Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund tops £1m

Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund tops £1m

News (UK)

Cumbria Community Foundation has announced that the Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund topped £1m last week.

The announcement came following confirmation from the Francis C Scott Charitable Trust, a Cumbrian-based charity, that they will be making a donation of £100,000 to the fund which is already making grants to help flood victims in the county, many of whom are living in temporary accommodation and with few possessions.

On reaching this milestone, the community foundation’s acting director Deb Muscat said, “Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and members of the public, we’ve managed to raise £1m in 10 days which is absolutely incredible and more than we managed to achieve for the entire campaign after the Carlisle floods.

“The staff team are delighted by this news which means we’ll be able to help more people recover from the floods and put their lives back together.”

The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund was launched with local MP Tony Cunningham the day after the floods hit the county with a founding donation of £50,000 from Nuclear Management Partners. Since then, many local businesses, trusts and the general public have come forward with donations including £100,000 from James Walker & Co Ltd, £100,000 from the Northern Rock Foundation and £50,000 each from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Igguesund Paperboard. Donations have also been made by New Balance, Booths Supermarkets, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Cumberland Building Society, Capita and the National Nuclear Laboratory.

Bob Mather, chair of the community foundation, personally delivered the first grant made to a Cockermouth resident and received a very warm welcome. He said, “I am so pleased to see for myself that we are getting the money quickly to where it is needed.”

The first phase of grant-making will concentrate on the elderly, the disabled and families with children under the age of five.

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