Kirkby Lonsdale and Lune Valley CIC

KIRKBY Lonsdale and Lune Valley Community Interest Company Ltd is an enterprise incorporated by guarantee and which ploughs all profits back into the community.

It was inspired by an idea from Claire Benson, who came to live in South Lakeland from New Zealand. She believed there was much Kirkby Lonsdale could do to take greater charge of its own destiny and regenerate its tourist potential - but the town had to pull together to make it happen.

One of its three directors is town council chairman Allan Muirhead.

The company has its own brand - Love the Lune - which aims to promote local tourism, crafts and other enterprises. To help do this it has taken over the old Main Street tourist information (TIC) office as a shop front.

“We have something like 20 suppliers of local crafts and other products on sale,” said Mr Muirhead. “Love the Lune is very much a showcase for their creative talents.”

The TIC is also operated as part of the community enterprise, which is overseen by part-time community manager Jane Richmond and with up to 30 local volunteers working in the shop.

The community company has also taken over responsibility for the town’s public toilets and the running of its historic charter market, held every Thursday.

Mr Muirhead describes the enterprise as a ‘ground-breaking concept’ “From what people tell us there’s nothing else like it in England,” he said.

“Our aim has been quite simple - to raise awareness of what our town and surrounding area has to offer, and to ensure the community benefits from our efforts. We are giving local people a voice, making visitors welcome, and - hopefully - helping the local economy.

“It is a unique service and is a partnership involving volunteers, the town council, the district council and the chamber of trade. Even senior pupils from Queen Elizabeth School are among our volunteers.”

Growing Well

MOST gardeners would agree that growing your own fruit and vegetables is therapeutic - but this concept has been taken to an amazing new level by South Lakeland charity Growing Well.

The organisation, based at Low Sizergh Farm near Kendal, was founded eight years ago to provide local people with mental health problems with an ‘effective, supportive and inclusive’ community activity.

The team members farm 10 acres under Soil Association organic certification, growing a wide range of seasonal produce, which is sold to local people through a Cropshare scheme, as well as to local shops and cafes.

Participants volunteer their time within three different teams - horticulture, administration and education. They placements are usually funded by organisations such as Social Services, the NHS or Jobcentre Plus.

Co-founder and manager Beren Aldridge developed the Growing Well idea after Low Sizergh Farm advertised for someone to grow vegetables that could be sold in the Low Sizergh Barn farmshop. At the time, he was working with a rural social enterprise development project hosted by Action for Communities in Cumbria.

Mr Aldridge said: “We also have many years’ experience providing a variety of informal and accredited training courses in horticulture and other land-based activities through our collaboration with Cumbria Adult Education. We train students on our site at Low Sizergh Farm and in our yurt-based classroom, as well as using the grounds of nearby Sizergh Castle.

“We also run a highly successful programme of visits to the farm, linked to the national curriculum, for schools and community groups around the region. The visits, which are structured for all age groups, with a speciality in primary classes, focus on food growing and physical and mental wellbeing.

“Growing Well is a nationally recognised example of how a social enterprise can work with local business.”

Oaklea Trust

HELPING thousands of disabled people into work and providing a green scheme to recycle old furniture are just two of the achievements Oaklea Trust has accomplished in its 22 years.

Since first being set up in Kendal, its influence has spread right across the North - to the point where the charity now has offices in Durham, Northumberland and Blackpool.

In the last year the charity has experienced large growth after setting up a Right2work project.

This social enterprise, operated through a contract with South Lakeland District Council, supports residents by collecting unwanted bulky waste that volunteers are then taught how to transform into usable furniture again.

All the profits from this go towards funding training for people with disabilities or who are out of work to teach them skills in repairing furniture which can then be applied in a working environment.

"The impact it has on people is absolutely marvellous," said Jennifer Home, the business development manager. "They have so much more independence, motivation and confidence.

“They can buy their own home and come off benefits."

In September, the charity will be involved in a new course at Kendal College - designed specifically to teach skills needed for Right2work. This will include making furniture from hand, an introduction to cabinet making and health and safety. But the trust needs to raise £2,000 for this to happen and is applying for grants and appealing for donations..

The charity, which has 400 employees, also offers people home care, support in the community, employment help and leisure activities.

"Everybody who works here recognises that every person has a contribution to make, whatever disability that person has got," said Mrs Home.

Once people are back in work Oaklea does a lot of work with employees to make sure conditions are suitable. Ms Home said Booths had been very good in working with the trust.

The charity also supports a number of groups in the community including homeless people, victims of domestic violence, teenage parents and ex-offenders to help them have 'a brighter future’.