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Over the weekend, Kendal Town Hall and Penrith Town Hall will be illuminated red, and Barrow Town Hall will be illuminated in the colours of the Union Jack as a tribute to all the service men and women who have lost their lives in times of conflict.
We are also proudly displaying the symbolic red poppy on many of our buildings, libraries, care homes and vehicles to show our support.
Several commemorative events will be taking place across Westmorland and Furness, with many of our members and senior officers attending services on Remembrance Sunday to pay their respects on behalf of the council.
For more information about Remembrance or to donate to the Poppy Appeal, visit the Royal British Legion website.
Wearing a poppy for Remembrance – a message from the Royal British Legion:
"Wearing a poppy shows the Armed Forces community their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
“We often hear people debating the 'correct' way to wear a poppy, but the truth is, unless you're currently serving, there is no 'correct' way.
“It’s a matter of personal choice whether someone chooses to wear a poppy and how they choose to wear it. We simply ask that if you do wear a poppy, you wear it with pride.”
If you choose to wear a poppy, let us know why by emailing joely.ewbank@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk with a short quote (approx. 50 words) and we’ll feature these in a future staff update.
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Hosted and shared services staff – your new lanyards are ready for collection!
Earlier this summer, hosted and shared services staff fed back to Change Champions about the quality of the lanyards issued to them.
The Change Champions took this feedback to senior managers and a new printed lanyard was designed and developed.
We are pleased to inform our hosted and shared services colleagues that your new lanyard is now ready for collection from the following buildings:
- County Hall, Kendal
- Craven House, Barrow
- Cumbria House, Carlisle
- Parkhouse, Carlisle
- Skirsgill Depot, Penrith
- West Cumbria House, Workington
Please ask at reception for your new lanyard.
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In case you missed it... ‘Green Book’ national pay award 2023-24
Agreement has been reached on the national pay award for employees covered by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (‘Green Book’ Terms and Conditions).
The headline pay award with effect from 1 April 2023 is:
- An increase of £1,925 (pro-rata for part time employees) on all NJC pay points 2 to 43 (up to £49,590) inclusive.
- An increase of 3.88% on all pay points above NJC pay point 43 (over £49,590) but graded below ‘Chief Officer’.
The new rates of pay including any backdating will be implemented in November 2023 payrolls. This will be subject to the normal deductions for tax, national insurance and pension contributions.
Continue reading about the national pay award 2023-24
Let’s Talk briefing reminders
We have a vacancy for an experienced Infection Prevention Practitioner to work within the Westmorland and Furness Council Health Protection Team.
The position is fixed-term until 31 August 2024 to cover maternity leave. The post is full time (37 hours per week) but part-time hours/ flexible working will be considered.
Alston Library’s ‘Remembers’ Exhibition
The Alston Moor Remembers Exhibition in Alston Library has been running on and off since 2014. Initially created to help raise funds to restore and repair the Alston War Memorial and nearby Nenthall War Memorial, the exhibition tells the story of the men named on the memorials and rolls of honour for both world wars.
In the photographs, Elizabeth McDonald, Team Leader for Alston Local Links, is holding an Air Raid Warden’s hat and one of the biographies of the men. There are also several display boards featuring photographs of some of the men with cords to show where they died, individual stories and replica posters that were around at the time (both Allied and German).
There were over 100 men to gather information on, with their names as the only reference point and no other indication of where and when they died, or even which branch of the services they were in. However, closing in on 10 years of research, the local links team have almost found them all – an extraordinary achievement!
You can visit the exhibition at Alston Local Link Library during opening hours.
Have your say – Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy
Westmorland and Furness’ Health and Wellbeing Board is developing a new Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This will describe how partners and organisations across Westmorland and Furness will work together to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population and reduce inequalities.
In order to guide priority setting, we would like to hear from our residents and communities to understand their priorities for improving health and wellbeing. We have developed a short survey to gather this information and will present the findings to the Health and Wellbeing Board and other key partners to inform the strategy.
Liverpool Philharmonic has announced a new three-year partnership with Barrow
"Liverpool Philharmonic in Barrow" will place Liverpool Philharmonic and its musicians at the heart of Barrow’s musical life. The programme will involve close collaboration with Westmorland and Furness Council, Cumbria Music Education Hub and the outstanding cultural, learning and community partners across Barrow to complement their work.
The partnership will produce a series of concerts, community events, music-making projects and educational activities that will give more people the opportunity to enjoy live orchestral music in their local community.
Officers and members have worked hard to make this happen and can't wait to see the benefits this fantastic collaboration will bring residents of all ages.
Housing Team take to the sky and water to raise money for charity
Congratulations to members of the council’s Housing Team who recently took to the sky and water to raise funds for charities close to their hearts.
Rebecca Halton, Interim Senior Manager of Landlord Services and Homelessness, bravely undertook a skydive raising over £1000 for her children’s school to improve facilities for children with Special Educational Needs.
The money raised will go towards the purchase of a smart pod – a safe space where children can go when things in the classroom get too much.
Bryan Walker, Senior Surveyor, challenged himself to swim the length of Coniston Water in memory of his late sister, Susan, raising close to £3000 for St. Mary’s Hospice where she was lovingly cared for for over two years.
At approximately five-and-a-half miles in length, Coniston Water is not for the faint-hearted and while Bryan had to contend with choppy water and high winds, his yearlong training and weekly swims in Coniston helped him to complete the challenge in great time.
Huge well done to them both!
Rachel wins bursary
Congratulations to Trainee Solicitor Rachel Ireland on winning a bursary to attend a major conference held by professional body Lawyers in Local Government.
The LLG Hybrid Governance Conference 2023 will feature expert speakers in governance and local government and takes place on Friday 10 November in Sheffield.
Rachel, who is based in Kendal, said: “As a new authority with a new Constitution and new procedures it is an ideal time to learn from experts in the field and be innovative in our approach to governance.
“As a legal team we already have a strong understanding of governance. However, this is an opportunity to feed back and share my learning with the team and the Monitoring Officer, Linda Jones. We will also then be able to consider how we can best prepare for possible governance issues that might arise in the future.”
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Applications to The Reconditioning Fund are now open!
Active Cumbria are inviting organisations and groups working with Older Adults in Westmorland and Furness to apply to the Live Longer Better in Cumbria Reconditioning Fund.
The funding can be used for projects which recondition Older Adults. Investment will also be made into training and development of health professionals and physical activity and movement providers in relation to the benefits of activity (physical, cognitive and emotional) as well as tackling ageism.
Applications to the fund are open until 28 February 2024. Find out more and apply on-line!
Edington Centre residents enjoyed a Halloween party
Residents at the Edington Centre in Penrith painted faces and played party games. They also had a disco and a competition for the best decorated mask.
Residents had a lovely time making loads of spooky decorations and enjoying a tasty Halloween lunch!
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