The Ewanrigg Local Trust (ELT) is a voluntary organisation made up of people who live and work in Ewanrigg who want to ensure that Ewanrigg is a great place to live - for everybody. Formed in 2012 with community governance, local residents were given responsibility for the £1m Big Local investment and have worked with the community to put it to good use. ELT have worked alongside ENTRA to deliver a year-round programme of events and activities as well as the HUG A MUG project, the WE WILL youth mental health campaign and Maryport Matters magazine, alongside investing £132,000 directly into local community groups and buildings through a Community Piggy Bank.
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The Community Power podcast 2022:
Through the simple power of listening, Ewanrigg Big Local have transformed mental health support and awareness in their remote, Cumbrian town of Maryport.
Big Local residents and worker - Sharon, Jazz, and Kate - tell us more about the success of their HUG A MUG initiative and We Will campaign.
Rebecca and Reece are founding members of the WE WILL youth mental health campaign and are trustees of The Centre.
Having grown up in Ewanrigg and been actively involved in shaping ten years of Local Trust funded activity, Rebecca and Reece share the importance of including young people in driving local change, to make a lasting impact on people, services and attitudes.
Although the We Will campaign has ended, its reverberations can still be felt in Ewanrigg, especially at their community hub, The Centre. Here, a calendar of social events has created a sense of connection, offering residents a place to come together, reducing social isolation and promoting good mental health.
Meanwhile, many of the young founding members of the We Will campaign have left school and gone on to higher education and work, whilst continuing to advocate for the importance of listening to young people.
This episode was recorded at the last ever Big Local Connects event in 2023.
Watch our film recording of a special audio adventure celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, created by Ragged Edge Productions and hundreds of community members. The audio adventure captures memories, recollections and thoughts about life in Ewanrigg over the last 70 years.
