Have your say on Cumberland Council’s budget proposals for next year
Cumberland Council are inviting residents, businesses, and organisations to share their views on proposals for their 2026/27 budget.
Like all councils, Cumberland Council face significant financial challenges, including rising demand for services, rising prices, and changes to government funding. By law, the council must set a balanced budget, which means making sometimes difficult decisions about services and council tax.
Since April 2023, the Council have made some £55m in savings, whilst also continuing to improve services – including achieving a “Good” Ofsted rating for children’s services, repairing nearly 9,000 potholes in 2024/25 and introducing new bus routes.
To maintain essential services such as adult social care, children’s services, and waste management, the Council are proposing a 2.99% increase in council tax and a 2% rise in adult social care levy which goes specifically towards things like residential care, supporting those recovering from illness, and services for those with learning and physical disabilities. Parish and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner precepts are set separately.
Most people in Cumberland live in properties in council tax bands A to C. If the proposals to increase council tax go ahead, then those in a band A property would see an increase of £1.22 a week for Cumberland Council services, with Band C bills rising by £1.63 a week. For band D properties the proposed increases equate to a rise of £95.18 a year or £1.83 a week.
The deadline for responses is 30 January 2026.
Read more at: Have your say on the budget proposals for next year | Cumberland Council
Understanding & Tackling Digital Exclusion
Digital access is now essential for everyday life — from managing money and healthcare to staying connected. But for many people, the digital world still feels out of reach.
Join Sarah Jewell from Let’s Get Digital, West Cumbria for an engaging, free workshop on Wednesday 28th January for Staff, Trustees and Volunteers of Community & Voluntary organisations (i.e. Not for beneficiaries themselves, but for organisations who are supporting community members)
The session will explore:
This session blends discussion, real examples, and hands-on activities to help you better recognise digital barriers and respond confidently to the needs of your beneficiaries.
Together you’ll explore how community organisations can play a key role in ensuring no one gets left behind in an increasingly digital society.
You can view further details and register here
Applications for The Small Awards 2026 are open!
Entries are now open for The Small Awards 2026.
Categories for this year’s awards are:
You can enter here – entries close at midnight on 28th February 2026.
Webinar: Handling Subject Access Requests (SARs)
Wednesday 28 January 2026 – 10am to 11am - online
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is hosting a free webinar for small businesses, A beginner’s Guide To Subject Access Requests (SARs), delivered in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses.
ICO experts will explain the practical steps businesses should take when responding to a subject access request, share tips on addressing common challenges, and outline how organisations can plan ahead.
There will also be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions directly to the regulator.
Subject access requests are one of the most common issues raised by small businesses with the ICO, and this session is designed to provide clear, practical guidance to help businesses handle them with confidence.
New Game Changers Challenge Opportunity - Alternative skip handler for nuclear storage ponds
Sellafield Ltd is seeking innovative alternatives to the Skip Handling Machine (SHM) used in the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP) to improve resilience and throughput in this ageing, high-hazard facility.
The challenge is to identify solutions capable of safely operating underwater to move, position and recover skips, working alongside or independently of the existing SHM, and with potential to deploy sludge retrieval tools. Solutions should enhance operational continuity during outages and ideally be applicable to the Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) and other sites.
Deadline for applications: Tuesday 27th January 2026 at 3pm.
Find out more and access the challenge statement here.
Funding to help small businesses cut operating costs
The Government has announced £2 million of funding to help small businesses across the UK invest in sustainability and cut their operating costs. The funding will be made available via the 'Made Smarter Adoption Programme'. The programme will help small businesses invest in technology in areas such as heating, insulation and solar power to lower their bills and become more energy-efficient.
Read more about the funding here
Cumbria Business Growth Hub is running a webinar on 28th January to introduce Made Smarter and the support, programmes and funding they can offer. You can find out more and book here
BCC's Flagship Trade Conference 2026
British Chamber of Commerce are inviting Cumbria Chamber of Commerce members to their Driving International Trade Conference on the 26th March 2026!
DITC is a marketplace for trade and investment - a high-impact, purpose-driven event where deals are made, partnerships forged, and insights shared. From practical workshops and market clinics to investor showcases, every session is designed to deliver actionable intelligence and real-world results.
What to expect:
Your business should meet two or more of the following criteria:
📅 Thursday 26th March 2026
📍 QEII Centre, Central London
💰FREE
Book here
Help the Homeless – Small Capital Grants
Help the Homeless is a UK grant-giving trust founded in 1975 that aims to support charitable organisations helping people to move off the streets and into stable, independent lives. It favours small, grassroot charities working directly to assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The fund provides small capital grants for projects that help homeless people rebuild their lives and return to the community. Rather than funding immediate shelter or sustenance, the emphasis is on practical capital needs – such as improving accommodation, facilities or resources that directly support people to progress towards independence and longer-term stability.
Grants are open to UK-registered charities with an annual turnover typically under £500,000. Funding is not available for individuals, organisations without charity status.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available, and funds can only be used towards capital costs e.g. building improvements, fixtures, furniture or equipment directly related to project infrastructure. Running costs, salaries, IT equipment and multi-year requests are not eligible.
Applications must be submitted online using the official application form – email or post submissions are not accepted. Deadlines fall quarterly at 5pm on 15th March, 15th June, 15th September and 15th December each year, with decisions usually communicated within about 8 weeks of each deadline.
You can download an application here
Carlisle College Apprenticeship Awards 2026
Nominations are now open for the "Employer Choice" Apprentice of the Year 2026
Carlisle College Apprenticeship Awards.
You can view further details and make a nomination here
Free occupational health training for small businesses
Occupational health training will be funded by Government for small businesses across England between January and March 2026. The free training, provided by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, will provide employers with the practical skills needed to recognise the early signs that an employee needs additional help and support to avoid sickness absence.
Read more about the training here
Inheritance tax reliefs threshold to rise
The Government has announced that from April 2026, the level of the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs threshold will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million. This will allow spouses or civil partners to pass on up to £5 million in qualifying agricultural or business assets between them before paying inheritance tax.
Read more about the change here
Delay to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for farmers
Farmers operating as sole traders will have an extra year before they need to start using Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. The delay has been announced after the NFU successfully argued that the system had not been tested sufficiently for those who wish to use their entitlement for profit averaging. From April 2026, self-employed individuals and landlords with an income of more than £50,000 will be required to use MTD for Income Tax.
Read more about the delay here
North West Young Professionals Awards
Insider is delighted to announce the return of the annual North West Young Professionals Awards, which celebrates young business talent across the region.
This event is always one of the most anticipated business networking events of the year for young professionals in the region.
Companies are invited to put forward inspiring individuals aged 35 or under for the awards categories, which include sectors such as law, property, finance, marketing and more.
This year they have introduced a number of new categories to celebrate the stand out young professionals across a wider range of sectors, including IT/Tech Professional of the Year, Recruitment/HR Professional of the Year, Engineer of the Year and Retail/Hospitality Professional of the Year.
Read more here
Co-Research Collective and creating a Cumberland Youth Strategy
Do you work with young people aged 12-17? Would they be interested in joining a new youth co-research team? The co-research collective will work alongside adults from the Council, youth projects, health services, the university, and others to co-create a new Cumberland Youth Strategy. We are looking for 12 young people from across Cumberland to join colleagues at a residential at Brathay from 30th Jan – 1st Feb.
Read more below
