The Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) is a programme of Summer activities and experiences aimed at all school-age children and young people in Cumbria.

The programme is administered by Westmorland and Furness & Cumberland Council who have commissioned a number of different organisations to provide activities across the summer, with all activities including a nutritious meal.

Places are FREE for young people who receive benefits-related Free School
Meals. Additional FREE spaces are available for children and young people who fit a number of eligibility criteria. For more information about potential eligibility for a free space, please email: HAF@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

Some activity providers also have spaces available for any child, but there may be a cost to parents.

For activities based in and around Penrith, please see the leaflet below:

• Summer HAF - Eden Area Leaflet

For activities further afield to Penrith, please visit the Westmorland & Furness website.

'Kids Free Fridays' is back, just in time for the 2024 summer holidays!

Every Friday from July 12th to September 6th inclusive, one child can travel for free when travelling with a full-fare paying adult on return journeys with Ullswater 'Steamers'. Simply use the code KIDSFREEFRIDAY24 when booking tickets.

For more information, please visit the Ullswater Steamer website.

Join us at Dalemain’s Historic Gardens for our informative and fun gardening days, giving you the unique opportunity to follow a garden through the seasons at close hand, whilst working alongside a small group of people.

Whether you are green-fingered or just looking to
develop your skills, the course will include a day packed full of lectures, practical demonstrations, seasonal tips (propagation, pruning and more), whilst also giving you the opportunity to work in the Gardens on the day.

You will gain first hand gardening experience from Jane Hasell-McCosh (owner of Dalemain), Shelagh Todd (Horticultural Lecturer and Plants Woman) and Jo Lees (Head Gardener of Dalemain).

Included alongside a wealth of knowledge is a delicious homemade lunch in the Mediaeval Hall, a behind the scenes tour of the gardens, and a take home plant from our very own Gardens.

Dates and times:

• Monday 5th August, 9.30am - 4pm
• Monday 2nd September, 9.30am - 4pm
• Monday 7th October, 9.30am - 4pm
• Monday 4th November, 9.30am - 4pm

Location: Dalemain Mansion, Dalemain, Penrith, CA11 0HB

Get involved with the Eden River Trust's Community Tree Nursery project!

There are regular sessions at the tree nursery – usually Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings – for growing native trees from seed or cuttings and looking after all the plants.

The Eden River Trust are still developing the site itself so there is always a bit of digging or building for anyone who likes to flex their muscles and there are also special features to set up to enhance sustainability and support wildlife and community use at the plot.

We’ve worked hard to make the site as accessible as possible and you don’t need any experience or special skills to join in – just come and say hello when we’re there or get in touch with Jenni Payne at volunteers@edenrt.org, call 01768 866788 or visit the Eden Rivers Trust website for more information.

Why not come along for the ride? Perhaps you’ll discover a skill or passion you never knew you had!

Penrith Repair Cafe aims to fix your broken items and save them from landfill. At the same time, you'll learn new skills from the brilliant volunteer repairers who can fix electricals, garden tools, ornaments and also tackle clothing and textile repairs! This is all carried out free of charge, but donations are appreciated.

There is also a cafe with delicious home made cake and drinks, which is also free!

The Repair Cafe runs on the second Saturday of each month - so 10 August - from 10am - 1pm at the Old Fire Station on Bridge Lane.

For more information, visit the Penrith Repair Cafe website and follow them on their Facebook page.

Get Involved and Make a Difference!

Can you answer YES to any of these questions:

• Do you have some spare time?
• Do you want to meet new people?
• Do you want to learn new skills?
• Do you have a skill or interest you’d like to share?
• Do you care about your community?
•  Do you want to build your CV?
• Do you want to improve your wellbeing?
• Do you want to try new experiences?

If any of these are YES, then you could enjoy volunteering!

Volunteers do more than just make a difference to their community: they also have a great time themselves. There are a wide variety of opportunities, from befriending to admin, youth work to environmental conservation, charity shops to events, building maintenance to health advocate, and much more. You can volunteer as a one-off for a couple of hours, or you can commit to an amount of time to suit you.

You are invited to come along to talk to Cumbria CVS about how you could get involved: we will be at Penrith library on Tuesday 13th August, 9.30am-2.30pm. We look forward to speaking with you!

You can also go to https://volunteering.cumbriacvs.org.uk any time to search for volunteering opportunities near you.

Offload Cumbria is an organisation aiming to bridge the gap between self and professional help for males aged 18 and over suffering from mental health issues in Cumbria.

If you’re simply looking for some moral support and can't find anyone to listen, Offload is here for you. 

Offload Cumbria run weekly sessions at Penrith Library, Thursdays between 12.30pm - 2.00pm.

If you'd like to get involved or have any questions, please get in touch via email: offloadcumbria@outlook.com

The Penrith Lottery is a lottery for the people, by the people. It’s a fun way to help good causes in Penrith and throughout the Eden Valley without giving up precious time.

Tickets are just £1 in the weekly draw, and supporters can choose exactly which good cause they would like their money to go to as well as a chance to win the weekly jackpot prize of £25,000.

Since its launch in February the Penrith Lottery is already raising thousands of pounds for small charities and not for profit organisations.

To those who haven’t as yet joined visit the lottery website to see which good causes you can support, and buy a ticket today www.penrithlottery.com

Penrith Town Council, working with Plug & Play, Eden Valley Artistic Network and the Penrith Arts & Culture group, has funded and arranged for bands / artists to play around Penrith on Saturday's across the Summer.

Sounds Around Town showcases the enormous wealth of local talent we have in Penrith (and the surrounding area) and aims to encourage more visitors into the town centre and increase the ‘dwell time’ of those visitors by giving them bands / artists worth sticking around for!

We are now heading towards the end of the summer season, with six acts currently scheduled to play across the next six Saturdays around Penrith:

• 27 July: Peter Rowan, Angel Square
• 3 August, The Readies, Bandstand
• 10 August, Carolyn Francis, New Squares
• 17 August, Gary Atkinson, Bandstand
• 24 August, Kenneth Wilson, New Squares
• 31 August, Squeezebox, Bandstand

All bands / artists play around 2pm and finish on or before 4pm. Check those acts out if you're in and around the town centre on any of those dates!

Book your tickets early!

A compass of Cumbrian legends.

Venue: Penrith Playhouse Theatre, Auctionmart Ln, Penrith CA11 7JG

Date & Time: Friday 30 Aug 2024, 7:30PM

This short music drama takes audiences anticlockwise around old Cumbria from west to north, pausing to uncover old tales of battles, spirits, loyalty, love, betrayal, and superstition. From ruined abbeys to enchanted stone circles, watery secrets to ghostly cairns, this is a folkloric tour of the magic of Eden, the Lakes, and the Dales.

'The Cumbria Opera Group are the pinnacle of performing arts in Cumbria' - Seen and Heard International.

For more information, and to book tickets, please visit the Penrith Players website.

Open Daily Friday 21 June to Sunday 1 September | Entry available any time from 10am onwards | Last Entry 4.30pm

Book tickets now for Rheged's new Summer exhibition, Lost Spells, Lost Words: Beyond & Before, an exhibition of over 250 original artworks from prize-winning illustrator, wildlife artist and author, Jackie Morris.

For the first time, her life’s work is displayed together, celebrating over 30 years of her work from over 30 children’s books.

In this exhibition set in three parts, take a magical journey of imagination, stories and dreams, from Whales to Ice Bears, Dragons to Tigers, Birds and Nature. Her books include The Ice Bear, The White Fox, The Snow Leopard, Tell Me A Dragon, and Lord of the Forest, full of stunning paintings that draw the reader into wonderful landscapes where unforgettable stories are told. Many are now used in schools and hospices across the UK.

Discover not only Jackie’s life, career and early work but also the original artwork and soundscapes of the award-winning ‘The Lost Words’ and ‘The Lost Spells’, which she created with Robert Macfarlane.

Follow Jackie’s path to becoming one of the most recognisable children’s illustrators in an extraordinary exhibition, with the beautiful original watercolour paintings that fill the pages of her books, including Jackie’s collaborations with Ted Hughes, Terry Pratchett, Robin Hobb & James Mayhew, as well as pieces never seen by the public before.

This family friendly exhibition includes children’s art activities; design a Dragon, make a Dragon Passport, and enjoy an exhibition trail. You will also have the chance to buy the artwork too.

For more information and to book tickets, please visit the Rheged website.

The original Potfest Flagship Event showcasing the very best work from 90 selected artists, chosen from throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.

All with very distinctive, individual styles. Set in the magnificent backdrop of Hutton-in-the-Forest on the edge of the beautiful Lake District National Park.

Potfest in the Park takes place under large marquees on parkland in front of this magnificent country house. The potters’ special competition pieces are displayed on the lawns in front of the house, juxtaposing ancient architecture and modern ceramics.

As well as hosting Potfest in the Park, Hutton-in-the-Forest is a cultural destination in itself. With its historic house, walled garden, topiary terraces and woodland walks it makes a great day out.

Dates & Times:

• 26, 27 & 28 July 2024
• 10am – 4.30pm daily

Penrith Park Run is a free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event at Frenchfield! Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you!

It's completely free to join, just register before you first come along. You only ever need to register with parkrun once. Don't forget to bring a printed copy of your barcode. If you forget it, you won't get a time.

For more information, please visit the Park Run or search for Penrith Park Run on Facebook.

Get involved with Ramblers Wellbeing Walks!

Ramblers Wellbeing Walks are short group walks making it easier to start walking and stay active.

Walks aim to be suitable for people of all ages and abilities and our leaders will ensure that you walk at a pace that you find comfortable.

Make new friends and start a new hobby!

Check out walks in the Eden area in the leaflet below:

• Eden Walks - April- June 2024

For more information about the Ramblers, please visit their website.