Two high profile figures have paid a visit to the Keswick Convention and praised its organisation and the development of the town’s pencil factory.
On his first visit, Workington MP Mark Jenkinson described the refurbishment of the factory as “a fantastic development that has potential for generations to come.”
Mr Jenkinson was shown around the site by staff from Keswick Ministries, organisers of the town’s annual Christian convention.
He thanked those involved for their efforts in staging the event following such uncertainty over the COVID-19 pandemic which could have affected the event or even cancelled it.
He met with staff and some of the 600 volunteers, who freely give their time to support the convention annually, allowing it to be held.
“It’s great to see a building that had become dilapidated being brought back to life, it is important to Keswick and there isn’t a space like it in Cumbria,” said Mr Jenkinson, who attended a prayer meeting with visitors from across the UK.
“It’s fantastic for the future of the convention, the locality and further afield.”
Praising the months of work that staff, trustees and volunteers have put into staging a large-scale event at such an uncertain time of Government restrictions and changes due to the pandemic, Mr Jenkinson said: “After months of hard work it is really great to see people pouring into the morning meetings and enjoying their time and the facilities.”
Jim Walker, chairman of Cumbria Tourism, spoke at the opening night of week three of the convention.
He praised the work of Keswick Ministries saying it was a ‘’shining example’’ of what could be achieved by an organisation under strict Covid restrictions.
“It has been a difficult time for the whole county, and the events industry over the past 18 months,’’ he said. “The convention is a fantastic symbol and shining example of what hard work and determination can do at a time when people are still very cautious.
“It is helping to power up the local economy. We really appreciate all the effort that has been put in to make the event such a great success.’’
Mr Walker said Cumbria had seen its tourism revenue halved from £3bn due to the pandemic.
“We would ask tourists to be kind to the Cumbrian environment and their communities and to plan ahead on their visits when capacity may be limited,’’ he added.
“There are still big issues within local tourism, including labour supply, but we hope that people will travel to us throughout summer, or extend their visits into September.’’
David Sawday, chief operating officer at Keswick Ministries, said: “We are very grateful for the kind and encouraging words from Jim. It has been a very tough year for the region so we are glad that it has been possible to stage the convention.
“We thank all those who have been involved in helping to organise and run this year’s event, speakers, volunteers, contractors and staff.
“The response from visitors has been wonderful. They tell us how delighted they are to attend the convention in Keswick or online.
“After such a difficult 18 months, the event is a credit to all those involved, and to the visitors who supported us and followed the site’s COVID procedures.”
It is the first year that the convention, which comes to an end today, has been based at the Rawnsley and pencil factory site.
