Cumbria District DISTRICT PROFILE Introduction Cumbria is bounded by the Solway Firth and the Scottish border to the north, by the Irish Sea on the West, by the counties of Northumberland and Durham to the east and North Yorkshire, Lancashire and Morecambe Bay to the south. It is the second largest county in England by area and contains the Lake District National Park, recently declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. The Yorkshire Dales National Park, extended in 2016, covers parts of Cumbria in the south and east of the county. The Cumbria District is largely co-terminus with the County of Cumbria and the Anglican Diocese of Carlisle and the United Reformed Church area of the North West Synod. Church life The Cumbria District is geographically one of the largest Districts in England. It has just over 3000 members and is composed of 11 Circuits and a United area with a total of 115 churches (and 48 other properties, including manses). A number of churches in urban centres have added cafés to their buildings and many rural chapels host community cafes to provide hospitality. There are numerous examples of the creative use of resources across the Circuit s, these are led by lay pastors, children s workers and ecumenical ministers working alongside lay people. There are around 75 ordained ministers of whom around 50 are Supernumerary. The deacons and presbyters work alongside lay pastors, employees and volunteers who undertake a variety of roles. Both lay and ordained are involved in the various chaplaincies. The District is theologically diverse with an increasing openness to change and willingness to learn and share. Of the Circuits, six are currently single stations, some with additional Lay and/or Ecumenical ministry. A District consultation is in process regarding the number of Circuits in the District. The Statistics for Mission show that there is a limited connection with young people; that the reduction in membership is lower than the national average and that the general population is declining and ageing within the District. There are also a high number of visitors to churches, due to the area s tourism. Challenges facing the District are:-the depopulation of Cumbria; an ageing population; young people moving out of the county to attend University with only a few returning to work and live in the area. Those living rurally will travel 25 50 miles to attend a larger church which is challenging for the rural village chapels. The strengths in the District are: - a strong family feel which leads to a connected District, deep Christian faith and a loyal church membership with a wide range of theological approaches. Page 1 of 6
Ecumenism Cumbria has a long established involvement in Ecumenical work. Through Churches Together in Cumbria (CTiC) the majority of denominations and Independent Churches have come together in local groups to share in worship, fellowship and social action and some of this also involves other Faith Communities in Cumbria. There have been a number of initiatives established in Cumbria that involve all denominations such as developments in;- Dementia Friendly Church, Domestic Abuse, Environmental work, work on issues of modern Slavery and Human Trafficking and the Emergency Response Plan. Each of the main denominations in Cumbria has appointed an Ecumenical Officer and they meet regularly as a group to share issues and news from each denomination, they help with setting up Local Ecumenical Projects and Sharing Agreements. The Church Leaders in Cumbria meet regularly and this includes all denominations including the Orthodox Church. The Covenant Partnership began in 2011 and now includes the Anglican Diocese for Cumbria, the Cumbria Methodist District, the Cumbria Area of the United Reformed Church and the Salvation Army in Cumbria. In November 2016 the four partner denominations signed a new Covenant Partnership in an Ecumenical Area (CPEA) covering the whole of Cumbria with other denominations in Cumbria, The Roman Catholic Church, The Baptist Church, the Society of Friends and the Church of Scotland signing a letter of Companionship. This partnership has led to the God for All initiative and the development of ecumenical Mission Communities. As an Ecumenical County we endeavour to work together to ensure that everyone in Cumbria and those visiting the county have the opportunity of a meaningful relationship with God in Christ. The Church Leaders in Cumbria meet very regularly and we would wish to appoint a Chair who will continue to support and build on this relationship. At present there are 11 LEP s, of which 2 are in the planning stage and 4 building share arrangements. A Mission Community is an ecumenical area grouping of local church communities of Anglican, Methodist, Salvation Army and United Reformed Churches and can include other denominations and Fresh Expressions of Church as appropriate. They will develop a relationship with each other and will be served by a variety of ministry to develop Mission within the communities they serve. There is expected to be around 40 Mission Communities across Cumbria. The core task of the Mission Community is to Worship God and to develop whole-life Discipleship to enable mission and ministry ecumenically in their local communities. By working ecumenically it is hoped that Mission Communities will develop a Mission plan and the skills needed for Mission to ensure that everyone in or visiting Cumbria will have the opportunity to experience of a meaningful relationship with God in Christ. The district is twinned with the Methodist Church in Argentina and has active links with churches and individuals there. The partnership exists to foster understanding, friendship and mutual enrichment of mission in our very different contexts. Mission and Ministry Page 2 of 6
Since participating in the Connexional Chaplaincy Everywhere project, chaplaincy has become a significant part of the Mission in Cumbria. The Chaplaincy work is ecumenically led and involves lay members, lay workers, diaconal and presbyteral input. These are to the Emergency Services (including Mountain Rescue), the Nuclear industry, Education, Hospitals, Agriculture and Rural communities, Industry and Commerce, the Armed Forces and Residential care. Cumbria has the largest number of livestock Auction Marts in the Country and the District felt that there was a need to develop a Chaplaincy presence across these auctions and within the agricultural sector of the Cumbrian Community. In 2015 the Cumbria Methodist District appointed a three year, half time Agricultural Chaplain, which was partly funded by a Connexional Grant, with the aim of extending and developing the ecumenical team of volunteers covering the Auction Marts and ancillary businesses thereby offering support to the Agricultural Community of the County. Many of the Chaplains are relatively isolated from their colleagues and have different levels of Agricultural knowledge. The management team have therefore re-assessed the needs going forward and are currently drawing up a job and person specification for a part time Coordinator role for this essential project as it moves into a new phase as the District seeks to encourage and support a sustainable mission ministry. Mission and outreach efforts are supported by five deacons within the District. Their varied ministry includes:- family ministry and the development of Messy Churches across a circuit; chaplaincy to the tourist industry in the Lake District; community development and pioneer ministry on a newly built estate where there is otherwise no Methodist presence; as District Mission Enabler working with local churches on their outreach projects and on the development of mission strategies and one of the deacons is resident in the Solway circuit. Diaconal ministry is enriched and informed by the membership of the Diaconal Order, and the deacons encourage church members spiritual growth and development. The District currently has 12 Circuits. A conversation has begun to look at possible amalgamations which may take place by 2018/19. The following areas of Mission are currently being actively developed: Messy Church countywide Network Youth Church Emerging Church Mountain Pilgrims Reach Team the Reach strategy can be broken down into five key areas: MeReach the encouragement of individual Christians in their witness InReach helping churches make their life and programme attractive and accessible OutReach fresh expressions, community engagement, going out from church BigReach Cumbria-wide initiatives to intrigue people about the possibility of God Prayer Geography Whilst much of Cumbria can be designated as Sparse rural this must not disguise the importance of our urban centres of population in Carlisle, along the west coast and in the south west of the county. Here significant industrial and post-industrial communities face some of the severest economic challenges of the Cumbrian economy. There is no unitary local government authority. Cumbria is a non-metropolitan county. Cumbria County Council serves the whole county with 6 borough councils serving local needs. Travel Penrith is located at the geographical centre of Cumbria with routes to the North, East, South and West easily available. There are relatively good east-west routes along the A66 in the north and A590 in the south. The best links are north-south along the M6 corridor linking Carlisle, Penrith and Kendal. The fastest train journey from Carlisle to London takes about 3.5 hours with good rail connections to Manchester (and its airport), Glasgow and Edinburgh. However, travel within the District can be slow and take a long time although you are travelling through beautiful scenery! Page 3 of 6
The table below shows the major centres of population with approximately half the population living in the major centres and the other half in smaller market towns, villages and the countryside. Some parts of Cumbria are the least densely populated areas in England. City/ Town Population Major Employment Carlisle 73,500 Retail, Manufacturing, Health & Social work. Barrow-in-Furness 69,100 Submarine Shipyards, Port, Marine, Energy Kendal 28,586 Manufacturing, Tourism, IT Penrith 15,200 Retail, Tourism, Agriculture, Manufacturing Whitehaven 23,986 Sellafield Nuclear Site, Workington 25,207 Sellafield Nuclear Site, Paperboard, Plastic Films Total 235,579 Economy & Employment Cumbria s economy is diverse embracing agriculture, nuclear, industrial, public sector and tourism, 90% of businesses in Cumbria employ less than 9 people. At the other end of the spectrum, approximately 0.25% employ more than 250. The biggest by far is state-owned Sellafield Ltd near Whitehaven at 10,000 people. BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness employ 7,500. Compared with the region and the country, Cumbria has a lower percentage of professionals and a much higher proportion of skilled trades making it easier to find a builder however it is more difficult to have them turn up as promised! The County Education, Health and Policing are also major employers. However, the landscape and beauty of much of Cumbria, which is a major factor in bringing the tourists to the area, can sometimes mask the difficult times that beset the farming industry which is intrinsically important to the management of the land and therefore the landscape that we see. Farming can be challenging, both physically and economically. Agriculture is vital to the Cumbrian rural scene, from farmers to associated Agricultural businesses from both an economic and employment viewpoint. With a mixed farming economy (livestock and arable) all being part of Cumbrian Agriculture there is always one area or another adversely affected by the weather or market forces. The Auction Marts in the county are where the farming community come together and the ecumenical Agricultural Chaplains are valued, accepted and effective in the Marts and have been key in the response post Flood Desmond. Rural poverty and isolation in many guises is something of which the District is very conscious. Tourism attracts 45 million visitors a year and sustains 32,500 FTE jobs in the area. In September 2017 the Methodist District appointed a half time Tourist Chaplain to develop work in this important area. The Lake District Planning Authority area tries to maintain a sustainable balance between the economy of the National Park, its character, environment and the needs of visitors. Brexit could affect the county s economy in several ways. Cumbria has been a net beneficiary of European Union funding, receiving more than its population pays in. Nevertheless, 5 of the 6 Cumbrian constituencies voted to leave the European Union. The main areas of impact are likely to be tariffs on components within the supply chain and on exports, in agriculture and other sectors; the future of European firms (e.g. Pirelli in Carlisle, Iggesund in Workington); farm subsidies; and the ability to attract workers to the agricultural, health and hospitality sectors. The post-referendum rise in hate crime across the country might make visitors think twice before coming here. The future is uncertain, but the challenge this presents is an opportunity for the Christian Community to show its support in a practical way for those in need. The support of the Counties rural and urban communities in a period of radical change is fundamental to our concept of mission. We need to continue to deepen our understanding of the context in which we live and work and develop greater confidence to work in partnerships that enrich the lives of local people. Page 4 of 6
Deprivation & Support Networks It is a mistake to think of Cumbria as a rural idyll as celebrated by romantic poets. 40% of all people classed as income deprived in Cumbria live rurally. The Index of Multiple Deprivation is the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas (or neighbourhoods) in England. Level 1 is the most deprived and Level 10 is the least deprived. The picture of Cumbria at the Borough level is shown in the table. Borough Percentage of Percentage at L2 Percentage at L3 neighbourhoods at L1 Allerdale 11.67% 8.33% 10% Barrow-in-Furness 22.45% 18.37% 18.16% Carlisle 7.35% 10.29% 19.12% Copeland 12.24% 12.24% 16.33% Eden 0% 0% 0% South Lakeland 0% 0% 0% Barrow-in-Furness St Mark s Parish is the most deprived in the Diocese of Carlisle and ranks 122 out of 12,599 in England, where 1 is the most deprived. Across England rural areas are substantially more deprived if that assessment is made based on the location of deprived people rather than the location of deprived areas. 40% of all people classed as income deprived in Cumbria live rurally, accounting for 10% of the rural population 1. Allerdale and Copeland are full service Universal Credit Areas. Action for Children operate seven children s centres in Barrow-in-Furness and neighbouring Dalton-in-Furness. Details of support networks across the County are held on the Cumbria Advice Network (CAN) www.cumbriaadvicenetwork.org.uk/ Demography The population of Cumbria is estimated by the Office of National Statistics to be 497,906 (2016), split almost equally between male and female. Compared with England as a whole and the North West in particular, Cumbria has lower than average proportions of young people (0-15) and middle-aged people (16-64) and significantly higher proportion of over 65s. English is the main language (98.1% of households) and White-British is the majority ethnicity (96.5%). There is no significant ethnic minority population however there are serious issues in Cumbria relating to ethnic and cultural diversity, with a significant increase in racially motivated hate crime following the Brexit vote. The percentage of ethnic minorities may be small, but the significance of their presence has a major impact on all we seek to commit to in working for acceptance and inclusion of all people. (The National Conversation is a project by HOPE not hate and British Future as part of the Home Affairs Committee investigation on immigration). It should be noted that refugees are being housed across Cumbria. Healthcare The North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust are the secondary care provider of acute hospital services in North Cumbria and their services are based at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. They also have a birthing centre at Penrith Community Hospital. 1 The Rural Share of Deprivation in Cumbria, Executive Summary, May 2010. Page 5 of 6
The Westmorland General Hospital is in Kendal and Furness General is in Barrow; both are part of the University hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. There are currently Cottage/Community hospitals in Alston, Brampton, Cockermouth, Maryport, Keswick, Millom, Penrith, Wigton and Workington. Adult Social Care is the responsibility of Cumbria County Council. Sparsity of population and travel times are a challenge and, for example, the transfer of maternity consultancy services from Whitehaven to Carlisle is controversial. Cumbria hosts Hospices at Carlisle and Barrow and the Jigsaw Hospice for Children as well as the Hospice at Home service. MHA has a retirement community at Woodlands, Penrith and a modern purpose-built home for 40 residents at Amathea, Workington. Education The University of Cumbria is one of the U.K. s newest universities and has campuses across the county together with Lancaster and London. In 2007 it brought together Cumbria Institute of the Arts, St Martin s College, Lancaster, and Charlotte Mason College, Ambleside. It has 10,000 students and, because of its history, 40,000 alumni. Colleges of Further Education in Cumbria include Carlisle College, Furness College (which includes Barrow 6 th form college), Kendal College and Lakes College West Cumbria. There are primary schools and secondary schools (many of which are church schools) throughout the county, alongside six independent schools. The educational levels attained by people of working age living in Cumbria are broadly similar to those in the North-West and England a whole. The percentage of the resident population with no qualification is similar to the North-West but 7.5% higher than for England as a whole. A similar comparison shows that the proportion with higher qualifications, NVQ4 and above is similar to the North-West but 10% lower than for England as a whole. Apprenticeships are up to 50% higher than both the North-West and England. (Reference: Cumbria Observatory, 2011 Census Data) Media, Culture and Leisure The North of the County in particular looks across the Pennines towards Newcastle where it has cultural and historical links. The South of the County looks across Morecambe Bay towards Lancashire and receives its commercial TV from ITV Granada. BBC Radio Cumbria covers the whole of the county. There are local commercial stations too. As well as the obvious attractions of the outdoors, there are a number of indoor spaces, cinemas, museums, art galleries and theatres in most towns; e.g. Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. There are a number of music societies promoting seasons of classical music in Carlisle, Penrith, Cockermouth and Keswick. There are choirs and orchestras to join. Church buildings are often hired out as concert venues. Growing Spiritually Cameron Butland chapter 1 On being an ecumenical County God for All website www.godforall.org.uk Churches Together in Cumbria website www.churchestogethercumbria.co.uk Cumbria Methodist District website www.cumbriamethodistdistrict.org.uk Page 6 of 6