Amongst the invited guests were:

Cllr Robert Hardon – Mayor of Allerdale

Miss Sarsfield-Hall

Cllr Joan Raine – Chairman of the Council Eden District

Michael McVeigh & Joyce McVeigh – Mayor & Mayoress of Copeland

David Andrews – Cumbria Community Foundation

Patricia Bell – Cumbria Constabulary

Dr Richard Pratt MA PhD – Archdeacon of West Cumberland

Mike Confrey – CYSS

Reports were presented by Chairperson, Mr David Huxley and Heike Horsburgh, CEO, which gave a brief overview of Young Cumbria’s work and achievements for the financial year 2009/2010 including our work in some of the most deprived wards in the West of the county, offering programmes, advice, leadership and training; improving quality in clubs and promoting Quality Mark status; a commitment to involving young people offering training opportunities through their own trained staff (the only organisation in the County to do this) and meeting the needs of volunteers and paid staff in youth clubs and projects.

There was also acknowledgement of the success of the Young Cumbria’s and Connexions’ partnership with 23 other voluntary sector charities and organisations, and the Consortium’s performance on the CYSS contract. Funders were thanked for their contributions to these projects and Heike finished with a request for the future that in a time when “more is expected for less” - hopefully, together we [Young Cumbria] and the county council can map out and create a plan for youth work that is still meaningful, but doesn’t break us”.

The evening ended with a number of presentations; the annual awards; certificates for the achievements of young people; and a celebration and presentation of youth work projects, including: a power point presentation of the 100 mile Canoe Test given by a group from Eden and Allerdale; a film about Bullying with a presentation by a Peer Education Group from the Coalfields Project; and a film about a Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition to The Gambia produced by Grange Youth Club. These were a fitting end to a positive meeting.