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Penrith Town Council, working with the Penrith Arts & Culture Group, has agreed to deliver two FREE Penrith Wild Play Day's at Thacka Beck Field and Fairhill Playing Field through Stomping Ground!
The Council has agreed to fully fund the Wild Play Day's, ensuring that any child / young person wanting to attend is able to - free of charge.
The day's themselves will involve den building, nature crafts, circus play, mud kitchen, live music (with Plug & Play and Blue Jam Arts) and targeted support for individuals with additional needs with a sensory tent and specialist staffing.
Thacka Beck Field - Friday 1 August 2025
 Image Description: Penrith Wild Play Day Poster - Thacka Beck Field.
Important information: Thacka Beck Field can be accessed from Tynefield Drive, Carleton Drive and the A686. There are paved paths with steps down from both Tynefield Drive and Carleton Drive. There is a gated entrance from the A686 onto Thacka Beck Field. All access locations lead onto a hardstanding path which cuts through the field and leads to where you can find the event taking place.
Stomping Ground strongly encourage that families to walk to the event, where possible, as parking is limited.
Fairhill Playing Field - Monday 25 August 2025
 Image Description: Penrith Wild Play Day Poster - Fairhill Playing Field.
Important information: Fairhill Playing Field can be accessed from either Inglewood Road or Salkeld Road through gated entrances. Entering via Salkeld Road, there is a tarmac path leading up to the Fairhill Play Area close to where you can find the event taking place.
Stomping Ground strongly encourage that families to walk to the event, where possible, as parking is limited.
 Image Description: Collage of Penrith May Day 2025. Click on this image to open up a video of Penrith May Day 2025.
At its meeting of Full Council on Monday 14 July 2025, the Council resolved to continue the delivery of the Penrith May Day for 2026, following Councillors unanimously agreeing that the much-loved event should remain a firm fixture in the town’s annual calendar under the stewardship of the Council.
Penrith May Day is one of Cumbria’s most beloved community celebrations, featuring a spectacular variety of fun entertainment throughout the day drawing over 4000 residents and visitors into the town for a day of fun! Following 40 fantastic years of the Penrith Lions Club organising the event for the town, the Council was proud to take on the reigns for the event for the first time and will now continue to do so.
Councillor Barbara Jayson, Deputy Chair of Penrith Town Council & Deputy Mayor of Penrith said:
"Penrith May Day 2025 was a fantastic community day, with the streets of Penrith alive with music, colour, and pride - a true celebration of our town’s spirit!
"The 2025 event saw a wide range of free, family-friendly activities made available for free throughout the day, from inflatable play areas to interactive games, ensuring that everyone could take part in the celebrations regardless of their situation.
"We’re proud to take the lead once again for 2026, building on that energy and celebrating everything that makes Penrith unique. As we look ahead, we’re committed to making next year’s event even more inclusive, vibrant, and meaningful - a platform for local talent, a boost for small businesses, and a time for all generations to come together!"
More details will be announced in the coming months - keep an eye on the Penrith Arts & Culture website and Penrith Town Council's social media platforms for further updates.
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At its meeting on Monday, 14 July, Penrith Town Council voted to withdraw its expression of interest in taking ownership of Carleton Village Hall.
In July 2023, Penrith Town Council indicated it would be interested in acquiring the hall, subject to the findings of a business case, when the Town Council was approached by Persimmon. The hall is part of a planning agreement between Persimmon and Westmorland & Furness Council.
After thorough discussion, Penrith Town Council decided not to move forward with its interest to own the hall as despite the transfer cost being minimal, the operational challenges were potentially significant to the Council and the Penrith community.
Councillor Val Bowen, Chair of Penrith Town Council & Penrith Mayor said:
"The Councillors gave this considerable deliberation, and on the basis of the financial burden this would have placed on the whole of Penrith taxpayers, we felt it was not possible for us to proceed."
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 From left to right: Cllr Val Bowen (Penrith Town Council Chair and Penrith Mayor), Michelle Dodd (Penrith Cricket Club Bar/Function Manager), John Pickthall (Penrith Cricket Club Pavilion Group Leader), Graham Harrison (Penrith Cricket Club Health and Safety Officer)
Penrith Town Council has awarded Penrith Cricket Club a grant of £1,000 to help fund important improvements to its facilities, including the refurbishment of the club’s outdated toilet facilities and the installation of a new disabled access ramp. These works are aimed at making the club more accessible, inclusive, and comfortable for everyone in the local community who uses the facilities.
Councillor Val Bowen, Chair of Penrith Town Council & Penrith Mayor said:
“We are proud to support local groups that make a real difference to our community – with this particular project aligning with the Council’s grant objectives to improve resources, opportunities, places, and spaces.
“Clubs like Penrith Cricket Club are at the heart of our town, providing opportunities for people to come together, stay active, and build friendships. We hope this funding helps the club create an even more welcoming and inclusive space for everyone."
The improvements are part of the club’s wider plans to enhance its facilities and ensure they meet the needs of all visitors, including those with additional mobility requirements.
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Andrew Hall, Chairman, Penrith Cricket Club added:
"We are extremely grateful to Penrith Town Council for this generous grant. The funding has helped us to modernise our function room toilets and provide proper disabled access for the first time, which is a huge step forward for the club.
“These significant upgrades mean we can welcome even more people from across the community, ensuring everyone can enjoy the facilities safely and comfortably.”
Penrith Town Council’s grant scheme provides financial support to local community groups and voluntary organisations for projects that benefit the residents of Penrith and the surrounding area.
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 Image Description: Events Officer & Solicitor Roles Graphic.
Pay Scale LC3 (33-36) £42,708 pa (FTE) pro rata to:
- 30 hours per week - £34,628
LGPS Pension: Employer contributions at 21.5%
Remote and flexible working available
LOCATION: PENRITH
Penrith Town Council is committed to delivering projects and events in Penrith and building on its vision for Penrith as a creative and cultural place where quality of life is enhanced by a range of vibrant festivals, events and projects.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, innovative and self-motivated individual to join the Council and lead this new era for the Town Council takes on the responsibility for events.
The post holder will also take the lead on many of the Council projects, be actively involved with the delivery and promotion of our grants scheme and working closely with our Communities Committee to deliver many of their projects.
At Penrith Town Council, we pride ourselves on the fact that we offer you a great place to work. We achieve our goals by recruiting and retaining motivated, empowered and flexible staff. We are committed to training and development, and we encourage a healthy work-life balance.
You must have at least 3 years’ experience of organising professional events. You will work closely with the Council team in the development and delivery of a first-class events programme delivering an exciting variety of events from start to finish, using your creativity and eye for detail to bring each event to life. This role is key to ensuring that events run professionally, safely and providing an excellent customer experience.
You will identify new opportunities and ways to continually improve each event. Excellent communication and organisational skills, the ability to work independently as well as part of a team are essential. Experience of working to multiple deadlines and within budget are key to this role.
The role will require liaison with local community groups, residents and stakeholders, to understand the needs of the community and deliver solutions to meet any such identified needs.
Please consider this role if you believe your strengths lie in organisation, communication, and administration, and you want to build up your experience in the event industry.
For detailed information on this role, please download the recruitment pack.
Closing date for applications is 12 noon on 30 July 2025
Interviews will be held on 27 August 2025
Applications MUST be submitted by email:
townclerk@penrithtowncouncil.gov.uk with ‘JOB APPLICATION’ in the subject line.
Informal discussion concerning the role can be made by contacting the Town Council on 01768 899 773 or by emailing: townclerk@penrithtowncouncil.gov.uk
Starting salary: £50,788 (FTE)
Hours per week: 8hrs pw £10,982 pa, annualised contract and permanent
LGPS Pension: Employer contributions at 21.5%
LOCATION: PENRITH
Are you looking to be part of a forward-thinking Council? Following the retirement of the Councils solicitor, we have an opportunity within our small team for a part-time in-house solicitor. We are looking for positive, enthusiastic, organised and efficient individual with experience of working in local government to help us make a difference in Penrith.
The ideal candidate will HAVE at least 5 years’ experience in local government and be comfortable working in both AN office and remote environments. Strong IT skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 is essential. Excellent communication and organisational skills, the ability to work independently as well as part of a team are essential. Experience of working to multiple deadlines.
You will provide advice and guidance to Council on emerging legal matters both nationally and locally and lead on matters related to contracts, tenders, service level agreements, land and asset transfers.
We value our colleagues and have a number of benefits including our generous annual leave, sick pay and the local government pension scheme.
We provide for your professional membership fees and access to development opportunities to support your personal and professional growth.
We are an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone.
We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact us we will work with you to meet your needs.
For detailed information on this role, please refer to Recruitment Pack.
Closing date for applications is 12 noon on 29 August 2025.
Interviews will be held on 25 September 2025.
Applications MUST be submitted by email or by signed for post:
townclerk@penrithtowncouncil.gov.uk with ‘JOB APPLICATION’ in the subject line.
Informal discussion concerning the role can be made by contacting the Town Council on 01768 899 773 or by emailing: townclerk@penrithtowncouncil.gov.uk
 Image Description: Penrith Town Council Chair and Penrith Mayor, Cllr Val Bowen gives VR headset a go.
On Monday 14 July, Penrith Town Council Chair and Penrith Mayor, Cllr Val Bowen, attended the Team Autism Showcase at the George Hotel. The event offered a fantastic insight into the great work Team Autism is doing to support individuals on the autism spectrum in our community.
As part of the showcase, the Mayor got the chance to try out a virtual reality headset with a programme designed to simulate the everyday challenges faced by autistic individuals.
Cllr Bowen said:
"It really opened my eyes - something as simple as a dripping tap can feel overwhelming after just a short period of time. Everyday things we take for granted can be a real challenge."
Cllr Bowen attended the event in recognition of a generous £1,000 donation made to Team Autism by Penrith Town Council on behalf of former Mayor Doug Lawson and Deputy Mayor Danny Smith, who chose the organisation as the beneficiary of their civic allowances in 2024/25.
 Image Description: Penrith Bandstand on Penrith May Day 2025.
Sounds Around Town celebrates the incredible local talent in Penrith and Cumbria while encouraging visitors to explore the town centre, stay longer, and enjoy everything our community has to offer.
Penrith Town Council, in collaboration with Plug & Play, Eden Valley Artistic Network (EVAN), and the Penrith Arts & Culture group currently has the following acts scheduled to play across the rest of the Summer weeks around Penrith:
- 2 August: Tailgate Buskers, Little Dockray
- 9 August: Tarzan's Nuts, Cornmarket Bandstand
- 16 August: Peter Rowan, Angel Square
- 23 August: Solway Express, Cornmarket Bandstand
- 30 August: Penrith Town Band, Angel Square
- 6 September: Streetbeats, Cornmarket 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!
For the most up-to-date information on acts for Sounds Around Town 2025, follow Penrith Town Council Cumbria on Facebook.
On Thursday 15th August, Penrith Town Council will be attending the raising of a flag to commemorate Victory in Japan (VJ) Day which marked the end of the Second World War in the Pacific and the conclusion of one of the worst conflicts in our history. The flag will be raised in front of the Old Town Hall at 10am and all are welcome to attend.
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Any member of the public can attend Council meetings. The Council's upcoming meetings are detailed below with dates, times and venues.
Full Council Meeting:
- Date: Monday 29 September 2025
- Time: 6pm - 8pm
- Venue: Board Room, Unit 1 Church House, 19-24 Friargate
Planning Committee:
- Date: Monday 29 July 2025
- Time: 5.15pm - 7.15pm
- Venue: Unit 2, Church House, 19-24 Friargate
Finance Committee:
- Date: Monday 15 September 2025
- Time: 5.15pm - 7.15pm
- Venue: Board Room, Unit 1 Church House, 19-24 Friargate
Communities Committee:
- Date: Monday 20 October 2025
- Time: 5.15pm - 7.00pm
- Venue: Boardroom, Unit 1, Church House, 19-24 Friargate
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