Cumbria Secures £497,907 Funding for New Armed Forces Support Centre
Westmorland and Furness Council leads consortium to establish a vital 'No Wrong Door' initiative for service personnel, veterans, and their families.
By Megan Worthington
••3 min read
AI
Generic image of a military medal on a dark background.
A new Cumbria-wide initiative to support the Armed Forces community has secured £497,907 in government funding over three years. Led by Westmorland and Furness Council, the Cumbria VALOUR-recognised centre will offer coordinated support for serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families.
The initiative, funded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs within the Ministry of Defence, aims to ensure the Armed Forces community can easily access necessary advice and assistance. The centre will be based at 5 Corney Square, Penrith, with outreach services delivered across the county.
Funded partners will provide military-informed support on critical issues including health, housing, and employment. The centre will operate on a "No Wrong Door" model, ensuring beneficiaries receive holistic assessments, coordinated support plans, and tailored referrals to help them navigate services more easily and reduce gaps in provision.
The funding addresses challenges faced by the Armed Forces community in Cumbria, such as rurality, social isolation, service fragmentation, and access barriers. Support will be available through community-based services, outreach, digital appointments, telephone support, and home visits where appropriate.
Specialist partners will assist with mental and physical health, wellbeing, employment, housing, and financial difficulties. Outreach services will operate in Barrow, Carlisle, Grange, Kendal, Whitehaven, and Workington, alongside peer support and social connection activities to combat isolation.
The bid was led by the council’s Director of Law and Governance, Linda Jones, and supported by Cumberland Council, Cumbria Combined Authority, University of Cumbria, Cumbria’s Lord Lieutenant, and the county’s five MPs. Westmorland and Furness Council is one of 20 new lead organisations awarded funding in the second wave of the VALOUR programme.
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"We are delighted that Cumbria has secured significant funding for a VALOUR-recognised centre. This investment will strengthen support for serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families across the county."
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"This is welcome recognition of the need to strengthen support for our Armed Forces community. Securing this funding through a highly competitive process is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work of partners across the county."
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"Having served for 30 years in the Armed Forces and been closely involved in the welfare of veterans in Cumbria for the last 14 years, I welcome the establishment of the VALOUR centre in Penrith and am delighted at Westmorland and Furness Council’s success in securing funding for this much needed resource."
Consortium partners will begin implementation planning, with further details on service delivery and timescales to be shared as the project develops. The VALOUR programme includes services from organisations such as Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS) and Carlisle United Community Sports Trust.
