All aboard! Why not hop on the bus to support your favourite worthy causes in the inaugural Community Choices campaign?

The shortlist was revealed last week after an independent panel reviewed the applications from community groups across West Cumbria hoping to win money that will potentially help them to change lives in their area.

And now 43 community groups that benefit people in Allerdale and Copeland are seeking your votes in a bid to win funding of up to £50,000.

A special Community Choices bus will be out and about in West Cumbria this weekend to help promote the campaign and give people opportunities to vote.

On Saturday, March 11, the bus will be at Market Place, Whitehaven, between 10am and 12.30pm and The Hub, in Workington, between 1pm and 4pm.

On the bus you can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved, and people with an email address will be able to vote on board.

Launched by Sellafield Ltd, with support from the CN Group – publishers of The Whitehaven News and Times & Star – CFM, Cumbria Community Foundation and Phoenix Enterprise Centre, the scheme is aimed at giving a financial boost to not-for-profit organisations.


Helen Fisher, head of social impact at Sellafield Ltd, said: “Community Choices is all about local people taking the future of their area into their own hands.

You can vote for your Community Choices here

“This is an opportunity to support the charities and community groups people value most. I’d urge everyone who cares about their community to get involved.”

The category finalists are:

Improving Cumbria: Cumbria Rungwe Community Link – CRCL; Friends of Kie Park; Nurture Lakeland – Save Scafell Pike; Egremont Crab Fair – Healthy Eating Agenda in West Copeland; Creative Wellbeing – Creative Energy!; Cumbria RUFC – ThisCumbrianGirlCan; Home To Work Ltd – Skills 4 You, Allerdale; Rosehill – Reimagine Rosehill; The Farmer Network Ltd – Farmers Flood Reduction Project.

Improving Health and Wellbeing: Watchtree Nature Reserve Ltd – Improving Accessibility, Watchtree Trails; Copeland Stadium Trust – Cumbria Sports Academy Development; Wigton Baths – New showers; Mirehouse Residents Group – Fit for Life; Mind in West Cumbria – Community drop-ins; Carlisle Utd Community Sports Trust – Football Fans In Training; Cockermouth RUFC – Outdoor Physical Activity and Sport for All; CADAS Recovery and Prevention Volunteers; SASRA – Seascale Community Fitness Development.

Improving Social Inclusion: St Bees Scouts – Camping programme; 1st Hensingham Scouts; 2199 (Workington) Squadron Air Training Corps; Healthy Hopes – Weekly workshops; Time to Change West Cumbria – Calderwood Furniture Services; Stepping Stones 2to – Health and Wellbeing for Complex Needs; CROPT – Moving Forward to Employment; Hospice at Home West Cumbria – Hospice Patient Support Volunteer Project; Citizens Advice Copeland and Allerdale – Mental Health Project.

Supporting Stronger Communities: Punch Bowl (Broughton) Ltd; Newton Arlosh Community Committee – Newton Arlosh First Responders; AWAZ Cumbria – Fostering Good Relations Within Junior Citizens; Seascale Community Beach Park Project; Aspatria Dreamscheme – Elevated; Rosehill Youth Theatre and the Solway Hall – Revamp the Solway Hall; Phoenix Enterprise Centre – Digital Moor.

Supporting the Younger Generation: Millom Stepping Stones – Outdoor play equipment; Mayfield School Development Fund – Communication Funding, A Voice for All; Air Training Corps (RAF cadets) 1030 Whitehaven – Fieldcraft Expeditionary Equipment; Whitehaven Theatre of Youth – Mobile Sound System; Egremont RUFC – Youth Rugby Development Fund, Increasing Young People’s Participation in Rugby; Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project – Harbour Rock; West Cumbria Domestic Violence Support – Freedom Project, Improving Lives for Children and Young People; West Cumbria Carers – Young Carers 1:1 Support; Safety Net (UK) – Keeping Young People Safe and Improving Their Wellbeing.

For full details of the 43 projects shortlisted in the Community Choices campaign, visit decidingtogether.org

The campaign runs until March 26. If you want to get involved, you can vote up to 10 times at decidingtogether.org or at a number of special IT centres across Allerdale and Copeland, which will be open on the following days until March 24:

Cleator Moor: Phoenix Enterprise Centre, Jacktrees Road, Wednesday and Thursday, 9am-4pm.

Egremont: De Lucy Centre, Market Place, Thursday, 10am-4pm.

Maryport: Ewanrigg Community Centre, Ennerdale Road, Monday, 10am-3pm.

Millom: Millom Network Centre, Salthouse Road, Friday, 11am-3pm.

Whitehaven: Harbour Youth Project building, Swingpump Lane, Monday and Tuesday, 9am-3pm.

Wigton: Market Hall, Church Street, Tuesday, 10am-3pm.

Workington: Bradbury Independent Living Centre, Oxford Street, Wednesday, 10am-3pm. Northside Community Centre, Trinity Drive, Thursday, 10am-3pm.

  • Anyone without access to the internet can also visit their local library where use of a computer is usually available for a fixed time.