Latest News

Community news stories from the Northern Fells | Newest at the top, scroll down for more/archived

Upcoming Events

New Lend a Hand Co-ordinator appointed: Gail Dewis is working alongside Doreen Gleed in December and then takes over running the Lend a Hand Group in January

Second Lunch at Millhouse - details here

Celebration of the Apple Day - a great success.

Village Agents

Cards and Calendars

  • We have a limited supply of recycled calendar photos on A5 blank cards with envelopes in sealed polythene only £1 each! They are available in the lobby at Millhouse Vllage Hall on Friday mornings at the Drop In Coffee Morning, and whenever the hall is open for any event.
  • We have picked four new blank cards (packed in sets of five A6 cards of the same design, still £1.50/pack) for 2012 and they are for sale at Millhouse Village Hall and at other local outlets.
  • Winter photo by Colin Smith | Happy Christmas
  • Fells in Winter photo by Keith Bridges | Happy Christmas
  • Squirrels photo by Fraser Shaw | blank
  • Summertime photo by Colin Smith | blank
  • No 1720 1st PRIZE £100 - James from Millhouse
  • No 1866 2nd PRIZE £52 (value of cancelled Brampton Live tickets or Tickets for Ireby Festival May 26th 2011 - Elkie Brookes is coming!) - Jennifer from Anglesey (a regular visitor to Denton House – Hesket Newmarket)
  • No. 0134 3rd Prize £25 - Caroline from Manchester
  • No. 0209 4th Prize £20 - Alan from Peterborough (a visitor to Ireby Festival)
  • No. 0459 5th Prize £15 - Mr Berry - a local lad

Sue Clarke

Launch of the Village Agents Project 15th and 16th June

Added: June 2010

The Launch Events all went very well and each venue was well supported. Caldbeck Village Hall was the most popular venue, with approx 40 visitors over the space of 2hours. In total over the 4 venues approx 120 people visited. We gave lots of information out about the new project with our portable display boards proving very useful as well. We had a variety of people taking an interest, from Caldbeck School Headmistress to a Community Police Officer, from Citizens Advice Bureau, a Department of Work and Pensions representative, neighbourhood forum representatives, local councillors, some hikers, and most important of all a good number of local residents.

Thank you to everyone for your support. Everyone seemed to enjoy the friendly atmosphere, the chat, and the fantastic refreshments of coffee, tea and cakes.

Anne Burgess, Village Agent Co-ordinator

Mosedale Coffee Shop

Added: May 2010

Would you enjoy running a coffee shop for a day (or two!) Or baking cakes, scones, or making soup, for a good cause?

The Northern Fells Group is planning to rent the Mosedale Meeting House again, as we have done for the last four years, for Thursdays to Sundays from July to September, to run the Coffee Shop there.

Please ring Antoinette Ward on 016974 78220 if you can volunteer to help. A few half days, or full days if you prefer, running the Coffee Shop with other volunteers, or doing some baking or soupmaking would be very gratefully received. Thank you very much!

 

Auction of Goods and Promises, 27th February 2010 in aid of Northern Fells Group Replacement Minibus

Added: March 2010

Thank you to everyone who helped in any way to raise the magnificent total of £5,057.68 towards the new Minibus!

Takings on the Night: £
Auction Sales 3536.00
Catalogues and Admissions 283.10
Drawing 307.00
Cake Stall (+ kindling and sundries) 281.20
Café 27.35
Bar 100.00
Subtotal: 4,534.65
Auction Related Takings:  
Minibus Outing in Aid of Auction 70.00
Old Crown Quiz Night 78.00
Domino Drives, Oddfellows Arms 255.00
Personal Donations on and around the date of the Auction 325.20
Subtotal: 728.00
Total Takings for Replacement Minibus: 5,262.65
Expenses:  
Allerdale Temporary Event Licence for the Bar 21.00
Printing costs (Catalogues and Promise cards) 98.97
Sundry costs 10.00
Caldbeck Parish Hall hire 75.00
Total Expenses: 204.97
 

Profit from Auction related fundraising for the Minibus:
£5,057.00

THANK YOU ALL!

 

10th Anniversary Celebration

Added: December 2009

On November 1st 2009 The Northern Fells Group celebrated 10 years since the start of the Northern Fells Rural Project. About 80 of the approximately 150 volunteers who are or have been involved with the Group’s activities over the last ten years gathered in Caldbeck Parish Hall for a tea party and a lot of chat and reminiscences. The Chairman, Malcolm Threlkeld, thanked everyone for their help for the Group, reminding us that without the volunteers the Group’s activities would just cease!

 

The 10th anniversary cake
The 10th anniversary cake, baked by Vice Chairman Lesley Smith and decorated by by Eleanor Earl
Jim Cox and Malcolm Threlkeld
Jim Cox, former Chairman, and Malcolm Threlkeld, Chairman, cut the cake together

 

Northern Fells Group Minibus Service and Christmas Celebrations

Added: September 2009

Don’t forget that we can take groups of up to 8 people to evening functions.

To enquire or book: please ring 016974 78787


Doug Scott Lecture

Added: September 2009

The Doug Scott Lecture on 9th September was a great night enjoyed by all. £672 was raised for the Northern Fells and £1,268 for Community Action Nepal (Doug sold some of his pictures and goods too).

My thanks to everyone who put in such an effort to make the evening a success especially to Doug for his inspiring lecture and to Andrew Ward for setting-up the technical equipment on the day.


With my best wishes, Margaret | Northern Fells Group

 

The Northern Fells Group: £3,800 raised at Mosedale Coffee Shop Over the Summer

Added: September 2009

Thank you to everyone who has helped in any way with the Coffee Shop at Mosedale Meeting House this summer.

Between us all, the sixty eight volunteers who either ran the coffee shop and/or did all the baking and soup making, the twenty four artists, authors and craft workers who added interest and colour, not to mention additional funds, and all the many many visitors from near and far who came to enjoy the good homemade food and the wonderful peaceful atmosphere of the beautiful Quaker Meeting House, we raised approximately £3,800 for the Northern Fells Group and its activities!

The famous Bric-a-Brac in the barn raised £568 towards that total!


Bric-a-Brac Stall at Mungrisdale 2nd May

Added: May 2009

Thank you very much to everyone who donated Bric a Brac for our stall at the Mungrisdale WI Fair on 2nd May. It raised an incredible £121 for Northern Fells Group funds and we are very grateful for your support. We also sold £16.50 worth of NF Christmas cards.

Antoinette Ward and Joyce Woodcock

 

RESULT TIME FOR NORTHERN FELLS GROUP PHOTOGRAPH COMPETITION 2011

Added: June 2011

We had 139 photographs entered this year and the winning entrants were:-  James Lennon, Dorothy Shaw, Fraser Shaw, Bob Clarke , Sue Clarke, Sue Braithwaite, David Kirkwood, Colin Smith, Wendy Bonington, Jefferey J Clarke and Sally Bohling.  Our kind judge for the Overall Winner this year was Desmond Groves F.B.I.P.P, F.R.P.S., F.R.S.A. and with much deliberation he finally chose Mrs Dorothy Shaw’s photo of a snow scene near Bluegate, Caldbeck which will be our January 2012 picture.

Presentations will take place on Friday 22nd July at Millhouse Village Hall 7.00pm where we shall have the preview of our 2nd Northern Fells Calendar

Thank you so much for all your wonderful entries – our first group of judges found it very difficult to chose13 pictures but finally they got there.  The standard as before was very high.  We have a SPECIAL PRIZE to award to our youngest entrant and whose entry we shall be using on our front cover – James Lennon aged 7.  Well done James!

Insider news: Hospice at Home are using two of your pictures from last year and asked if we could give contact to the “professional photographers” we used. Quite an accolade!

We have obtained sponsorship again from 15 local businesses this year and our special thanks for all their continued support to the Group.

THANK YOU EVERYONE INVOLVED!

 

Reverb's New Format

Added: May 2011

Keep your eyes open for Summer Activities Programme where new format Reverb will be surfacing with Alex Green and helpers giving our youth the opportunity to have fun with all our wonderful musical equipment. We also hope to have a few school visits again in the new term later in the year. Our main funders this year The Hadfield Charitable Trust are happy with Reverb's achievements so far.

 

Village Agent Project

Updated: May 2011

For more information please contact Anne Burgess on 016973 79741 or anneburgess52@googlemail.com

 

"Apple Juice and Preserves Now Sold Out" says Philippa

Added: January 2011

We have sold about 500 bottles of juice (some smaller bottles but mainly large bottles £2) total so far is £668 as at 18.1.11 and still rising for the Village Agent Project funds deducting any VA expenses claimed.  We must say a very big thank you to Village Agents who have tirelessly worked collecting all the apples from our kind residents and making new contacts within their parishes.  We can confirm the scheme will definitely go ahead again this year.  This scheme involved alot of bartering - bring it back we say!

Thank you on behalf of the trustees to everyone who was involved giving us many hours of their free time including of course the kind recipients of 3 tonnes of apples!!!!

All organised in a week by Philippa Groves Village Agent for Mungrisdale and Castle Sowerby Tel: 016974 78555 philippa.groves@northernfellsgroup.org.uk - so with more time what heights can we reach this year?  
 
A few Calendars left now discounted to £3 - a bargain, a present, wonderful photos to cut out and frame their use is endless!  Available still at Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket Village Stores, Lofters and Hestascene, the Smithy, Caldbeck and Dorothy Chalk's book shop Priest Mill or give me a ring on 016974 78094 or email me sue.clarke@northernfellsgroup.org.uk.
We also have a few photos from the calendar framed and signed by photographer available at £45 - this is a particular opportunity to buy a signed Chris Bonnington print at a generous price.
Blank cards are for sale at £1.50 per pack.  Sheep cards almost sold out!  We hope you are taking lots of photographs as the sun peeps over the horizon
for our second calendar photo competition.  Any ideas on a theme for this year?  We shall give details in March/April this year.  Watch this space! 061974 78094 sue.clarke@northernfellsgroup.org.uk 
 
Soup recipe books at £3 still available for Lend a Hand funds - Contact Doreen Gleed: 016973 71264 or doreengleed@aol.com, or Sue Clarke on 016974 78094

 

Mosedale Coffee Shop

Added: September 2010

Thank you to everyone who made Mosedale Coffee Shop at the Quaker Meeting House, Mosedale, such a success again this year.

We made a profit of £4045.14p - increased £200 on last year! It has been wonderful teamwork again by all the fifty six volunteers: the bakers of cakes and biscuits, the soupmakers and the coffee shop helpers! The volunteers came from all corners of our seven parishes, as did the Bric a Brac donated to the barn, and the art and craft work from local artists and authors.

Takings  
Art and craft sales, NFGp percentage 588.78
(with our appreciation to the Artists, Authors and Craft workers)
Bric a Brac sales 817.88
(Thank you to the donors and the buyers!)
Coffee Shop 3551.70
Donations 125.40
Jams/Eggs/Plants/Vegetables 35.00
NF Soup books profit (takings minus unit costs) 48.36
NF cards profit (takings minus unit costs) 100.80
NF Calendars profit (takings minus unit costs) 72.34
NF Calendar print profit (takings minus unit costs) 27.00
Extra cash received, provenance unrecorded but
no doubt coffee shop, ice creams, donations, bric a brac!		 236.01
Sub-Total 5,603.27
Expenses  
Rent for the Meeting House 810.00
Food, Milk and Ice cream costs 693.13
Print/postage/miscellaneous costs 55.00
Sub-Total 1,558.13
Total Profit for Northern Fells Group £4,045.14

We are very grateful to the Quakers of Mosedale for letting us run the Coffee Shop in the beautiful, peaceful Meeting House and we hope very much that they will be happy for us to continue next year. Thank you too to Margaret, Jim and Amanda Hodge for the regular donation of fruit pies from The Pie Mill.

And thank you to everyone who supported the Coffee Shop in any way - it has been a very happy and enjoyable venture once again!

 

New Minibus Launch

Added: August 2010

The Launch of the new Northern Fells Minibus on the 17th July 2010 was a very happy occasion with about a hundred people at Millhouse Village Hall. There were Volunteers, Passengers, Co-ordinators, Trustees, parish, district and county Councillors, Funders, and many supporters from the seven parishes. Rory Stewart, MP, cut the ribbon and gave an interesting speech following Jim Cox’s equally good speech about the Northern Fells Group and its work.

Jim made an appeal for less bureaucracy around fundraising bids – unfortunately Lord Wei from the Government’s ‘Big Society’ Office had been delayed so missed the speech, but Jim hoped the main points of his speech would be relayed to Lord Wei by Rory Stewart and the Parliamentary Assistant present. Anyway Lord Wei did arrive safely in the end and everyone enjoyed the home made refreshments.

Rory Stewart and Lord Wei then went on to the Coffee Shop at Mosedale Meeting House to meet Volunteers and Passengers from the Mungrisdale area. Special thanks to Lesley Smith and to everyone who helped in any way at Millhouse and Coffee Shop – too many to mention but you know who you are!

The New, Blue, Minibus with Rory Stewart     The New Minibus and Drivers

The new minibus has been made possible by all the local fundraising, especially the Auction in February, and a generous grant from Cumbria County Council.

Thank you to everyone from the Voluntary Drivers, Passengers and Trustees.


 

Northern Fells Group Raffle Results

Added: July 2010

Congratulations to all the winners. Thank you so much on behalf of the Trustees to all the participants who have increased the funds of the Northern Fells Group to £386. Thank you to all the volunteers who so generously gave their time to sell 761 tickets. Well done everyone!