Music For Life, Sunbeams Charity Concert at St. Patrick’s Church, Patterdale Oct.26 6 pm

Sunbeams Patterdale Concert Flyer

 If you are at a loose end on Saturday evening  (Oct. 26^th) – you may like to come along to our Sunbeams Music For Life concert in Patterdale!

It is to be held at St Patrick’s Church in Patterdale, at 6pm next Saturday night and is Free to the public, with donations to Sunbeams welcome.

The Sunbeams Troupe are a group of adults with with physical and/or learning disabilities and mental health problems. They work regularly with Sunbeams Musicians to put together concert programmes, which they then perform throughout Cumbria and sometimes even further (see http://www.sunbeamsmusic.org/st-martin-in-the-fields.htm for details of their trip to London!)

They are a truly inspiring group of people, who love to perform and entertain. Annie herself, is of course the founder of the Sunbeams Charity and also a world class Harpist and Singer, and she will be joining the Troupe in their performance. They all thrive on a buzzing audience, and it would be wonderful to see a full venue for them next Saturday.

Many thanks for your time,

Sally

Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust
1 Greystoke Castle Estate
Greystoke
Penrith
Cumbria CA11 0TG
Tel: 017684 83035
email: sally@sunbeamsmusic.org
website: http://www.sunbeamsmusic.org
blog: http://www.sunbeamsmusic.wordpress.com

Registered charity no: 1117159
Company limited by guarantee no: 5794153

Devious minds

This promises to be a very good evening!

Maulds Meaburn Village Institute

Thursday 10th October

Devious Minds
Performed by two established members of the magic circle
Tim Shoesmith and Maudsley

We were all thoroughly entertained even magic sceptics could not fail to be amazed, how some of the tricks were done was truly mind blowing.

The audience were captivated all evening and expressed what a remarkable act both Tim and Maudsley were. 

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Cherish Eden project gets £2 million from Heritage Lottery Fund

According to their press release today, Eden Rivers Trust has received a grant of £2 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Cherish Eden project. The £2.5 million project aims to encourage local people and visitors to enjoy, cherish, and defend the River Eden in Cumbria.  The application was made by the Trust in partnership with a range of other local organisations and work on the project will start straight away.

Cherish Eden is a five year plan to help local communities look after their local river, provide an apprenticeship scheme for Cumbrian youngsters, create a series of new walks and cycle rides in the Eden Valley, and establish a media project about the River Eden.

The River Eden and its tributaries in north Cumbria are of national and international importance for their wildlife.  They are also of major economic importance to the area, providing drinking water, supporting agriculture and drawing locals and tourists alike to visit and undertake recreational activities.  They form a significant part of the landscape and beauty of the Eden Valley.

The first part of the project aims to get local people actively involved in looking after the river where they live.  Examples of activities include removing invasive plants, surveying river wildlife, helping to prevent pollution, protecting river banks and planting trees.  It will be the community groups and volunteers who make a real difference, supported by Eden Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and the Cumbria Freshwater Non-native Species Initiative.  Those involved will enhance their environment, learn new skills and improve their own health and well-being.  Other organisations with these objectives will also be involved.

The apprenticeship scheme is aimed at teaching young people about rivers and their importance to man and the environment.   It will enable them to pursue careers in river conservation or other related subjects.  The core teaching will be provided by Newton Rigg College – part of Askham Bryan College – in a partnership project with Eden Rivers Trust and other neighbouring Rivers Trusts.

Several new walks and cycle rides associated with the River Eden will be established as part of the project.  These will create some beautiful new ways of exploring the Eden Valley countryside.  They will also tell people about its violent, historical invaders as well as its less violent, but still dangerous invaders of today – invasive animals and plants which are threatening our wildlife!  The walks and cycle rides will enable individuals, families, groups and schools to learn more about their local environment whilst enjoying the outdoors.  Eden Rivers Trust and Cumbria County Council Environment Team will be involved in the first instance, along with the Environment Agency and the Cumbria Freshwater Non-native Species Initiative.

A media project will consider all the activities associated with the river and come up with fresh, modern ways of telling people about them.  Local people will be able to contribute their thoughts, ideas and feelings about what the river means to them and this will be showcased through a range of media including a series of short films, a book and an exhibition at Tullie House Museum. There will also be a touring exhibition throughout the 5 year project which will show the progress of the project and enable people throughout the catchment to submit their contributions. The aim is to enthuse local people about the river in a partnership project between Eden Rivers Trust, Carlisle College, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust and Cumbria County Council Carlisle Archive Centre.

Simon Johnson, Eden Rivers Trust Director, said, “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this grant. This is the result of two years of very hard planning, fundraising and partnership building work to secure £528,000 of committed resource over the five years of the project which we require to match the HLF grant.  Our 2013 Charity Auction on October 19^th is just one of a number of fundraising initiatives we have in place to provide match funding over the 5 year programme. The grant is of strategic importance in terms of planning a future for the river in a way that has wide ranging social and environmental benefits.  The project will be working with a range of partners and will act as an engine of change to drive outcomes for communities and those organisations supporting them throughout the Eden Valley. The Eden is a beautiful river teeming with wildlife and is a vital part of our landscape and economy.  It is great to know that we will be able to get local people involved in protecting it for future generations.”

Wes Johnson, Principal, Newton Rigg College, said, “We are delighted to be working so closely with the Eden Rivers Trust on this scheme. It is not only a great opportunity to strengthen our links with the organisation, but helps support the next generation of river conservationists”.

Sara Hilton, Head of HLF North West, said: “The River Eden and its environs are hugely precious parts of our natural heritage, widely recognised for their rare habitats and species. This exemplary project is designed to engage local communities by providing them with the knowledge of how to maintain the landscape and get actively involved with its care and guardianship.  I can’t think of a better use of HLF money than to protect this area for future generations to enjoy.”

River Eden at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria. Photo and copyright C.Paxton 

Further information on Eden Rivers Trust is available at www.edenriverstrust.org.uk.

 

 

 

Meanders added to River Leith in Eden Rivers Restoration Project

 

Waitings digging the new channel in the Leith river at Thrimby Hall near Penrith

According to an Oct. 1st press release from Eden Rivers Trust, a major restoration project to reverse historic straightening and widening and return the river to a more natural state has started on the River Leith near Penrith in Cumbria. The work is being managed by the trust in partnership with the tenant farmer, the land owner, the Environment Agency and Natural England as part of the River Eden River Restoration Project.

Eden Rivers Trust is a charity dedicated to conserving the beautiful River Eden in Cumbria and its hundreds of miles of tributaries. The river system is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest classed by Europe as a Special Area of Conservation. Since its establishment in 1996 the Trust has completed over 200 projects to improve the condition of the river for its wildlife and for people to enjoy. Eden Wildlife Trust works with volunteers, farmers and  landowners to help achieve the most environmentally-friendly land management for the river. Staff from the trust also conduct environmental education, meeting more than 10,000 people, half of them pupils from 50 different schools.

Local company Waitings have been awarded the contract to excavate a new winding river channel on land at Thrimby Hall, Little Strickland, just south of Penrith.  The first phase of work will involve digging out the old river channel, adjacent to the straightened section of the River Leith where it runs alongside the railway line.  The river will then be diverted into the restored channel next summer.  The impact upon river wildlife will be minimised by diverting the channel gradually, with fish transferred from the old channel to the new one.

The restoration work will help improve conditions for fish such as these Bullheads. They are native freshwater gobioid fish also known as ‘Miller’s Thumbs’.

The work is being undertaken to reinstate a more natural gradient and meandering channel to the river. Meanders are beneficial because they slow the flow of the river and alter the way it moves stones, gravel and silt along its length.  This will recreate a variety of features that are currently lacking from the straightened river.  Examples include pools capable of supporting larger fish, shallow margins where freshwater plants can establish, shingle banks which are important for insects, and gravel beds where fish can lay their eggs.  This diversity supports a much wider variety of insects, fish and other wildlife than man-made channels.  Examples of animals which will benefit from this scheme include salmon, trout, bullheads, stone loach, otters, kingfishers and dippers.

Kingfisher, photo and copyright Eden Rivers Trust

Artificially straightened, widened and deepened channels make the river flow faster and can lead to greater erosion and flooding downstream.  This work will tackle these issues on the River Leith by re-creating natural meanders that help slow down the flow of the river, benefitting local wildlife and people.

Eden Rivers Trust Project Officer Gareth Pedley said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to allow the river to function more naturally with significant benefits for wildlife and people.  We hope that we can continue this type of work in future years in different areas of the Eden and its tributaries, working with a variety of land owners and organisations interested in the river.”

Oliver Southgate, Project Manager for the Environment Agency, said: “We are delighted to be helping drive a project which will help restore the River Leith to its former glory, boosting biodiversity in the process for the benefit of generations to come.”

 

An Eden brown trout, photo and copyright John Stock

Through this project, the land owner is gaining environmental benefits such as entry into an Environmental Stewardship Scheme Higher Level agreement, more stable river banks with less erosion, and new riverside fencing and trees.  Richard Gordon who farms at Thrimby Hall is very enthusiastic about the plans to restore the River Leith where it flows across his land.  He said, “I am supportive of this project because it will help return the river to what it once was, and I would like my own children to see and enjoy it that way.  The partnership between Eden Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency and Natural England has enabled it all to happen.”

A further restoration project will begin later in the year on the River Lyvennet near Maulds Meaburn.

Otter. Photo and copyright Eden Rivers Trust. 

Further information on Eden Rivers Trust is available at www.edenriverstrust.org.uk.  They welcome new volunteers and supporters.

Lots of Opportunity to Help Eden Rivers, Eden Rivers Trust Charity Auction Catalogue Now Available

Cover of Eden Rivers Trust Auction Catalogue

Open the Eden Rivers Trust  2013 auction catalogue and you’ll find outstanding artwork, stunning sculptures, fishing and shooting excursions, exclusive tours and even a nocturnal exploration with a bat expert are on offer in aid of the trust’s valuable work. In all there are 65 remarkable opportunities detailed within, and you can be certain that each lot helps raise money for the scientific research, education and conservation work of Eden Rivers Trust (ERT). The trust manages research, education and conservation projects along the 200 km of lovely waterways in the Eden river system , spreading awareness and protecting some of Britain’s loveliest natural environments.

The current economic climate is a challenging fundraising environment for charitable trusts and Eden Rivers Trust is taking an imaginative and engaging approach to their fund raising with their 2013 charitable auction in the hope that all those taking part in the bidding will do so generously.  Supporters and sponsors of the trust have certainly been generous in offering attractive and valuable lots for the auction. It’s worth looking through the catalogue just to see the superb opportunities that the kind supporters in Eden have offered in support of the trust.

If you click on this link: ERT 2013 Auction Catalogue you’ll open the Eden Rivers Trust Auction Catalogue for 2013.  Right click on it and select the ‘Save as’ option to download it to a folder of your choice.

Do the same again to access the introductory letter from ERT’s Director Simon Johnson. Letter to accompany 2013 catalogue

Within the catalogue, you’ll find 65 amazing lots, few are available via any other means. You’ll find full details of how bids can be submitted and the terms and conditions of participation on page 1 of the catalogue.

If you are lucky enough to be one of the winning bidders you will not only get something of great value in and of itself, but you’ll also be contributing to the important conservation and education work of the trust , thus making a significant impact in preserving and enhancing our superb riparian environments.

 For more information about the valuable work Eden Rivers Trust perform please see their website http://trust.edenriverstrust.org.uk/

Location, location, location! EDC Planners Tour Developments In Eden District Promoting Better Understanding Of Planning Impacts

modified from  Barry Cooper’s EDC Press release by Charles Paxton

 “provision of affordable housing is one of the biggest issues facing the District”

Councillor Michael Slee, Chairman of EDC’s Planning Applications Committee

“Location, location, location!” Eden District Council’s Planning Applications Committee (PAC) embarked on a tour of completed development last Friday to see how the quality and design of developments in Eden District is helping to enhance and sustain the area.

The developments the PAC visited included:

• A slurry lagoon at South Dyke Farm, Salkeld Dykes
• A wind turbine at Barrockside Farm, Carleton
• Units at the Castle Retail Park, Penrith
• Housing developments at  Clifton, Crosby Ravensworth and Kirkby Stephen.

PAC determines the most controversial and significant planning applications, ranging from housing development and industrial sites to building conversions and extensions. The quality of development being approved in the District is also helping to create and sustain jobs in the local economy and supply much needed housing.

According to EDC, research from the CBI shows that every £1 spent in the construction industry generates a £2.84 multiplier of additional benefit for the UK’s economy. In Eden District 16.7% of men are employed in construction, compared to 12.8% nationally. It is the biggest source of employment for men compared to other sectors.

The PAC team covered a lot of ground on their tour, but their visit to Crosby Ravensworth didn’t seem at all rushed.

Affordable housing need has featured prominently in the news recently and it is developments like Crosby Ravensworth’s Stoneworks Garth community led affordable housing project, Kirkby Stephen’s and Clifton’s social housing that offer hope to people looking for affordable local housing in Eden while producing the valuable chain of economic benefit. The mood was light, but the Planner’s visit was intelligently focused, with plenty of poignant questions and answers. Some homes at Stoneworks Garth are faced in local buff sandstone, others with render, the porches help unify the development. Another unifying factor at Stoneworks Garth is the  environmentally friendly heating.

Renewable heating in each home distinguishes this development. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s announcement this week that anthropogenic influence on climate change is an undeniable reality, the heating systems in this affordable housing project render it exemplary. When one planner wondered “Where are the chimneys?” David Graham, Chair of the local community land trust explained,”These are modern homes, there are no coal fires, so they don’t need chimneys.” Coupled with good insulation, the air-source heat pumps provide comfortable, clean modern heating efficiency. The self-builds here are eco-friendly too with solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels and biomas heating. Very fitting, set as they are, in the beautiful Lyvennet Valley countryside.

“The gardens are looking more established now, the houses more ‘lived in’. People are stamping their mark on these homes,” says David Graham (left), Chairman of the Lyvennet Community Trust and Chair of the national Community Land Trusts’ Association describing the historical progress of the Stoneworks Garth community housing project in Crosby Ravensworth to visiting PAC members including the head of planning (centre left) and the PAC Chair (centre right)

“Where are the chimneys?” EDC Planners from PAC view ecologically friendly housing at Stoneworks Garth, Crosby Ravensworth,

EDC PAC Planners and Parish Councillor Gordon Bowness admiring an exterior-mounted intake unit for a Mitsubishi Air-source heat pump at The Lyvennet Community Trust’s Stoneworks Garth development in Crosby Ravensworth.

Such housing, within easy walking distance of the Primary school, Community pub, Village Hall and Parish Church affording a great start for young families but also a useful opportunity for mature people needing to downsize and remain in the area that they love.

Of the tour, Councillor Michael Slee, Chairman of the PAC said: “It is very important for committee members to have a good knowledge about the quality and types of development that are taking place in the District. We also need to garner people’s views about these developments and recognise the important role planning plays in promoting good quality design and sustaining the local economy. This tour gave members the chance to visit a variety of different types of development from new housing and retail premises, to wind turbines and a slurry lagoon.

“We had the opportunity to view an affordable home that is nearing completion at a Story Homes’ development at Kirkby Stephen. This will be of particular interest to the committee as the provision of affordable housing is one of the biggest issues facing the District. We also spoke with representatives from parish councillors on the tour, so they could feedback the views of the local community about the developments we visited.”

In the last full year Eden District Council granted approval for 207 new homes to be built in the District, this includes 34 affordable homes. Story Homes are building 106 new homes at developments at Birkbeck Gardens, Kirkby Stephen and Clifton Hill Gardens, near Penrith.

Claire Bainbridge and nine month old daughter Grace, welcome representatives from Kirkby Stephen Town Council, Eden District Council and Story Homes for a tour of the new market led and affordable housing at Birkbeck Gardens, Nateby Road, Kirkby Stephen. EDC Photo

A local young person who has purchased one of the market led houses at the Story Homes site at Kirkby Stephen said: “This development gave me and many other young people the opportunity to buy a first home in and around the area that we were raised, the existing stock on the market in the smaller villages and towns in Eden is not within a realistic price range for a first time buyer. It’s great to see how quickly the houses are being snapped up by young local people and this shows an obvious need.”

A spokesperson for Story Homes said: “Demand on the developments in Clifton and Kirkby Stephen has been high and we have recruited local staff and sub contractors to help us deliver these much needed homes and our quality product, which is sensitive to the surroundings. We have a reputation for providing high quality private houses and we are proud that we can retain this quality in our social housing. Both developments complement and enhance the sustainable credentials of these key and local service centres, whilst delivering much needed open market and affordable housing within the Eden District.”

For more information about the local young families benefitting from the new housing at Birkbeck Gardens visit www.storyhomes.co.uk/customer-comment/mr-bainbridge

The affordable housing at Birkbeck Gardens and Clifton Hill Gardens are being managed by Riverside Housing. Riverside’s Project Manager, Becci Kenvyn said: “These properties offer much needed affordable housing for rent by local people. The two schemes address housing need by offering a mix of bungalows and houses. The provision of homes for Shared Ownership at the Kirkby Stephen site, offer a fantastic opportunity for local first time buyers to get on the housing ladder in an area that would have otherwise been unaffordable.”

For more information about Eden District Council visit www.eden.gov.uk or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.