Not only are there Alston United Charities which is managed by the church Alston Moor Churches Together and Alston Moor Food Bank Alston Moor Food Bank there is also The Fairhill Estate Charity which has helped numerous people across the moor for ?? years. Now and potentially for the foreseeable future these support networks will be needed more than ever so if you are struggling then please don't hesitate to get in touch, they are there to help.
It's easier than ever to apply for a grant from the Fairhill Estate Charity. Simply download and complete the application form here Fairhill Estates Charityand email back to clerk@alstonmoor.org or print and send to The Parish Clerk, Sun House, Station Road, Alston, CA9 3HX. For people who are not able to apply this way, simply call the Alston Moor Support phone number on 647247 and a form will be posted out to you.
Once we receive your form a decision can be made by a small number of Trustees via the telephone and you'll hear back within days. This money has been set aside to support those in need, so if you or someone you know is not managing then get in touch.
The Fairhill Estate Charity has been helping people for generations and is open to residents from Alston Moor and is listed by the Charity Commission as a charity for the relief of poverty. Today, this means that any resident experiencing financial hardship is welcome to apply. Assistance can be given with costs such as funeral expenses, fuel bills, playgroup or under 11 school trip fees, telephone monitoring fees, one-off transport costs to cover exceptional circumstances, or other financial problems not covered here. It can also assist with educational requirements for people over 25. (Individuals of secondary school age and up to 25 should contact the Alston with Garrigill Educational Endowment at Samuel Kings School for further advice.) Grants are generally between £25 and £250. The charity cannot assist with ongoing payments, or any circumstance where another agency has a duty to provide.
My Lock down
by The Parish Clerk, Chris Johnson
Chris has held the position of Alston Moor Parish Clerk Since 1986. During those years she has seen many, many changes across the moor and the way in which the Parish Council works. Goodness knows how many Councillors she has seen come and go!
She is still busy with council business as a lots of issues don't go away in spite of the COVID-19 crisis. She has been setting up remote meetings via the internet so as to comply with social distancing. Most of the councillors won't mind admitting that until recently they had never used Zoom or any other video streaming, but as like many people they are finding this alternative way of meeting is proving to be extremely useful.
The monthly Parish Council meetings have been put on hold since lock down but thanks again to video conferencing a full council meeting will take place on Monday 1st June at 7pm. It is planned that the public can log into the meeting. More details on that to follow shortly.
One of the many things that Chris is in the process of doing is compiling a list of all public benches and seats on Alston Moor. She needs your help with this, so while out on your daily exercise walks why not take a photograph of any you come across (if possible) and email her at clerk@alstonmoor.org letting her know where you found it.
Chris is also using this time for the huge task of sorting through 30 years of council paperwork and shredding what no longer needs to be kept. Regulations have changed and things such as emails and correspondence does not need to be kept indefinately. This is surely a job which will take quite some time.
But it's not all work, Chris has found like others that one of the few positives of lock down is that life has slowed down somewhat and she has had time to do more gardening and cooking than normal and also sleeping better which can only be good.
So, to sum up. There is lots of help and support out there on Alston Moor if you need it, you just need to ask. All enquiries and applications are strictly confidential and subject to the data protection act.
The website you are looking at now - alstonhealth.org contains lots of information and hopefully answers any questions you may have at this trying time. You may also have received through your door a free copy of the Alston Moor Newsletter and a very helpful leaflet from Cumbria County Council which tells you how to apply to other funding streams for financial help with housing, employment, benefits, food and more. The link to their website is Cumbria County Council.
