n A NEW residents' association has been established for Kirkbarrow, in Kendal, and members are being encouraged to join. The association held its first meeting last September after receiving a £250 grant from Kendal Neighbourhood Forum to help it start up. The association has also been involved in achieving improvements at the junction of Anchorite Fields, Anchorite Road and Glebe Road, where the neighbourhood forum is carrying out work to put a footpath across a grassed area which has been worn away. The association is also hoping to raise funds to commission a survey to establish what young people would like to have provided for them. Youngsters from Kirkbarrow are to take part in the annual Youth Cumbria football tournament for the first time. Anyone interested in finding out more is welcome to attend the association's next public meeting on April 6, at 7.30pm, in the St John Boste Club in Gillinggate.

n RESIDENTS of Appleby could soon have direct access to information about council services if a contact centre in the town gets the go ahead. At a meeting of Appleby Town Council, councillors voted to include the establishment of the contact centre in the business plan for the development of the Tourist Information Centre at the Moot Hall, on Boroughgate. Deputy Mayor Keith Morgan was enthusiastic about the development of the new contact centre. "It is to provide a point where the residents of Appleby and the surrounding area can access information regarding council services whether they are Cumbria County Council, Eden District Council or Appleby Town Council services," he said Coun Morgan also stressed that the new contact centre would be unmanned and therefore would not place an added workload on Tourist Information Centre staff.

n FIFTY coeliac sufferers, who are members of the North Lancashire and South Cumbria Coeliac Group, enjoyed a gluten-free dinner at Lancaster and Morecambe College Training Restaurant. Tutors and students rose to the challenge of divising a special three course menu for people who must exclude a protein called gluten from their diet. The dessert trolley, usually off-limits for coeliacs, was particularly inventive. For information or advice on coeliac condition, call the Coeliac UK help line 0870-4448804 or contact the website www.coeliac.co.uk n LANCASTER Round Table has presented a cheque for £1,129 to Lancaster Royal Infirmary. The money will go towards the purchase of pressure relief mattresses for use on Ward One. This year's annual Lancaster Round Table fund-raising beer festival takes place from March 3 to 5.