Category: Community

A NEW base is set to keep West Cumbria’s Industrial Solutions Hub in the heart of the community as the organisation moves from its current home. 

iSH – which delivers programmes that build on the region’s nuclear heritage to showcase its capacity for industrial innovation and technical capability – has been located in the Phoenix Centre in Earl Street, Cleator Moor, for two years. 

The team has moved temporarily to office space within the nearby Town Council offices to allow for planned refurbishment works to take place in the Phoenix Centre.  

Gary McKeating, Managing Director of iSH, said: “Ambitious change is taking place in Cleator Moor to realise a host of opportunities for people across the area. 

“The long-term plan has always been for us to relocate from the Phoenix Centre to allow the transformation of the building as part of the Cleator Moor Town Deal Revitalised Town project. 

“Collaboration – bringing people, ideas, skills and expertise together – is key to our role in the region, and operating from a central footprint is therefore very important to us. 

“Our priority was to remain in the heart of Cleator Moor and we are pleased to confirm our new home will be in Market Square.” 

Work to update the new office space within the Town Council building has been carried out by local firms or tradesmen.  

Members of the public were invited to view the space at the iSH Community Meeting held on Thursday, October 17 between 9.30am and 11am which was followed by refreshments and a networking opportunity between 11am and 12 noon. 

iSH will continue to drive forward its vision to create a hub in Cleator Moor that benefits the whole community and West Cumbria as a region, attracting inward investment, opening up opportunities for SMEs and fostering collaborative working. 

Among the ambitious projects the team is currently working to deliver are the objectives of the Cumbria Robotics Cluster and the establishment of further clusters designed to support advanced manufacturing and advanced technologies. 

The team is also overseeing the creation of the iSH Enterprise Campus at Leconfield, alongside Cumberland Council, supported by funding from the Cleator Moor Town Deal Board, the NDA, Sellafield Ltd and the Copeland Community Fund as well as Cumberland Council and Cleator Moor Town Council. 

Gary McKeating added: “We are proud that iSH is rooted here in the heart of this community and we look forward to settling into our new offices in the coming weeks.” 

All the team at iSH are devastated to hear the news of Pat Graham’s death.

Pat was a true visionary, a guiding light for so many of us.

She devoted so much of her life to making a positive difference to people’s lives.

Brought up in Cleator Moor, she was passionate about making Copeland, and West Cumbria, an even better place.

In her role as Chief Executive of Copeland Council she did so much to make that a reality. 

In recent years Pat was a driving force behind the formation of iSH, and the organisation’s mission to improve the economy of West Cumbria.

As Chair of our Board, Pat was generous with her time and commitment, bringing her expertise, energy and enthusiasm to help shape our organisation and determine what we can achieve for our wider communities through collaboration.

Pat’s boundless passion combined with common-sense pragmatism and sheer will to make things happen, means her legacy will live on not only for this generation but for generations to come.

Our Managing Director John Maddison said: “Without Pat’s drive, tenacity, leadership and support iSH simply wouldn’t be where it is today.  

“Copeland was exceptionally lucky to have Pat as its leader, iSH was very lucky to have Pat driving it forward, and I was personally very lucky to get the opportunity to work closely with her and learn from a truly inspirational leader.

“We all feel immensely proud and lucky to have known Pat, and privileged and committed as ever to continue Pat’s inspiring work and play our part in her legacy.”

SPACE sector opportunities and funding are now within reach for West Cumbrian businesses following the success of the Industrial Solutions Hub’s first Space Week.

The business events on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday highlighted the similarities between the nuclear industry and the space sector and showcased some of the exciting projects companies here could potentially get involved in. The schools and community events caught the interest of the next generation, showing them the possible future careers available on their doorstep.

Miranda Kirschel, iSH Regional Representative, said: “Overall it has just been wonderful, something really different. Our next steps are to collate all of the information and feedback from the sessions with a view to running a research and development project. 

“There have been offers of funding which is always nice from those who came to speak so hopefully we can get a feasibility study going. We are looking at starting small, building on the buzz and hopefully we’ve created enough excitement to do it bigger and better next year.

“We were able to show how the space sector is already a part of what we do here. National Nuclear Laboratories are harnessing a byproduct of nuclear waste in the form of Americium 241 on the Sellafield site to power space batteries. Alan Cross, North West Space Cluster Development Manager, described this as finding gold at Sellafield. Imagine the possibilities there alone. 

“We are also leaders in  robotics and digital technologies. Now, we will look at how we grow this capability and see what parts of the space sector may compliment what we already do.

“There’s funding available for those who want to diversify and pivot into the space sector. It was great to hear too about the really exciting projects like the micro reactor that Rolls Royce are designing and the solar farm that Frazer-Nash are designing.

“And it is always so inspiring when we’ve got schoolchildren who are interested and enthusiastic. The kids all wanted to ask questions and get involved. The planetarium was the winning feature of the day on both Wednesday and Thursday.”

Adrian Bull, Chair in Nuclear Energy and Society at The University of Manchester, opened up the second day’s session at Lakes College, Workington, on “How expertise in the Nuclear Sector can translate into the Space Sector”.

Adrian invited attendees to look through four lenses during the event: Nuclear; Space; West Cumbria; and UN Sustainable Development Goals, including working in partnership to deliver action.

Adrian said afterwards: “West Cumbria is about high tech innovation and we looked at how all those activities can serve the space sector the way they have served the nuclear sector for 70 years.

“It’s a huge opportunity, building on the heritage of West Cumbria, making the connections, building on what we have started today and creating the economic landscape of the 22nd Century, which is not as far away as we might think. We are already almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century.

“It was brilliant to see how engaged everyone is. In many years of attending events it’s the only one I have ever been to where when the coffee break was announced not one person stood up! It’s fantastic to see how engrossed all the workshop attendees were in the discussion and planning the real action which can come out of this. It’s very exciting to be involved.”

More than 300 school children attended Space Week on Wednesday and Thursday. Claire Murray, a teacher from Thornhill School in Egremont, said: “It has been such a brilliant experience for the children. It shows them what is possible on their doorstep and gives them insight into what they could do in the future.

“They were particularly enthralled by the planetarium, it was great to see them listening and learning. And they’d like a Spot the dog robot for school!”

Editor’s notes

iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) is an initiative of regional, national and international significance which will create jobs, opportunities for businesses and organisations to collaborate, enhance skills, provide business support, and bring a range of economic and social benefits to the community through projects which will have a positive impact on people, the economy, and the environment.

Facilitating a diverse commercial cluster that harnesses the unique skills of the region, iSH creates sustainable opportunities for the direct benefit of the people of Cumbria and the UK economy.

Supported by Cumberland Council, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, iSH provides an investment climate that drives networking, fuels collaboration and promotes innovation which acts as a catalyst for sustained business growth. It also expands the breadth of the regional economy, anchoring diversification towards new markets, sectors and industries.

iSH Space Week was supported by Cumberland Council, Sellafield Ltd, Jacobs, National Nuclear Laboratory, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Whitehaven Town Council, and the Beacon Museum.

AN initiative which recently won £40m backing to help create more than 700 jobs across West Cumbria has made its second appointment to its own team.

Hannah Pears, who is passionate about working with partner organisations to give young people the best possible life chances, has joined iSH (the Industrial Solutions Hub) as Education Liaison Officer.

Hannah, from Whitehaven, has spent the last 11 years working to give young people opportunities in education and employment having worked with Northumbria University, University of Cumbria, Lakes College, The University of Law, and Hello Future, a partnership of universities, colleges and employers working to improve access for young people to higher education in Cumbria.

“I am really excited to start with iSH,” said Hannah. “iSH is such an important programme for the people of West Cumbria. It’s great to be involved from the beginning.

“Having worked with many young people through education and outreach, I am passionate that every young person should have the support they need to access opportunities.

“I think in many ways life is getting harder for young people wherever they live.

“Social media comes with its negatives. Youth clubs and youth experiences have been cut to almost non-existent over the last ten years. 

“Young people have also had to experience education turbulence and social disruption during the pandemic.

“Then when you look at West Cumbria where young people can be so isolated because of the infrastructure, you realise that it can be even harder here.

“That’s why I am so determined that young people here should be able to access opportunities and cultural experiences to benefit themselves and the communities around them for the future.

“When I first talked to John Maddison (iSH Managing Director) and Steve Wilkinson (iSH Operations Director) we were talking about robotics and AI and it inspired me.

“I think it’s brilliant that iSH will be helping give young people access to big city opportunities and bringing that to their doorstep and showcasing what the future can hold for them.

“I also love that iSH is all about collaboration. It’s not about doing all of this ourselves. It’s about working with local partnerships and employers to fill in the gaps.

“My role is to make sure that, through collaboration, young people who might otherwise not have had opportunities, will have clear pathways and the support they need to access training and employment that iSH will help create across the region.

“That’s what I will be focusing on and working with other organisations and groups to help make that happen.”

Brought up in Caldbeck, and having attended Caldew School, Dalston, near Carlisle, Hannah has lived in Cumbria and Newcastle.

John Maddison, iSH Managing Director said: “We are delighted to welcome Hannah to the team. She has lots of expertise and experience of helping young people, who might otherwise get overlooked, access opportunities, which is such a vital part of our programme.

“Hannah also brings that energy, enthusiasm and ability to collaborate with other organisations, businesses and individuals, which is the way we work at iSH, mapping the gaps and then working with others to enhance the region’s capability.

“It is an approach which is enabling us to press ahead with initiatives which are bringing opportunities to businesses, organisations and people of all ages in the region.”

Hannah is the second of ten initial appointments iSH is making as it builds its team to deliver a programme to create more than 700 jobs, enabling industry, businesses, academia, and community to come together and collaborate to enhance skills, increase capabilities, and regenerate communities across West Cumbria.

Latest job opportunities with iSH include: Regional Representative, Operations Director, Investment Lead and Senior Project Manager.

There will also be roles for a Project Controls Officer, Business Liaison Officer, Community Liaison Officer and a Project Management Apprentice.

These latest positions come on the back of iSH opening its office in Cleator Moor town centre where it has appointed Lynn Huddart as its Office Manager.

John Maddison said: “As we build our team we will further accelerate our work to bring a range of economic and social benefits to the community through projects which will create training and employment opportunities and have a positive impact on people, the economy, and the environment.

“As with our first two appointments we are looking for people in these latest eight roles who share our passion and ethos for making this happen.”

Last month £20m of Levelling Up Fund investment was awarded by government to Copeland Borough Council for the iSH Enterprise Campus, to fund phase two of redevelopment at Leconfield, Cleator Moor.

iSH is also supported in its activity by funding from Cleator Moor Town Deal Board which, working with Copeland Borough Council, secured a provisional offer of £22.5 million from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund initiative last year. 

As well as being supported by Copeland Borough Council, iSH is also backed by Sellafield Ltd, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

A chance to create your own Fantastic Beast head is one of the free fun activities on offer to children at Cleator Moor Library tomorrow (Friday, October 28).

iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) has teamed up with event partners who are bringing Sarah Watt, Science Booth and the Little Inventors to Cleator Moor tomorrow to put on a series of free activities for children.

Sarah, who delighted children with a range of activities at the iSH community launch back in March, will be running hands-on Halloween activities from 10am.

Science Booth will be running a session starting at 11.15am with an extra special fun activity.

Little Inventors will also be running sessions from approximately noon onwards with the opportunity for children to make a Fantastic Beast head in time for Halloween.

The activities are ideally suited for children aged 6-11.

It promises to be a lot of half-term fun, all starting at Cleator Moor Library tomorrow (Friday) at 10am.

An eye-catching art and poetry mural trail has been hailed a huge success in a Cumbrian town.

World-renowned street artist and poet Dan Ryder, known as Angry Dan, has painted five creative murals on the side of landmark buildings in Cleator Moor to celebrate Cumbria’s historic importance as a location for artistic inspiration.

Angry Dan’s Lakes Limericks Trail has encapsulated the work of world famous artists and poets William Wordsworth, LS Lowry, Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin and JMW Turner who were all inspired by Cumbria.

Having spent two weeks creating the artwork, Dan received overwhelmingly positive feedback from local residents – particularly from the younger generation.

Dan, whose work has taken him to Mexico and Iceland in the past year, said: “The aim of the project was to inspire the children of the area by bringing history, culture and local heritage to life through art and poetry, and highlighting how Cumbria was a muse for so many Great British poets and artists like LS Lowry, who included Cleator Moor in five of his paintings.

“We’ve enjoyed engaging with the young people of the area, handing out stickers and postcards to all the kids who have come to see what we’re up to, and it’s been wonderful to see their reactions to the murals.

“It’s been a really worthwhile project and I’m pleased that it’s really struck a chord with lots of people.”

As part of the art and limerick project, Dan has held a series of limerick-writing workshops with children and young people at Montreal Primary School, St Patrick’s Primary School and the Phoenix Youth Club.

Dan’s work has been documented on camera by his friend and filmmaker Rob Key, and a premiere of the documentary is set to be held in Cleator Moor in the coming months.

Angry Dan’s Lakes Limericks Trail was commissioned by Cumbrian company Blank Wall Assassins as part of a programme of community events backed by iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub), which will help create jobs and opportunities in the region.

John Maddison, managing director of iSH, said: “iSH wants to help communities in West Cumbria grow, and artwork like this inspires families throughout the town. It has become a real talking point in the area.

“Community events like this are about bringing something different to the area. This type of project helps raise people’s aspirations. It has been great to see the community really show their support for the initiative.”

The buildings now featuring the murals are the Columba Club (two murals), Cleator Town Council building, a former takeaway and the Phoenix Youth Centre.

A fun-filled half-term of entertainment is planned for a West Cumbria community thanks to a programme of activity supported by iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub).

Hot on the heels of a children’s comedy event, Cleator Moor is set to host three more events next week.

Cinema will come to Cleator Moor with a singalong showing of hit film The Greatest Showman at Cleator Moor Civic Hall on Wednesday, October 26, at 6pm. Tickets are £5 per person, or £10 for a family of four. Children’s film-related activities will take place in the hall beforehand from 3pm. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/greatest-showman-sing-along-tickets-443408796647

There will be a programme of free fun children’s activities at Cleator Moor Library on Friday, October 28, hosted by the Little Inventors whose mission is for children to open their eyes to the world of invention and creativity. The fun starts in the morning with Sarah Watt running a programme of hands-on activity from 10am-noon and the Little Inventors session taking place from 1pm-3pm.

On Saturday October 29, it’s the adults turn to be entertained when a Comedy Club will be held at Cleator Moor Civic Hall with three top class acts from the UK comedy circuit with Mike Wilkinson, Sam Harland and Tony Burgess providing the laughs. Doors open at 7pm. Over 18s only. Tickets £5. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/comedy-on-the-moor-tickets-444083324177

John Maddison, managing director of iSH which is supporting the events, said: “Community events such as these give residents access to opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have on their doorstep.

“Hopefully, as well as having fun, it will open people’s minds to what can be achieved and how they can have even more of a positive impact on their own community and help that civic pride.

“By showcasing these events we also hope it raises people’s aspirations in a number of other ways including seeing the job and training opportunities which iSH will create as being open to them and their families.

“Put that all together and we can hopefully provide the spark which through employment and other life opportunities helps regenerate our communities in a way which is both inclusive and sustainable.”

The latest programme of activity builds on a community programme supported by iSH which also recently saw a comedian who gained four ‘yeses’ from Britain’s Got Talent judges take the stage as the star guest at a free children’s comedy event in Cleator Moor.

Cal Halbert was one half of impressionist double act The Mimic Men which impressed Simon Cowell and co. in 2016, and he brought part of his hilarious act to a family friendly show held in Cleator Moor Library. He was joined at the show by fellow comics Lee Kyle and Catherine Young, both fresh from appearing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Anna Chippendale, community events manager, said: “It was so good to have three top comedians visit Cleator Moor and put something different on for the children. Now we’re looking forward to the latest events in the half-term week and are excited about the fun everyone is going to have.”

A WORLD-RENOWNED street artist and poet is creating an art and limerick trail in West Cumbria as part of a programme to inspire the community.

Angry Dan, 38, who has worked as far afield as Mexico and Iceland in the last 12 months, has this week begun a series of five murals in Cleator Moor.

He was commissioned by Cumbrian company Blank Wall Assassins to bring his unique skills to Cleator Moor as part of a programme of community events backed by iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) which will help create jobs and opportunities in the region.

Angry Dan’s Lakes Limerick Trail will celebrate the area’s historic importance as a location for artistic inspiration, bringing history, culture, and local heritage to life through limericks and art.

The project began this week with Dan working on a mural at The Columba Club in Cleator Moor, which pays homage to L.S. Lowry who featured the building in a painting on one of his many visits to Cleator Moor.

Dan will also celebrate the work of William Wordsworth, JMW Turner, Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin – visiting the places that inspired them, then creating murals that reflect each artists’ relationship with the wider area.

During his time in Cleator Moor, Dan will hold a series of limerick-writing workshops with children and young people at Montreal Primary School, St Patrick’s Primary School, and the Phoenix Youth Club.

Dan will be accompanied by his friend and filmmaker Rob Key, 36, who will document the creative process and their experience in Cleator Moor for a forthcoming film to be premiered in the community.

Dan said: “Rob and I grew up in a rural community and we wanted to bring this project to Cleator Moor to hopefully inspire the next generation through art and limericks about what can be achieved through creative ideas. We are hoping it will be aspirational to young people here and inspire them the same way we were inspired as teenagers.”

Anna Chippendale, of Blank Wall Assassins, said: “This is about regeneration of a community and also about sparking an interest in art and making that accessible to all.

“It’s also an opportunity to inspire civic pride and encourage that creative thinking which is so important in solving engineering and industry challenges which iSH will bring to West Cumbria by joining the dots with a range of organisations across industry, business, research, academia and community.”

John Maddison, managing director of iSH, said: “iSH is about enabling opportunities in West Cumbria for businesses, organisations, communities and individuals and doing that in a way which is inclusive and sustainable.

“Improving collaboration and capability across the region will mean businesses have the ability to grow, creating jobs and opportunities.

“It is also about regenerating a place. Community events such as this art trail, and its workshops with young people, give residents access to opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have on their doorstep.”

Dan created his first street art trail in Walthamstow with nine limerick murals as part of a project commissioned by the Mayor’s London Borough of Culture and Waltham Forest Council. He recently finished an artwork about climate change in a new exhibition held at Tullie House, Carlisle, called Once Upon A Planet.

Families enjoyed a fun-filled weekend of events in the heart of their community.

Bands, street acts and workshops took place in Cleator Moor town centre in August thanks to support from iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub).

Cumbria’s Eden Arts – organisers of the hugely successful Winter Droving in Penrith that sees 25,000 attendees annually, as well as being the masterminds behind the recent appearance of the WHALE in Whitehaven Harbour, brought a programme of community activity to Cleator Moor.

David Farrell, chairperson of Cleator Moor’s Chamber of Trade, said: “There was a good vibe in the centre of town. People turned out in good numbers.

“Families along with residents of a town centre care home were among those enjoying the activities. There was a good mix of the population having fun.

“It would be great to have more things like this going on in Cleator Moor and we look forward to more businesses getting involved to help make that happen.

“What iSH is planning in the town, starting at Leconfield, and the jobs it will create gives us a great opportunity in the town centre to build on this and to provide accommodation and hospitality that will be required with the increase in footfall.

“We look forward to working with iSH to maximise that opportunity for the town centre and the community.”

This weekend’s activities were arranged after iSH met with community groups in Cleator Moor who said they would like to see more events taking place in the town.

iSH, which will create 700 jobs in West Cumbria and is working in collaboration with industry, SMEs, schools, academia, charities, and communities to ensure opportunities created are open to everyone, worked in collaboration with community groups, organisations and other partners to enable this event to take place.

Steve Wilkinson, iSH project manager, said: “iSH is a community-led organisation which is looking to positively transform West Cumbria communities through employment, training and skills opportunities, starting with the development of a campus at Leconfield at Cleator Moor.

“At our monthly community engagement meetings, a range of organisations told us they would like to see more happening in Cleator Moor, especially some entertainment for children and families.

“We are delighted that by working in collaboration with the community and other partners that we have enabled those events to be kick started.

“We look forward to continuing to work with partners across the region to have a positive impact on people’s lives across West Cumbria.”

Steve also recently completed a trek up Kilimanjaro to raise money for Cleator Moor charities Home To Work and The Phoenix Youth Project as well as national charity the RNLI.

For more details about iSH visit www.ishco.co.uk

Street theatre is coming to the centre of Cleator Moor this weekend to start a six-week programme of activity across the community.

The fun starts in Cleator Moor at noon on Saturday (August 20).

Cumbria’s Eden Arts – organisers of the hugely successful Winter Droving in Penrith that sees 25,000 attendees annually, as well as being the masterminds behind the recent appearance of the WHALE in Whitehaven Harbour that saw publicity reach around the world, were asked to programme a weekend of activity in Cleator Moor town centre.

Bands, street acts and workshops will take place throughout Saturday and Sunday afternoon, finishing at 5.30pm. All performances and activities are free of charge for the community to enjoy.

Hit Manchester hipsters Mr Wilson’s Second Liners who play rave classics on brass will play two sets on Saturday, with Punjabi Roots (main photo) bringing their Bhangra style on Sunday. More music on the Melodrome Stage will feature Sushi and the Tuneless Choir.

Alongside the music will be cool circus and street entertainment from London’s Other Half Productions – a regular at the Winter Droving, the fantastic African Acrobatic Circus and performances from Matrix Circus who will also be doing workshops.

It’s all part of a range of entertainment and activity planned for Cleator Moor until the end of September.

The activities have been arranged after iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) met with community groups in Cleator Moor who said they would like to see more events taking place in the town.

At a time when the cost of living crisis is putting a severe squeeze on people’s household incomes, many said they found it expensive to have to travel for entertainment.

iSH, which will create 700 jobs in West Cumbria and is working in collaboration with industry, SMEs, schools, academia, charities, and communities to ensure opportunities created in Cleator Moor and beyond are open to everyone, made a commitment to try to do something to help and to bring activities to Cleator Moor residents.

The organisation has worked at pace to make sure that it can start that process this year, beginning with this weekend’s street threatre.

iSh plans a further three-day festival of activity in Cleator Moor from September 23-25. It will also work with primary schools and The Phoenix Youth Project in September to bring art workshops to the community, culminating in street art projects across the town.

Steve Wilkinson, iSH project manager, said: “iSH is a community-led organisation which is looking to positively transform West Cumbria communities through employment, training and skills opportunities, starting with the development of a campus at Leconfield at Cleator Moor.

“At our monthly community engagement meetings, a range of organisations in Cleator Moor told us they would like to see more happening in the town itself in the summer months, especially some entertainment for children and families.

“We are delighted that by working with partners, who are experts in bringing vibrant, engaging events to communities, that we have been able to act quickly to start those activities this summer.

“There promises to be something for everyone over the next six weeks, and we hope that people in Cleator Moor will come out and support the events so that we can plan more activities in the future.”

Steve also recently completed a trek up Kilimanjaro to raise money for Cleator Moor charities Home To Work and The Phoenix Youth Project as well as national charity the RNLI.

A key member of an initiative which aims to transform people’s lives in Cumbrian communities reached the summit of Kilimanjaro on a fundraising trek to raise vital funds for three charities.

Steve Wilkinson, programme manager for the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH), which is set to create 700 jobs across Cumbria, took part in the trek with five friends.
Money raised will be split between three charities – two doing vital work in West Cumbria where iSH is creating jobs and training opportunities to help regenerate communities.

Home To Work and The Phoenix Youth Project, and national charity the RNLI, are the charities being supported by Steve.

Home to Work, based in Cleator Moor, provides lifeline support to unemployed people across the community, offering a range of services and support to help grow people’s self-confidence and skills and ultimately get
them back on the road to employment.

The Phoenix Youth Project is an award-winning youth work charity which supports young people aged eight-19 years old in Cleator Moor and Frizington. The charity aims to raise aspirations and self-confidence of young people and develop positive behaviour through respect and integrity.

Karen Jones, managing director of Home to Work, said: “iSH is a hugely exciting initiative for Cleator Moor and the whole of the Cumbrian community and we are very grateful to Steve for supporting the work we do to help get unemployed people back into employment, to raise their skills, confidence and capabilities and improve their lives.”

Paul Rowe, Project Manager for the Phoenix Youth Project, said: “It’s amazing that Steve is supporting our project in this way and that our young people will be among those to benefit from his efforts.

“We also look forward to working with him and the iSH team on how young people across our community can best engage in the range of opportunities they are creating across our community.”

Led by Copeland Borough Council, iSH (the Industrial Solutions Hub) is an initiative of regional, national and international significance.

iSH builds on the industry excellence of Sellafield and its supply chain and, through collaboration, will create jobs and training opportunities to regenerate communities.

With the initial redevelopment of the Leconfield Industrial Estate at Cleator Moor, iSH is set to generate more than 100 new jobs over a period of 18 months, with the overall iSH programme creating more than 700 new jobs.

Steve said: “iSH is about making ideas work, creating jobs, regenerating communities and making a positive difference to people’s lives.

“As a community-led, inclusive programme, iSH is focused on ensuring the whole community has a clear route to jobs, skills and training opportunities.

“The two charities Home to Work and The Phoenix Youth Project are among those doing amazing work in this area and I am delighted to have reached the top of Kilimanjaro to raise vital money for such inspirational projects working across Cleator Moor and beyond.”

Part of the initial funding for the iSH project comes through the Cleator Moor Town Deal. The Town Deal Board, working with Copeland Borough Council, secured an offer of £22.5m from Government in June 2021 to
deliver its Town Investment Plan which will help the area and its communities to thrive for years to come.

The third charity to benefit from Steve’s fundraising efforts is the RNLI. Steve has been a keen supporter of the excellent work that they do across the whole of the British Isles, as volunteers on call round the clock every
day of the year saving lives.

Donations to all three charities can be made by visiting Steve’s fundraising page at Steve’s Kilimanjaro Trip fundraising on JustGiving

THE iSH team have been busy engaging with a diverse mix of industry, academia, SMEs, charities and community organisations across the North of England and other parts of the UK to maximise the opportunity to transform communities across West Cumbria.

iSH Managing Director John Maddison has led discussions which will ensure Cleator Moor and the surrounding area is at the forefront of developments.

Cyber is just one of the opportunities. “We are looking at the possibilities to extend the NW Cyber corridor into Cumbria. Plans at the moment cover an area from Manchester to Lancaster – we want to extend that to West Cumbria,” said John.

Skills is another – all the way from primary school, through to further education and adult learning with an opportunity to focus on technical skills.

John said: “We are working on a whole range of education initiatives, from discussing plans to bring technical skills into primary education to increasing the university presence in West Cumbria.

“We are also looking to support a work experience programme where different businesses and organisations across Cleator Moor collaborate to offer meaningful work experience for young people to have opportunities to develop their practical skills and see if that is a career they want to pursue.”

Through all the discussions iSH is looking to form partnerships, and bring organisations together to maximise the opportunity.

“iSH is about joining the dots and, where organisations and activity already exist, it’s about bringing all that together. If through that process we reveal that some gaps do exist, it’s understanding why that is, and then looking at what is the best way to fill those gaps so we ultimately achieve our aim of transforming a place and its communities. Partnerships and collaboration are absolutely key to making that happen.”

John was a guest at the Nuclear Industry Association‘s Decom 2022 and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority‘s Supply Chain events last month, attended by a range of innovative Cumbrian businesses and organisations as well as other leading companies from around the UK.

John said: “Gaining a greater understanding of the nuclear decommissioning industry’s needs, as well as the supply chain’s capabilities to be able to meet them, provided invaluable insight.

“It was also great to hear the focus on innovation and social value throughout the presentations, as well as the potential to export.”

This week Copeland Borough Council submitted its Levelling Up Fund Bid to the Government to support further iSH developments in Cleator Moor and the surrounding area.

iSH has also established a Cleator Moor group where it feeds back to community representatives every month on progress being achieved and gives the community a chance to help shape the activity to ensure it fits with what residents and businesses see as priorities for the area.

From those discussions a series of community events are being planned by iSH in Cleator Moor in September, including street art, street theatre and a three-day festival. More details to follow.

*iSH will soon be looking to recruit to its team. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more information about opportunities to join the iSH team.

AN opportunity to positively influence thousands of people’s lives across a community by creating hundreds of job opportunities through collaboration doesn’t come along every day.

That’s why John Maddison speaks with such passion and personal commitment when he talks about the vision for iSH – the Industrial Solutions Hub.

Cleator Moor hasn’t always been first in the queue when it comes to being at the centre of major projects of national and international significance.

But the Cleator Moor community is at the beating heart of iSH. That’s why managing director John is so focused on working in collaboration with a range of different organisations, businesses and individuals to deliver the vision.

“It’s very rare you get this kind of opportunity to bring new opportunities to a place and to make such a positive difference in that place,” said John.

“iSH is about Making Ideas Work. It’s about creating the environment for jobs, employment, skills and training opportunities, it’s about entrepreneurs, businesses and industry coming together to collaborate and design, develop and manufacture innovative solutions. And most of all, through that success and business growth, it’s about making a positive difference to people’s lives and regenerating a community.

“This is about creating opportunities for all. It’s about working with the community, working with the different groups and really understanding what those employment opportunities might look like and what is needed to turn that into reality.”

iSH is an initiative of regional, national and international significance which will create jobs, opportunities for businesses and organisations to collaborate, enhance skills, provide business support, and bring a range of economic and social benefits to the community through projects which will have a positive impact on people, the economy, and the environment.

iSH will create a solutions hub where businesses in the region will be able to collaborate and work with other specialist companies from around the UK and the rest of the world on delivering solutions to industry challenges which can then be exported around the globe, helping organisations expand and create further job opportunities.

iSH also aims to create a hub where research and development can take place, ideas can be developed and products manufactured.

Part of the initial funding for the iSH project comes through the Cleator Moor Town Deal, which secured an offer of £22.5m from Government in July 2021 for five different projects which will help the area and its communities to thrive for years to come.

One of these projects is Enterprising Town – a £16.5 million scheme part-funded through a £7 million contribution through Towns Fund – to develop new facilities at the Leconfield Estate in Cleator Moor in order to harness new employment opportunities for the community and to attract further investment and skills to the area.

The Town Deal project at Leconfield focuses on utilising funding offered by the Government and other sources to create a new, flexible hub and commercial building space as well as site improvements and landscaping, benefiting both the community and estate tenants through the longer term development of skills and business support.

John said: “There is so much capability in the local community. I can’t see anywhere else in the UK which has the opportunity to grab hold of such innovative capability and evolve it into something more, something bigger, something different.

“We have a unique opportunity here to work together to bring about positive change and to establish West Cumbria globally for something other than Sellafield.

“The key to delivery is a collaborative mindset. If we can combine all of that capability, all of those skills, bring them together, you can multiply the effect.

“The temptation as a business is to do it yourself and do your own thing. But If you are a business which is looking to grow or which is looking to move into a different industry then there will be others out there who can help you achieve that.

“iSH will help create those opportunities by bringing the right organisations, whether that’s academic, research, national bodies or Catapults, together with businesses and industry to increase those capabilities on anything from national infrastructure projects to solving individual problems. It’s about finding the right team for each opportunity.”

John brings his experience from running a similar operation within global business Jacobs which provided solutions to complex problems within the nuclear industry, including in nuclear decommissioning and power generation.

He has first-hand experience of what can be achieved through the power of collaboration and of industry working together with SMEs and micro SMEs.

“That side of the business at Jacobs grew fivefold in seven years. The opportunity in West Cumbria is to get something like this up and running and allow it to evolve and grow the regional capability. When you get organisations collaborating you build up that capability.”

The whole of the new Enterprising Town is due to be completed in the next two to five years. The full larger site across Cleator Moor is likely to be complete in the next 10 to 15 years.

John said: “We will be working collaboratively with Sellafield and the supply chain. Every type of organisation will be involved, whether large or small, academic, or skills and training, there will be a huge variety of businesses and organisations involved and creating employment.

“Some companies that are already established in West Cumbria will thrive and grow there. We want larger companies to come and be part of this as well. There may be other companies which don’t even exist yet which want to get involved.

“It will be a massive boost for Cleator Moor and West Cumbria bringing hundreds of people to the area for their daily business. They may decide to live here, they will certainly spend their money here.”

So in ten years time when iSH has achieved its aims and hundreds of jobs have been created and the benefit to the Cleator Moor community and across West Cumbria is there for all to see, what will John look back on with most satisfaction?

“iSH in partnership with the Town Deal is about people and the regeneration of a place. So to be able to look back and see that we have made a real difference and changed people’s opportunities and changed people’s lives, and that the town has been regenerated, shops are filled, houses are filled, new businesses are springing up, I don’t think anything could make me more proud than that.”