Cumberland HDRC

28/08/2025

Job opportunities with Cumberland HDRC & CVS - Community Co-Researchers & Support Officer

Recruitment still open!

We are well underway with recruitment to our exciting roles here at the HDRC, in partnership with Cumbria CVS! Thank you to those of you who have submitted your expressions of interest to the Community co-researcher roles!

We are hoping to recruit 16 across the Cumberland geography and would love to see more expressions of interest from the following community panels: South Cumberland, Whitehaven and Coastal and Workington Together!

What areas do these community panels cover?
South Cumberland: Gosforth, Millom Without, Cleator Moor East & Frizington, Cleator Moor West, Egremont, Millom
Whitehaven and Coastal: Bransty, Egremont North, Hillcrest & Hensingham, Howgate, Kells & Sandwith, Mirehouse
Workington Together: Mossbay, Moorclose, Harrington, Seaton, St Michaels, St Johns & Great Clifton

As a Community Co-Researcher, you’ll play a key role in:
• Supporting research that reduces health inequalities
• Ensuring research reflects real-life experiences
• Helping build stronger, more research-active communities
• Influencing local policy and services through community insight

Our Community co-researcher Support Officer role is also still live! This relationship-focused role is all about pastoral and practical support — helping Community Co-Researchers feel confident, included, and emotionally safe in their work. You’ll play a key part in creating an environment where everyone feels valued and able to contribute meaningfully.

Recruitment for both Community co-researchers and Support officer roles, close on 5th September. If you would like any further information, please contact the HDRC team: HDRC@cumberland.gov.uk

CCR vacancies - https://cumbriacvs.org.uk/vacancies/community-co-researcher-hdrc-cumberland/

Support worker vacancy - https://cumbriacvs.org.uk/vacancies/community-co-researcher-support-officer-hdrc-cumberland/

22/08/2025

We've been having a fabulous time at our Art of Wellbeing sessions and you have been too! Every Art of Wellbeing session has been fantastic and insightful into what health and wellbeing looks like in our Cumberland Communities.

For our second Art of Wellbeing session at St Bees, people from different backgrounds and ages came together to build a picture on what St Bees is like to live in, what is available in the area, such as guided walks, activity groups and a strong sense of community. But it was shared that there is little to do for children and young people, without travelling further afield and how this can affect our health and wellbeing. It was an opportunity to witness diversity at its core - expressed through stories, voices, and creative expression. Raw, real, fun and beautifully human. A joy to share space with kids and adults - plus, creating Dancing Queen, Amy the puppet, was a pleasure!

Our session at the Closet did not disappoint! In a small, quirky space in Carlisle, we talked about the importance of nature, which our younger participants felt very strongly that being in nature makes us well. And the importance of looking after ourselves and doing what we enjoy to make us happy, can help our health and wellbeing.

Keswick was incredible transcendental experience - all the rainbows of emotions! Very sincere and fun session - genuine moments, good energy and meaningful conversations. It was a privilege to listen to people's personal stories, witness their performances - from heartfelt singing to the creative storytelling of puppet journeys. Shout out to Roy and Colin! Jen Bell and Tuesday's Tonic group programme are vital for the older people living with dementia, their carers, and those who are experiencing loneliness.

View our upcoming sessions and book your space via our link:

https://linktr.ee/cumberland.hdrc

19/08/2025

On Friday, Whitehaven came alive with energy and buzz for the Whitehaven Wellbeing Festival, a vibrant celebration of health, connection, and community spirit. There was over 80 organisations who came together and an incredible 2100 people attended. It was the perfect platform for us to share our Art of Wellbeing project and also our community co-researcher roles, both unique and fanstic opportunities for the people of Cumberland to play an active part in shaping and understanding the wellbeing needs of our communities. A huge thank you to the social prescribers, partner organisations, and every person who stopped by and said hello.

05/08/2025

Interested in our Community Co-Researcher positions and would like to know more? Come along to one of our online information sessions! We'll talk you through the HDRC, what we are hoping to do, and how to get involved. And most importantly, there is plenty of time for us to answer your questions.

Sign up via our Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-co-researcher-online-information-sessions-tickets-1559174485859

Cumbria CVS

05/08/2025

We had a fantastic time at our first Art of Wellbeing session yesterday at Harraby Community Centre - thanks to everyone who joined us! For our next session, we'll be heading to St Bees Village Hall on Monday 11 Aug 2025. For your ticket, head to the Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/rosehill-arts-trust-ltd-113366824411?

See you there!

04/08/2025

Want to know more about the opportunities we have at Cumberland HDRC and learn more about what we are aiming to achieve? Come talk to us at the Social Prescribing Wellbeing Festival at Whitehaven Rugby League Club on Friday 8th August 10am to 3pm. See you there!

31/07/2025

We are pleased to announce that our Community Co-Researcher vacancies are now OPEN!

Community co-researchers (CCRs) play a really important role in our research - they bring real-life experience and know their communities inside out. In Cumberland, our CCRs will be local people with lived experience who will help support research and work with us to find better ways to tackle health inequalities in their own areas.

We are looking for individuals from all walks of life, who currently live in Cumberland, with experience of Cumberland’s unique landscape and the issues we often see in our communities. These roles offer the opportunity to build your skills in community research and being part of a decision-making process to improve health and wellbeing in Cumberland.

The CCR roles are open to anyone aged 18 years and older, who want to help and support improving the health and wellbeing of Cumberland’s communities, through research. There are currently 16 CCR roles (paid or voluntary) open for application. These roles will be funded for a duration of 2 years, from October 2025 to end of September 2027.

No formal qualifications or experience are needed for this role, everyone has unique skills and knowledge that can be used to support these roles. Being able to communicate in creative ways to engage with communities, will be a key part of this role. Full training will be given in all aspects of research, community engagement and sharing findings.

To apply, head to Cumbria CVS: https://cumbriacvs.org.uk/vacancies/community-co-researcher-hdrc-cumberland/

To arrange an informal conversation about the role, please email: hr@cumbriacvs.org.uk or hdrc@cumberland.gov.uk

Closing date for applications is Friday 5th September, 12 noon

Interviews will be held via MS Teams. Dates to be arranged to suit individuals

29/07/2025

Project officer Becky and Comms / Engagement officer Sam had a great time today preparing for our Art of Wellbeing workshops with artist Stefan Escreet and Rosehill's own Jen at Rosehill Theatre today.

There is still plenty of time to sign up for your ticket, you can find everything you need on our linktree: https://linktr.ee/cumberland.hdrc

28/07/2025

Did you spot us? 👀

Word is spreading about our Art of Wellbeing project. We can't wait until our workshops start, have you got your ticket?

Rosehill Theatre
Cumberland Council
University of Cumbria

A project is aiming to bring communities together across Cumberland using a combination of art and storytelling.

24/07/2025

We're still looking for evidence, can you help? If you providing front line services to residents in Cumberland, we'd love to hear from you! See pictures for more details. You can contact us at hdrc@cumberland.gov.uk

21/07/2025

We'll be at the Social Prescribing Wellbeing Event on Friday 8th August. Stop by to say hello and find out more about what we do and how to get involved!