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Preparations underway for sparkling event in Carlisle
The final preparations are underway for Carlisle’s Christmas Lights Switch-On event on Sunday 16 November.
Thousands of lights are being installed across Carlisle’s city centre, with decorations focused on Scotch Street, English Street, Castle Street, Fisher Street, and the Greenmarket. This will be one of the first major events to take place in the newly revitalised city centre, following a £5.5 million UK Government investment that has refreshed more than 5,000 square metres of space.
The sparkling spectacular, organised by Cumberland Council, will be held between 3pm and 5.30pm outside the Old Town Hall.
The Christmas Lights Switch-On event will also be a showcase of local community groups and performers including Razzamataz Carlisle, Northern Heights Dance School, Norman Street Primary School, Carlisle Dance Academy, Longtown Primary School and local singer, Claudia Page.
Pop sensation AMELLE, best known as a member of the multi-platinum-selling group Sugababes, will be headlining this year’s Carlisle Christmas Lights Switch-On. The event will be hosted by Britain’s Got Talent Semi-Finalist and Singing Magician, Lewis Fuller, promising an afternoon full of sparkle, music, and magic.
The star-studded Christmas Lights Switch-On will provide a packed family entertainment programme, to suit all ages.The switch-on will take place at 5pm.
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Also in this week's edition:
We, in partnership with local NHS services, have launched a new Neurodiversity and Emotional Wellbeing Service.
The service is being piloted for an initial 12 months in the Cumberland and Eden* areas from November 2025, and has been developed with the support of SENDAC, the statutory parent/carer forum for Cumbria.
The service will focus on early intervention and prevention, offering support as soon as needs are noticed. It will provide support, advice and guidance to families with children who have needs related to neurodivergence or emotional wellbeing.
This includes children from 0-19, or young people up to aged 25 who have a diagnosed special educational need or disability. The Service team is made up of two Social Prescribers, five Support Workers, a Health & Wellbeing Coach, three Emotional Resilience Nurses, a Clinical Psychologist, and an Assistant Psychologist who can provide clinical support and guidance when needed.
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A single point of contact for parents, carers, young people, and professionals to contact the service to receive further advice and support.
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A new strength and needs assessment that can be completed with families to understand each child or young person and plan the right support.
*For children and young people living in the Eden area, signposting to follow-up support in the Westmorland and Furness Area will be provided, to ensure access to most appropriate local services
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A reminder that seasonal garden waste collections in all areas will be paused after this month and will restart in March 2026. Check your calendar to find out when your last 2025 collection will be.
The new calendars also cover the Christmas and New Year collections.
There will be no waste and kerbside recycling collections on Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December), Boxing Day (Friday 26 December), and New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January).
Collections will take place on the following dates:
Collections will return to their normal schedule on Monday 5 January.
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Join us for a free Christmas Fete at the Distington Walled Garden on Saturday 15 November from 10am to 4pm.
The event will feature an outdoor market with local businesses showcasing a range of handmade crafts, including preserves, candles, soaps, cakes, and woodwork. It’s a great opportunity to support local makers and pick up some unique gifts ahead of the festive season.
The café, based within the tranquil surroundings of the Distington Walled Garden, will be open to visitors for meals and refreshments between 10am and 3pm. Seasonal treats like homemade mince pies, mulled wine, and Baileys coffee will be available. From 2pm to 3pm, the café will offer a lighter selection of cakes and scones.
Families are welcome to visit Father Christmas, and children can take part in creative activities throughout the day. There will also be live music from a brass band, adding to the festive atmosphere.
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A multi-agency coordination group worked throughout Thursday 13 November as partner agencies dealt with the effects of surface water flooding in Cumbria.
Heavy rain overnight led to substantial problems on some roads – mainly in the north and west of the county.
There have been reports of cars getting stuck in floodwater, causing additional problems by then blocking routes.
A small number of homes have also reported floodwater entering their properties.
If you come across a flooded road, please do not try to drive through it and abide by any ‘road closed’ signs. This is not only for your safety, but also to prevent your vehicle breaking down in the floodwater and causing an additional obstacle for other road users.
Preparations are well underway for the opening of the new Maryport Maritime Museum with the creation of a new management partnership.
This marks the start of a new chapter for the destination under a refreshed operational structure involving Cumberland Council and Maryport Maritime Heritage Trust.
Historically, the Museum has been cared for by a team of dedicated volunteers who have played a vital role in protecting the collections and sharing the town’s rich seafaring history. Under the new arrangements, the council will take on the operational management role, working closely with the Trust to strengthen the Museum’s offer, attract new visitors, and link it more closely with wider regeneration activity across the town. The Trust will continue to play an active role, supporting the visitor experience and contributing their extensive local knowledge of Maryport’s history.
The new Maryport Maritime Museum, which will be located in Christ Church on the harbourside, is one of Cumberland Council’s £12 million regeneration projects in the town, funded by UK Government. Following the completion of the museum’s fit out and staff training, it is due to open in the New Year.
The new cycling route 38 has opened linking Cargo with Carlisle’s Northern Bypass, and forming part of the National Cycle Route 7.
The opening event, held last Wednesday (29 October), was a fantastic opportunity to bring together local residents, community groups, and cycling enthusiasts to mark the completion of this important infrastructure project.
Carlisle was one of the locations to be visited by Small Business Saturday’s national roadshow this week, as part of plans to celebrate the nation’s favourite small businesses.
‘The Tour’ is a month-long nationwide roadshow, visiting and spotlighting some of the UK’s most inspiring small businesses, as part of the countdown to Small Business Saturday on 6 December.
With the support of Cumberland Council, they visited Carlisle on Monday 10 November. The city is alongside 22 other locations across the country getting a visit throughout November, from Belfast and Edinburgh to Newport and Salisbury.
Jericho Park in Whitehaven has been brought back to life thanks to the dedication of local residents, the Friends of Jericho Park, with support from Cumberland Council.
Together, they have transformed Jericho Park into a vibrant, inclusive space for children and families to play, explore, and connect with the outdoors.
Thanks to funding from Cumberland Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the council began work to revitalise the park. The council partnered with Friends of Jericho Park (FoJP), a local charity formed in 2023, following a community meeting that voiced concerns about the park’s condition.
Cumberland Council worked closely with the Friends of Jericho Park to ensure the design reflects the needs and aspirations of local residents.
Work to replace the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) panels in The Sands Centre auditorium roof has restarted following agreement on a revised programme with Cubby Group, who acquired Cubby Construction in July 2025.
After the change in ownership, Cumberland Council’s project team worked closely with the new Cubby Group management and GLL to develop a safe and practical plan for work to resume. The delay stemmed from the severe damage caused by Storm Éowyn, that took place earlier this year, and the need for comprehensive reassessments of the temporary roof canopy to ensure the structure’s long‑term safety and resilience.
Work is now well underway and will be completed in time for the event programme to restart mid-June 2026.
As a result, events scheduled between February and 14 June 2026 will be affected. GLL, who operate the site on behalf of the council, will contact ticket holders directly with further updates.
We are hosting an event in Allonby to ensure local views influence future services.
Residents are invited to the village hall on December 2 for a workshop and a walk around the village.
Couples who were married in venues across Cumberland this spring and summer can officially be called happy – and the first-hand feedback proves it.
With the help of Cumberland Council’s ceremonies team, hundreds of happy couples tied the knot in the region between April and the end of August, the traditional busy season for registrars and ceremonies officers.
Couples who’ve been married this year – as well as those who have been part of other ceremonies such as civil partnerships, vow renewals, naming ceremonies and citizenship ceremonies – have been asked for feedback on their big day and the process while booking and planning.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with lots of praise for individual ceremony officers, the service as a whole and the council’s own venue, Lady Gilford’s House in Carlisle. The feedback shows:
- 100 per cent of respondents said they would recommend the service to family or friends
- 100 per cent of respondents rated the service as either “very good” (95 per cent) or “good” (five per cent) when asked how satisfied they were overall
- When asked about the friendliness of the ceremonies officers, 99.4 per cent rated them as “very good” with 0.6 per cent saying they were “good”.
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We are offering Workington residents the chance to get winter ready at a free event next month.
A warm welcome awaits people at a special pop-up advice session at Workington Library on 2 December.
It will address ways to stay warm, save money, and feel supported this season.
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Workington Library, Vulcan’s Lane
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Drop in anytime from 10am until 3pm
This free event is a chance to access practical advice and resources to make winter easier and more affordable. Whether someone is worried about rising energy costs, looking for tips to keep their home warm, or simply wants to know what support is available, the council is here to help.
Primary and secondary school pupils are getting involved in this year’s Baa-ttery Recycling Competition, helping to keep their communities safe by collecting used batteries for recycling instead of throwing them away.
Every year, around 3.2 million batteries are thrown away in Cumbria, equivalent in weight to more than 3,650 Herdwick sheep. To help tackle this, Cumberland Council, in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council and Biffa, is relaunching the Baa-ttery Recycling Competition for a second year.
Running from Monday 3 November to Friday 13 February, the competition invites primary and secondary schools across Cumberland to collect as many used batteries as possible for safe recycling.
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Join Team Cumberland
See if there is a job for you at Cumberland Council on our jobs page. You can also find out more about life at the council on our dedicated careers page.
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