HERE IS the round up of our Community News contributions from Ambleside to Crosthwaite & Lyth.

The Westmorland Gazette: COMMMUNITY: AmblesideCOMMMUNITY: Ambleside

Ambleside

AS AMBLESIDE faces a winter of Covid restrictions, the Parish Centre continues as the hub for assistance and volunteering, delivering hot lunches three days a week and running a Foodshare table, Ambleside Foodbank and more besides, led by its new manager Sophie Bryde.

Born and brought up in Windermere, Sophie told Ambleside Rotary Club by Zoom how her family had run a bakery in Windermere, and also spoke about her job for the past 5 years with the National Trust in Grasmere, involved with product management, local properties and many other responsibilities.

The Parish Centre is closed to all bookings until March at the earliest, but although this felt like a strange time, Sophie said it offered a great opportunity to stand back and reflect on the services the Centre provides for its existing users as well as engaging with people who have never used it before. Funding sources also had to be identified and finance secured, although there were still adequate funds to feed 30 people with 2-course lunches on 3 days a week up till March, with a break over the Christmas period.

Lunches are prepared in partnership with Windermere School, and cost £4 per person (for those able to pay), bookings are still available.

The Centre will continue its hot lunches and Foodshare table on three mornings a week, Tuesday-Thursday until December 18, and resume after the holiday period.

The Foodbank is also opening on Wednesdays December 23 and 30. Anyone wishing to become a volunteer or join the lunch scheme should phone 015394 34172 or email admin@amblesidepc.org.uk Centre supporters can become a Friend of the Parish Centre by giving £15 annually to help fund its work.

Rotarians praised Sophie’s tangible and clearly defined breakdown of the Centre’s goals and ambitions and offered its support.

This year’s annual Ambleside Rotary ‘Quizkids’ contest, when Ambleside, Grasmere, Langdale and Hawkshead schools compete against each other for cash prizes to donate to their chosen charities was unable to take place, so instead Rotarians gave each school £250 to spend at Christmas. Grasmere School has chosen a visit by a storyteller, Hawkshead have an outdoor Christmas workshop planned, Langdale children will have a woodland magic experience and Ambleside invited each class to choose something special for their school.

Ambleside’s Christmas lights are almost all up now and giving the town a festive feel, thanks to the hard work of the Christmas Lights Committee. Only Church Street’s illuminations are still left to complete once roadworks have finished.

Individual grants of £65,314 were approved for young people under 25 living in the Lakes Parish Council area by Kelsick Educational Foundation recently.

Despite Covid-19, grant applications have been considered and approved quarterly throughout the year. Support for youth activities included tuition in riding, swimming, climbing, skiing, and sailing, dance and performing arts, instrumental music lessons and singing. Subsistence support for university was given to students studying medicine, earth and environmental sciences, physics and maths, criminology, marine biology, psychology, biomedical sciences, design, and computer science among other subjects.

Kelsick also supported young people with special needs as well as backing excellence in others. Annual grants totalling £148,465 based on pupil numbers will also made to support all three local primary schools next academic year, with £60,275 for Ambleside; £50,150 for Grasmere and £38,450 for Langdale school.

Total educational grants 2019-2020 were £285,645, compared with 2018-19 of £255,928. 

 Ambleside Rainbows thanked all those who nominated them as people’s favoured group for a Co-op Community Funding scheme.

This resulted in a donation of £1450.82 from the fund, which will be used to subsidise sleepovers, trips out and extra activities that the girls might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.

A new Co-Op funding scheme began in October and members can now nominate one of three new causes, one of which is Ambleside Friends of Guiding who will use any money received for maintenance and repainting the meeting hut for the girls.

The Westmorland Gazette: COMMUNITY: Bowness COMMUNITY: Bowness

Bowness and Windermere

GLEBE Sunday Markets commence again after lockdown on December 6 (10am-4pm) on the tennis courts, Glebe Road, Bowness with social distancing being in place.

Come and support the local traders and perhaps find that final Christmas Present!

There will be further markets throughout December every Sunday.

NORTHERN Rail through Community Rail Cumbria's work on an Access for All scheme at Ulverston with a local Mobility Ambassador, are keen to celebrate their new mobility Scooter access scheme.

It is a first amongst the UK train operating companies for its comprehensive and systematic approach.

Northern has made great progress in upgrading their trains, introducing new trains, and refurbishing even more. Rail services across the Northern network are more accessible than ever.

Since end of October, Northern customers can now apply for a permit to use class 2 mobility scooters on Northern services and access more than a hundred Northern stations.

To apply, see information and application form at: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/mobilityscooter#about

SUNDAY, 13 December 2020 will see the introduction of new timetables across the North of England rail network. 

This is the first major timetable change since the national September uplift when Trans Pennine Express made only small changes.

As towns and cities were entered into Tier 3 lockdown and since the subsequent national lockdown which began on the November 5 for four weeks, the operators have seen passenger numbers decline significantly.

We do not expect to see numbers rise significantly until at least Spring 2021, or at such time as a credible vaccine is widely accessible.

The operators have looked at the demand, responded accordingly, and will therefore be running a service similar to that in operation today.

New timetables come into effect from 13 December 2020 so remember to check on-line before you travel: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/timetables; https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/timetables; https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/timetables

WINDERMERE & Bowness Town Council are holding a Full Council Meeting via Zoom on the 9th December (7pm).

Details of access to the Zoom Meeting from the Clerk to the Council at clerk@windermere-tc.gov.uk.

The Westmorland Gazette: COMMUNITY: Burton in KendalCOMMUNITY: Burton in Kendal

Burton-in-Kendal
THE current situation means that we cannot get together to sing carols this year, sadly there will be no annual ‘Carols at the Kings'.

Instead a group of singers from Burton are going to bring singing to the village, the  group put their' socially distanced' heads together and came up with a plan: On December 18th at 7pm, the church bells will ring and the singers will begin singing carols at the churchyard.

This will allow people to join in from their gardens and windows and from the street.

The group will make its way through the village stopping at various locations, to allow others to join in the singing.

The plan is in its early stages, more details will follow here and posters around the village.

Please also see the Burton Westmorland Facebook page.

Song sheets will be available at the village shop from December 14th.

The group's mission statement: "Let’s get Burton singing and spread some Christmas Cheer".
At ST James' church Burton on Sunday 6th December children can collect Christingle Kits which open up the Christmas Story.

There will also be a Christmas Trail around the village and the Christmas tableau inside the church.
THE Community Volunteer Group is ongoing contacts: Lesley Bailey 01524-782984/Christine Davidson 01524-782694.
LOCAL branch library in Milnthorpe remains closed.

The Westmorland Gazette: COMMUNITY: CrosthwaiteCOMMUNITY: Crosthwaite

Crosthwaite & Lyth

The Crosthwaite Parish Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday 3rd November.

Further details are on the Crosthwaite and Lyth Valley website. Crosthwaite School is to receive free B4rN broadband before March and so will the village hall, as the Committee has agreed to allow the junction boxes to be placed on its ground.

The Village Hall committee held a zoom meeting on Thursday 12th November when it was decided to start a 100 club to raise some money to help the hall which, due to the pandemic, has expenses but no income.

Members would pay £12 per year with the chance of winning a small monthly prize. For a form and details please contact: 100club@crosthwaiteandlyth.co.uk