Cumbria’s High Sheriff David Beeby visited an outdoor activity centre to meet disadvantaged youngsters who have been helped by the centre.

Since the onset of the pandemic, The Kepplewray Centre for Outdoor Activities at Broughton has raised nearly £50,000 to offer heavily subsidised breaks to vulnerable, disadvantaged, disabled and minority ethnic young people recovering from multiple lockdowns.

And its new Participation Inclusion Fund has enabled access to outdoor activity breaks for over 1,200 young people affected by the pandemic from dozens of community groups - with many more booked to come in 2022.

Mr Beeby and his partner Soo, alongside members of the Furness Grants Committee of the Cumbria Community Foundation, met with some of the many groups to visit this year.

“The many wonderful and transformative experiences we heard from groups of disadvantaged young people visiting Kepplewray during Covid was wonderful,” said Mr Beeby.

“Raising funds to be able to offer these fantastic subsidies to over 1,200 young lives this year is one of a small number of great things to come out of Covid.”

Nick Breton, strategy director for The Kepplewray Centre said: “It was wonderful to introduce the High Sheriff and Cumbria Community Foundation to some of the hundreds of disadvantaged young people and their amazing support networks who we've hosted this year through the Participation Inclusion Fund. Hearing firsthand of their transformational experiences in coming here, especially in light of Covid, was truly humbling and a great reminder as to what Kepplewray is all about.”