Community Events and Case Studies
Big Lunch & Harvest Fest Funding
Following a proposal developed by Food Cumberland and submitted to Cumberland Council, £22,000 was secured to support delivery of The Big Lunch and Harvest Fest programme in 2025 & 2026. This Partnership-enabled funding has supported more than 120 community-led celebrations reaching over 5,000 residents!
Funding criteria were intentionally designed by partners to support low-carbon, plastic-free and zero-waste events while empowering communities to lead their own local food initiatives, embedding good food into local culture and strengthening neighbourhood connections.
From Bollywood dancing in a tomato polytunnel to foraging walks, planting sessions, and live cooking demonstrations, the programme highlighted the creativity and commitment of local organisers and reflected Cumberland’s dedication to climate-conscious living, championing local suppliers and strengthening community connections through inclusive, food-focused experiences.
Ennerdale's Big Lunch - The Gather Community Hub Case Study
The Ennerdale Big Lunch, held during Big Green Week and Open Farm Sunday, brought together forty participants ranging in age from eight to eighty. While most attendees were local residents, the event also attracted visitors from Kendal and Penrith, demonstrating growing regional interest in Ennerdale’s farming, environmental stewardship, and community-led initiatives.
Hosted at The Gather, Ennerdale’s community hub, the event combined food, farming education, environmental awareness, and hands-on learning. It showcased how local producers, conservation organisations, and community volunteers can collaborate to highlight sustainable rural living.
Farm Walk & Environmental Education
Livestock Farming in Ennerdale - local farmer Sam Rawling led participants through the fields to the River Ehen, explaining how his commercial livestock operation integrates environmental awareness and works collaboratively with agencies to support biodiversity. His approach demonstrated how traditional farming and conservation can coexist productively.
The River Ehen & Pearl Mussels - at the river, Philippa Chadwick from the Rivers Trust described the ecological importance of the River Ehen, one of the few remaining habitats for the endangered Freshwater Pearl Mussel. She outlined ongoing work with farmers to improve river conditions and protect this rare species.
Soil Exploration & Learning - for those who did not join the river walk, Louise Rawling led a hands-on soil session at the top of the field. Participants examined soil structure and discussed soil microbiology, fertility, and the role of healthy soils in food production and ecosystem resilience. The session highlighted soil as a living system central to farming and environmental sustainability.
Celebrating Local Food
Building a Truly Local Menu
The shared meal was a highlight of the day. The Gather prepared a generous spread using ingredients sourced from local farms and producers wherever possible. Louise explained the menu choices, emphasising how each item reflected the agricultural landscape surrounding Ennerdale.
Local Farming Context
The area around The Gather is dominated by livestock farming, with enterprises ranging from:
- Grass-fed cattle, sheep, and pigs
- Commercial suckler beef and lamb producers
- Sheep farms in the high fells
- Dairy farms supplying Aspatria’s cheese processors
- Free-range egg producers
June is traditionally a “hungry gap” in Cumbria, yet local sourcing was still possible thanks to:
- Growing Well (Egremont) – strawberries & carrots
- Helen’s Herbs (Cleator Moor) – new potatoes
- Local arable farms – wheat and potatoes
- British sugar beet producers – Silver Spoon sugar
- Appleby Creamery – cheeses
- Eden Yard (Penrith) – rapeseed oil
The Gather’s bakers incorporated these ingredients into sausage rolls, scones, cakes, flans, and other dishes. This included a vegan carrot pudding bar, adapted to use British-grown ingredients such as: oat milk, locally grown carrots, british oats & british walnuts. This ensured the vegan offering was both inclusive and locally relevant.
The Menu
Displayed under Big Lunch bunting, the meal included:
Carrots with yoghurt, chive & mint dip Sausage rolls (Harrison Butchers, Cockermouth)
New potatoes (with optional butter) Bacon, egg & cheese flan
Hard-boiled eggs (plain or filled) Local cheeses with oatcakes & sourdough
Scones with butter & Wild & Fruitful jam Carrot & walnut bars
Mini sponge cakes with Big Lunch decorations Strawberries & cream
Lakeland Ice Cream Tea and coffee were served - Yorkshire Tea and Carvetti Coffee being the only non-local exceptions.
Waste & Logistics - thanks to a booking system, food quantities were well matched to attendance. Very little waste was produced, and leftovers were enjoyed by Gather staff. This demonstrated effective planning and sustainable event management.
Closing Session - the afternoon concluded with Will Rawling giving a talk on upland farming and common land management in Cumbria. His insights connected the day’s themes: farming heritage, environmental responsibility, and community resilience.
The event reinforced Ennerdale’s identity as a place where farming, community and environmental stewardship work hand in hand.
More case studies coming soon!
Spring into Community Food Growing - Event Summary
The Spring into Community Food Growing event brought together community food growing groups, local organisations, and individuals from Carlisle and the surrounding area to celebrate, strengthen and expand local food-growing activity. Hosted at Gosling Sike, the event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to connect, share knowledge, and explore ways of working together to increase community growing opportunities across Cumberland.
The day featured presentations from Food Cumberland Partnership, Groundwork, Botcherby Green Hub, Carlisle Healthcare, Growing Well and other local partners. Attendees learned about the Licence to Grow initiative and the support available to community groups, participated in a seed swap, explored topics such as heritage seeds and seed viability, and enjoyed guided tours of the Gosling Sike seed bank and orchard.
A key focus of the event was exploring interest in establishing a Carlisle and Surrounding Area Community Food Growing Network. Feedback from discussions showed strong enthusiasm for developing a collaborative network, with many participants expressing a willingness to share skills, knowledge, resources, volunteers, and growing spaces to support collective success.
Round table discussions identified a number of priorities, including health and wellbeing, education, social inclusion, cooking skills, increasing local food production, engaging younger generations, resource sharing and the need for dedicated coordination. Participants also highlighted support needs such as access to compost, tools, seeds, volunteers, mentoring, small grants, and stronger links with social prescribing services.
Despite challenges around volunteer recruitment, access to land, affordable growing materials, and funding eligibility, community groups demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration. Many offered to contribute site visits, mentoring, networking opportunities, shared growing spaces, volunteers, and plant and seed resources.
As a result of the event, practical actions are already being developed to support the Community Food Growing Workstream Action Plan. Improvements to communication and engagement are underway, including the introduction of community representatives, adding resources to the Food Cumberland Partnership website, regular news updates, and a dedicated Facebook group for groups to network, hosted by ACT.
The success of the event highlighted the significant appetite for a coordinated community food growing network and directly informed the delivery of a similar event in West Cumbria, extending opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing and partnership working across Cumberland.