Holiday let and second home owners in Cumbria can now help their local community thanks to a ground breaking new initiative.
The Cumbria Home from Home Fund allows holiday let owners to give a week’s rent back to local communities.
It has been developed by Cumbria Community Foundation, in response to a growing interest from second home owners to support local causes.
Donations to the fund will support community projects in the towns and villages where many holiday
homes are located.
It will be managed by Cumbria Community Foundation, which for the last 22 years has given out more than £50 million in grants on behalf of individuals, families and businesses to help strengthen Cumbrian communities.
The Cumbria Home from Home Fund has been created in partnership with self-catering agents and
holiday homeowners operating in and around Lake District and wider Cumbria, with two of the UK’s
leading agents, Travel Chapter and Original Cottages, being the first to back the project.
To join the fund, you can make an annual donation of one week’s rent – you pick the week to donate, or
donate the equivalent if your property is not rented out – with a suggested minimum of £500.
The Cumbria Home from Home Fund will initially award grants of up to £10,000 to community projects
and initiatives that help people in and around the Lake District, such as helping young people access
skills, jobs and build confidence, and supporting older people suffering from dementia, hardship, or
loneliness.
Jacqui Currie, Head of Development at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The beauty of the Lake
District often disguises the fact that too many of our residents are experiencing hardship.
“With 2021 having seen unprecedented demand for holiday cottage accommodation, and bookings for 2022 already buoyant, it feels like the right time to launch this fund, which connects holiday and second homeowners with local communities.”
Claire Logan Stephens, who has donated to the fund, said: “I, like many holiday homeowners, have a deep affection for Cumbria and I really want to help the local communities to thrive.
“I feel fortunate to own a holiday home in Troutbeck and giving a week’s rent back to help local causes feels like the right thing to do, especially after such a busy year with bookings.”
Emily Brettle, who runs two holiday cottages to the east of the Lake District, said: “I am delighted to support the valuable work of the Cumbria Community Foundation through the new Home from Home Fund.”
Cumbria Tourism has offered its support to help promote this initiative. Managing director Gill Haigh said: “We will be sharing details of the fund with our members and would encourage those who have the means to do so to support it if they can.”
More details on the Cumbria Home from Home Fund can be found here. Anyone wishing to donate to the Cumbria Home from Home Fund, please visit the Cumbia Foundation website.