A former Keswick schoolboy has donated £100,000 to a fund set up to support Cumbria’s charities and community groups during the coronavirus crisis.
Businessman Mike Wombwell’s six-figure support took total donations for the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund to nearly £1 million since it was launched three weeks ago.
The county’s coronavirus fund was set up by Cumbria Community Foundation and Mike’s donation will help it provide additional support for local groups supporting families.
Mike now lives in Cornwall with his wife and son but grew up near Maryport and went to Keswick Grammar School before gaining a degree in business studies, sponsored by the British Steel Corporation, at Sheffield Polytechnic. A successful career in the steel industry followed, taking Mike all over the world before spending the last 20 years running his own business in Dubai.
“Now my parents have died, I very rarely get up to Cumbria, but even when living overseas, I liked hearing the snippets of news about the region and watching TV programmes about Cumbria,” said Mike. “I often get a twinge of homesickness and have many fond memories of the countryside and people of my early years.
“I wanted to ‘do my bit’ to help to reduce the risks to some of the most vulnerable in society. I am making donations in Cumbria and Cornwall with a focus on alleviating difficulties faced by families with children in being able to afford the basics. I find myself in a privileged position where I can help, so I will. In fact, I think I should, and I am very happy to do so, ” he added.
Andy Beeforth is chief executive at Cumbria Community Foundation. He said: “In three weeks, over 90 applications from charities and community groups have been received, requesting almost £750,000 between them. The need is great and we can only support these groups thanks to our generous donors.
“Hundreds of people have donated so far and what this crisis has done is bring together a community. We continue to be inspired, but not surprised, by the generosity of people who care about Cumbria. The money that’s been donated is helping groups make an enormous difference in their communities but we know that need is still growing and is likely to do so for some time.”
Cumbria Community Foundation is a charity dedicated to meeting community need by grant aiding community and voluntary organisations in Cumbria. It was launched in 1999 and has given out more than £44 million in grant aid.
For more information about the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund and how to donate, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org . Groups wanting to enquire about funding should visit: https://www.cumbriafoundation.org/fund/covid19-response-fund or contact the grants team on [email protected]