We’re counting down to The Sands Centre, Carlisle reopening, with the first live event back on stage next week - The Drifters (17 June).
After extensive work to replace the RAAC roof, more than 200 tonnes of old roof panels have been removed and a brand new roof installed. The temporary protective structure has now been taken down and the site moves into its final stages.
We’ve been speaking to Cllr Mark Fryer, Leader of Cumberland Council, Kirk Taylor, Managing Director of Cubby Construction, and James McGarry, General Manager of GLL, about the scale of the work and what it means to see the venue ready to welcome audiences again. See our video on our YouTube account.
There’s a huge variety of shows coming to The Sands over the coming months.
Video is courtesy of Stuart Walker Photography.
Over the past two days, our teams have been in Raffles, Carlisle as part of our Pride in Cumberland initiative
Work included:
- Litter picking
- Pressure washing
- Street sweeping
- Washing bins and signs
- Dog fouling stencils
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Engaging with residents
This is all part of a coordinated effort to bring our streets up to the highest standard. We’ve identified 10 priority locations across Carlisle, Workington, Whitehaven and Millom for phase one.
Meet Ruby
The week also saw the arrival of Ruby - our mascot helping to tackle dog fouling across the community.
She’s been out and about in Raffles as part of our Pride in Cumberland initiative.
She’s been chatting with local residents, stencilling “Clean It Up” messages in dog fouling hotspots, and even found time to cause a little mischief in Heysham Park.
If you spot dog fouling you can report it online here: Dog fouling | Cumberland Council
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We are taking a proactive step to tackle littering by trialling new artificial intelligence (AI) video surveillance CCTV cameras in Carlisle.
The pilot scheme will see the council install the first camera at a known littering hotspot, using AI technology to detect vehicle number plates and capture evidence of waste being thrown from vehicles. This information will help the council identify and contact those responsible.
Over the past year, many people have shared their views about Cumberland’s Library Service - what they value most, what works well, and what they’d like to see be developed as part of our Fit for the Future programme.
This week, we've published a key document called the Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA), which brings together everything learned through a major survey and engagement programme about the future of our library service. More than 1,500 people took part.
Some of the feedback includes:
- Praise for library staff’s knowledge, professionalism and friendliness
- A desire from library members to see investment in buildings and facilities
- A growing demand for digital services
- A want for expanded/more integrated services – further connecting libraries to other council services and other organisations
- Increase awareness of the breadth and variety of services on offer in libraries currently
Document links
Players from Workington Town RLFC have been visiting local primary schools, sharing their love of reading with pupils as part of the National Year of Reading.
From classroom story time to chatting about their favourite books, it’s been a great way to show that reading is for everyone, and even your sporting heroes enjoy a good book!
Remember, Libraries are FREE with unlimited reading! Pop into your local library, sign up, and start your reading journey today!
We launched our new Carers Charter, thanking members of the Cumberland Carers Forum for their collaboration in co-producing the document, which places unpaid carers at the heart of care and support.
The Charter sets out how the Council will value carers by recognising, listening to, and supporting them throughout their caring journey. It reflects a clear ambition to ensure unpaid carers are treated as essential partners in care, whose voices and experiences help shape how services are designed and delivered.
Our officer, Helen, along with our Food Cumberland staff, supported them every step of the way - bringing potential supporters together, and helping with things like governance, finding a location, recruiting volunteers, and sourcing seed funding. In our video, Helen and others explain more about the scheme.
If you have a great idea for something that’s lacking in your area, and the drive to get involved, talk to us about how we can help you deliver it. Contact communitydevelopment@cumberland.gov.uk.
Residents across Cumberland are being invited to have their say on local highways and transport services as part of a national survey taking place this summer.
Cumberland Council has signed up to the National Highways and Transport (NHT) Public Satisfaction Survey, which gathers feedback on everything from the condition of roads and footpaths to road safety, public transport and cycling facilities.
Around 3,300 residents will be randomly selected to take part, with questionnaires being sent out from 3 June 2026. Those who receive a survey are being encouraged to complete it, as the feedback plays an important role in shaping future services.
Infant Mental Health Awareness Week celebrates what parents are already doing to help build happy babies. It gives simple advice and ideas to support you to bond with your baby and support their development.
If you live or work in Cumberland, you can access evidence-based bitesize topics online which have been tested by researchers as well as hundreds of thousands of parents.
It only takes a few minutes to get started. Try one of the free learning pathways available through togetherness.co.uk/Cumbria. Use access code: WORDSWORTH.
Burnrigg Court, Carlisle celebrated a truly special milestone as Esther marked her incredible 112th birthday last Friday.
Esther enjoyed her big day surrounded by friends, family, fellow residents and staff with plenty of smiles, conversation and celebration. The video we shared on Facebook shows Esther and her support worker Megan on Esther’s big day,
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Free summer activities for eligible children are back. Booking for Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme open on Monday 15 June. Parents can search and register interest in activities now on eequ.org/cumberlandhaf.
This programme is fully funded by the Department for Education.
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