talk to organisations, including the police, council, social landlords and others, about concerns in their communities.
Each event is led by one of the hub’s housing providers – Castles and Coasts, Westfield Housing Association, Home Group and Riverside – and co-ordinated by Copeland Local Focus Hub, Carlisle Local Focus Hub or Allerdale Local Focus Hub.
The events run as follows, all from 10am until 3pm:
- Heysham park, Raffles, Carlisle – July 23
- Beck Green, Egremont – Jul 31
- Harriston Green, Aspatria – August 6
- Windsor Road, Westfield, Workington – August 8
- Mirehouse, Whitehaven – August 21
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This year’s rearranged Upperby Gala in Carlisle is set to be a great family day out with entertainment to suit all ages.
The programme for the popular community gala will include a packed programme of fun activities.
Organised by Cumberland Council and supported by the Friends of Hammond’s Pond Group, Upperby Gala will provide fun for all the family on Sunday 28 July, between 1pm and 4pm.
The free event will be held at Hammond’s Pond. This year’s programme will include performances by the Tanzanian Acrobats, Northern Heights, Razzamataz, Express Dance Studios, Drum Nation, Char (solo singer) and the Lazy River Jazz Band plus plenty of hands-on activities.
A bumper programme of open-air theatre events continues in Carlisle this summer.
Performances by The Pantaloons theatre company will be held at Talkin Tarn Country Park, Brampton, CA8 1HN.
For all events, please bring along seating and a picnic as the events will be held on the hard standing on the waterfront. The tearoom kiosk will be open serving a selection of tasty treats.
All performances start at 7pm.
A summer fete will be held at the Distington Walled Garden on Saturday 27 July between 10am and 4pm.
The free event will include a variety of local businesses showcasing their crafts and an outdoor market. Visitors can expect to find a diverse array of handmade items, ranging from woodcarving and leather goods to soft furnishings and candles.
The new café, based within the tranquil surroundings of the Distington Walled Garden, will be open to visitors for food between 10am and 2pm.
Refreshments only (cakes and scones) served between 2pm and 3pm.
One of the most popular attractions at the last event was the presence of alpacas and pygmy goats, and the council is pleased to announce that they will be making a return appearance - they will be attending the event until around 2pm.
Tullie, Carlisle welcomed back visitors this weekend, with the opening of its first exhibition since closing for redevelopment work in December 2023.
Backing the Blues: 120 Years of Carlisle United is a co-curated community exhibition, supported by Cumberland Council, that celebrates the legacy of Carlisle United in an important anniversary year for the club.
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The Lakes to Sea Community Panel has once again invested in some fantastic community projects.
At its recent meeting, the panel funded schemes ranging from security lighting to equipment for a new sporting event.
The panel, made up of ward councillors, awards investment to community organisations. At its most recent meeting, the following investments were approved:
- Crosscanonby Community Centre received £400 to replace exterior security lighting.
- 1st Cockermouth Scouts Group were awarded £2,800 towards climbing equipment and tents.
- Broughton Parish Council received £5,000 towards upgrading and replacing children’s playground equipment.
- Parkrun Cockermouth were awarded £4,800 for equipment for a new junior parkrun.
- Crosscanonby Parish Council were given £2,382 towards replacing safety netting at the village play park.
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Plans for a new event space on Maryport’s historic harbourside have been approved.
Our Planning Committee gave the go ahead to a change of use to turn a patch of underused grassland next to the Aquarium and Shiver Me Timbers play area into a new community outdoor facility to host events such as markets and festivals.
The aim is to support Cumberland’s cultural programme and the proposals include a pop-up stage area, bar, outdoor seating areas, marquee space, market stall spaces, an external bin storage area and new landscaping.
Local residents, community groups and businesses are being invited to attend a Cleator Moor Town Deal engagement event on Tuesday 30 July.
The public event will be held between 3pm and 6.30pm at the Cleator Moor Civic Hall and Masonic Centre, The Square.
The plans for the Connected Town, part of the Cleator Moor Town Deal, will be on display with officers from Cumberland Council on hand to answer questions
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Cumberland Council is reminding residents of its in-house pest control service.
Wasps can be a particular nuisance during the summer months and must be treated carefully.
The council’s fully qualified and expertly trained pest control team can treat wasps’ nests for a fee.
Cumberland Council’s pest control team also offers advice and chargeable treatments for rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs and fleas.
To find out more about the service and its fees visit cumberland.gov.uk/your-environment/pest-control.
Our Civil Enforcement Officers will be out in the Lake District over the summer to support safe, responsible and legal parking. They will be working in partnership with the Lake District National Park, the National Trust and Cumbria Tourism.
Consider accessibility of emergency services and tractors. If gaps are too small vehicles may struggle to navigate through the narrow roads. Please, think, before you park. Use one of the many car parks or use public transport to get there.
Why not take the shuttle bus? More details and timetables are here for the Wasdale bus: Wasdale shuttlebus to Wastwater (lakedistrict.gov.uk) and the Buttermere bus: Cockermouth to Buttermere shuttlebus (lakedistrict.gov.uk)
There is also a train that links up with Ravenglass train station, where there's lots of parking and you can travel along the scenic Cumbria Coast railway line.
Check train times before you travel on National Rail.
If walking in Wasdale (and anywhere else!) please be adventure smart.
Ask yourself three questions before you set off:
- Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?
- Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?
Alongside our partners, we have set out a plan to improve safety in our communities.
The Cumberland Community Safety Partnership includes Cumberland Council, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Cumbria Constabulary, the NHS Integrated Care Board, and the Probation Service. It also has representatives from the voluntary and third sectors.
This week it launches a three year strategy around crime, community safety and harm reduction.
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Shops in Carlisle and Workington have been praised following a test purchasing operation organised by Cumberland Council.
Cumberland Council’s Trading Standards service carried out the operation on Tuesday 9 July in Carlisle and Wednesday 10 July in Workington in their latest crackdown on the sale of cigarettes and vapes to minors.
The exercise aimed to ensure local businesses in Cumberland were complying with legislation and that those under the age of 18 are unable to purchase cigarettes and nicotine containing vapes.
The operation saw all 17 of the retail premises visited challenge the underaged volunteers for identification before refusing the sale.
Traders found to be breaking these rules risk being prosecuted and fined up to £2,500.
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