Holiday and second homeowners “give back” to support communities in and around the Lake District

This Valentine’s Day sees the launch of the Cumbria Home from Home Fund, a ground-breaking initiative which provides an opportunity for holiday and second homeowners to demonstrate their love for the Lake District and its local communities.

This initiative has been developed by Cumbria Community Foundation, in response to a growing interest from holiday homeowners to support local causes. Cumbria provides a beautiful home from home for those luckyenough to own a second property in the county, and this initiative will encourage holiday homeowners to give the equivalent of a week’s rental income back to local communities.

Donations to the Cumbria Home from Home Fund will support community projects in the towns and villages where many holiday homes are located. The fund will be managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, which for the last 22 years, has given out grants of more than £50 million on behalf of individuals, families and businesses to help strengthen Cumbrian communities.

The Cumbria Home from Home Fund has been developed in partnership with self-catering agents and holiday homeowners operating in and around Lake District and wider Cumbria, with two of the UK’s leading agents, Travel Chapter and Original Cottages, being the first to back the project.

Jacqui Currie, Head of Development at Cumbria Community Foundation, commented: “The beauty of the Lake District often disguises the fact that too many of our residents are experiencing hardship. The charities and community groups active throughout the area serve both visitors and locals alike. With 2021 having seen unprecedented demand for holiday cottage accommodation, and bookings for 2022 already buoyant, it feels like the right time to launch this fund, which connects holiday and second home owners with local communities.”

The Cumbria Home from Home Fund will initially award grants of up to £10,000 to community projects and initiatives that help people in and around the Lake District, such as helping young people access skills, jobs and build confidence, and supporting older people suffering from dementia, hardship, or loneliness. Grants will also be considered for activities to help people access the outdoors, mental health support, as well as community owned initiatives such as community shops, pubs and village halls in rural areas.

To highlight the need for this Fund and how holiday and second homeowners can get involved, the Foundation has produced a short video which can be found on YouTube and more details on the Cumbria Home from Home Fund can be found on the Foundation’s website.

Anyone one wishing to join the Cumbria Home from Home Fund, please visit the Cumbria Home Fund website.