We take our responsibilities to our community and the region around us very seriously.
Highlighted below are just some of the local community projects we are proud to support.
Support to Local Schools and Colleges
We provide a wide and varied annual work experience scheme open to local schools and higher education establishments to help students gain experience in the workplace but also to assist in potential career choices. This year we’ve supported 10 students with placements in our offices.
Our Practice Manager acts as a ‘mock interviewer’ in three local schools as part of career development activities for year 9, 10 and 11 students and also volunteered as a mentor.
Our solicitors and trainee solicitors organise and deliver interactive presentations to local sixth form colleges, acting to inspire and energise students as they prepare to leave school.
Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club (CWSC)
We are proud supporters of Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club (CWSC) and have not only sponsored the Boccia League but also offered our skills and knowledge to help promote the club and gain them more sponsors.
Join the Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club family today and show your support for disability sport in our great county – contact Terri Hope for a sponsorship information pack and further information.
Cartmells Community Choir
Founded by our very own Deborah Flynn and Carol Fish, the choir recruits from our local community who have grown into a diverse group of people who perform at various local events, including the annual Festival of Remembrance at St Cuthbert’s Church in Carlisle, and raise money for charity in their own right. We’ve also done pretty well in some local singing competitions too!
The choir offers an opportunity for people of all walks of life to get involved with something different, often stepping outside their comfort zone. Many friendships have been struck over the last few years and it’s helped develop confidence and a real bond through singing.
If you would like to join our choir please click here.
Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland
We are official Business Partners of Hospice at Home.
Recently a team of 12 intrepid Cartmells walkers conquered the mammoth ’20 Challenge’ and raised £2409.62 for Hospice at Home and we raised over £7,000 in 2015 by doing the Coast to Coast Cycle challenge.
Over a number of years our colleagues in our Private Client team have taken part in ‘Will Month.’ During the course of the month we have acted to prepare wills for clients, free of charge, in return for a donation from them to the charity.
We also give up office space and offer our hospitality to the fundraising team on their Carlisle and Penrith flag days, with many of our staff getting involved too, as you can see on the photo, in addition to bag packing at local stores.
We produced our own Cartmells recipe book with proceeds of sale donated to the charity. We share our marquee with Hospice at Home at the Gilsland Show at no charge to them. We bake, face-paint, hold coffee mornings, bingo nights and quizzes.
Support to our local agricultural community
We support the local agricultural community through sponsorship of livestock, industrial and equine classes at six of the county’s agricultural shows.
Our staff also volunteer as stewards at horse classes at various shows and we have a number of colleagues who are active members of the Young Farmers’ groups locally.
Our agricultural team have also designed and delivered a number of free seminars and advice sessions to local agricultural organisations over the years and support the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute (RABI) every year by donating office space and helping out with their annual charity breakfast.
Teenage Cancer Trust
The firm helps to promote the Teenage Cancer Trust (Cumbria) through our social media channels and website. Currently we are helping to promote the Great North Run for Teenage Cancer Trust. In 2016 six members of our team took part in the Carlisle to Paris cycle ride, all done from the comfort of Penrith Leisure centre on their static bikes, raising money and awareness for the charity.
Penrith Goes Orange Festival
Penrith Goes Orange is a celebration in Penrith linked to the Dalmain International Marmalade Festival.
Our creative staff designed and created a 6ft scarecrow of Paddington Bear to fit in with the Marmalade Festival, had a Winnie The Pooh with a honey jar and beehive and provided free face painting for children on our stall. We were one of the busiest stalls in the town and also used the opportunity to fundraise for Hospice at Home as well as engage with a local community project. We showcased Paddington at a recent Carlisle Ambassadors meeting regarding Business in the Local Community.
Carlisle Ambassadors and Give A Day
We have been supporters of Carlisle Ambassadors from the start and are members of their Business Network. Alongside others who want to make Carlisle an even better place within which to live, work, invest and visit. When the chance to take part in their sister project, Give A Day, came up we were delighted to be able to do so.
Give a Day to the City 2017 was a fantastic day. Two teams from Cartmell Shepherd, including our Managing Director, got stuck into helping revamp the gardens at Eden Valley Hospice transforming a garden area at the back of the hospice.
In 2018 we had two teams take part in Give A Day. We had a team help with the Tullie House Secret Garden project and another supported the Oak Tree Animals’ project installing walkways.
Dementia Friends and Dementia Action Alliance support
Cartmell Shepherd are actively involved with both the Penrith Dementia Action Alliance and the new Carlisle Dementia Action Alliance (DAA). The aim of the DAA is to make the local community a friendlier place for those with Dementia. It highlights how our roles in business can make the community and workplace environment Dementia Friendly.
Cartmell staff have taken part in DAA workshops and shared our experience in how we can help and better understand the needs of Dementia sufferers.
Our Private Client team are Dementia Friends trained too. This training improves our understanding of Dementia both in and out of the workplace. It teaches ushow to be more patient, empathetic and understand Dementia and raise awareness of the disease.
Penrith Beekeepers Society
We are proud to sponsor our own beehive at National Trust – Acorn Bank at Temple Sowerby, Penrith. We work with the Penrith Beekeepers Society (PBKS) and sponsor the PBKS calendar.
Gift Of A Wedding
Our Viaduct House, Penrith, Haltwhistle and West Cumbria offices are all Drop-Off points for Gift Of A Wedding.
The charity aims to gift wedding services to people who have a terminal illness. By supporting the charity we are helping them to promote the well-being, both physically and mentally, of terminally-ill adults in the community by providing a wedding service that will help build and strengthen their family unit.
We are proud to support numerous other charities and projects and the above is just a flavour of what we do.
Visit our Press Centre, Facebook and X pages to keep up to date with our community projects.
For more information on our community work please contact Terri Hope.
