Almost 500 of Cumbria’s most vulnerable women and girls will benefit from charitable funding through projects focusing on those at risk of crisis.

Three community groups have received grants of between £5,000 - £10,000 from the Tampon Tax Community Fund, administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, to work with women of all ages, focussing on preventative services.

Women’s Community Matters in Barrow is one of the three Cumbrian charities receiving this national funding.

The support group will use the financial backing to employ two part-time project assistants.

The extra staff will work alongside the project manager and other staff to support the delivery of a range of additional activities for young women.

The Cumbria foundation insists this will help women to build their skills, confidence and improve health and wellbeing.

Rebecca Rawlings, senior officer at Women’s Community Matters, which is based at the Nan Tait centre on Abbey Road, said: “We are really grateful for this opportunity to support women with their mental health and wellbeing.

“We have developed the idea alongside women who access the centre and we are all looking forward to developing more opportunities for women and girls in the community.”

She added: “The extra funds will do a number of things.

"We’ve experienced a greater demand for one-on-one support for vulnerable women which the funds will enable us to offer.

“It will also enable us to offer additional activities and support groups.”

She said she felt delighted when she found out their application had been successful.

She added: “I was also delighted for the organisations we work alongside.

"The funding helps the collective capacity of the county.”

Many women travel to the centre in Barrow from Ulverston, Millom, Askam and Grange.

This project will help support around 300 different women over a six month period in improving their mental health and wellbeing by accessing a range of opportunities for social connection and learning.

Ellen Clements, senior grants and donor services officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We are aware that there is a high number of women who face multiple disadvantages in Cumbria.

“I welcome the chance to use the Tampon Tax proceeds to help change the lives of these women. The grants will make a big difference to the projects funded, enabling women in Cumbria to build their confidence and self-worth.”

Visit www.womenscommunitymatters.org, call 01229 311102 or email reception@womenscommunitymatters.org