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Community

Bittern Sharing Community

The Bittern Sharing Community

The Bittern Sharing Community is a new group dedicated to facilitating tool sharing within the Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape, encompassing Storth, Beetham, the Yealands, and Warton.

The objective is to build a community of generously minded and trustworthy people to share things we have and don’t use regularly, or don’t have and need irregularly. With the aim of reducing our carbon footprint and deepening community connections.

The Arnside Repair Café will conduct PAT testing on all tools and provide minor repairs as necessary.

At present, the focus is on sharing low-risk tools, including:

  • DIY/household tools: handheld power sander, wallpaper stripper, gazebo, carpet cleaner
  • Garden tools: spades, forks, ladders (under 2m), hose pipes, outdoor extension leads
  • Kitchen equipment: pressure cooker, apple press, trestle tables, food dehydrator, water urn

Please note, the group does not facilitate sharing of tools with blades, commercial power tools, ladders over 2m, or any item requiring a license for use.

The BCCIC assumes no responsibility for loss or damage of items. Members are advised to share only those tools for which they are willing to accept this risk, and to review the user agreement prior to participation.

How it Works
Membership of the Bittern Sharing Community is free.

To join, there are two online sign up forms:

  • Quick sign up link – registering your interest
  • Full sign up link – including the items you’re willing to share

Borrow: A quarterly ‘List of Shares’ will be sent to all members so you can easily contact tool owners.

You can also use our Facebook group to request or offer items. Borrowing or lending via Facebook is subject to the Bittern Sharing Community User Agreement.

Return: Please return items within one week, unless you arrange a longer period with the owner.

To find our more or sign up, e-mail bitternsharing@gmail.com

Full details and the forms to join can be found here.

Arnside Parish Council Logo

Arnside Parish Councillor Vacancy

Would you like to make an important contribution to the area you live in? Get involved in making decisions about the local community? Then this is the position for you!

It’s rewarding and enjoyable as you will be involved in making changes to help improve the lives of Arnside residents.

What’s Involved
Parish Councillors are unpaid volunteers who meet at least once a month. The purpose is to maintain and improve Arnside for all. You can support this by bringing your skills and knowledge to the Council, by proposing and getting involved in local projects while researching and engaging in conversations with parishioners and others.

Arnside Parish Council consists of eight councillors and three employees – the Parish Clerk, the Finance Officer and the Cemetery Officer. It is an effective team of like-minded people all wanting to make a positive difference.

The monthly meetings may last a couple of hours. You may also join committees, working groups and ad hoc meetings.
No special qualification is required to be a councillor. It is important that all sorts of people serve as councillors so that all parts of our community are represented. Training for new councillors is available to help you understand the responsibilities of the role.

What does the Parish Council Do?
Arnside Parish Council makes all kinds of decisions on issues that affect the local community. The most common topics that we get involved with are:

  • Planning matters – the Parish Council is a consultee,
  • Managing and maintaining the services and facilities we are responsible for,
  • Helping local groups, and campaigning for and delivering better services and facilities.

It’s true to say that, on their own, parish councils have limited powers to make decisions – but they do have the ability to negotiate with, and the power to influence, those other organisations that do make the final decisions, such as Westmorland & Furness Council and the Arnside & Silverdale National Landscape amongst others.

In this respect, parish councils are quite powerful. The organisations that make the final decisions know that a parish council gives the best reflection of how a community feels about something, and its views will be taken seriously.

The parish council also has the power to raise money through taxation – the ‘precept’ (the parish council’s share of the council tax) – to help meet its spending requirements.

Am I eligible to be a Parish Councillor?

You must be: a British subject, or a citizen of the Commonwealth or the European Union and over 18 years of age.

Additionally, you have to be at least one of the following:

• A local government elector for the council area for which you want to stand.
• Have, during the whole of the 12 months, occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the council area or within 3 miles of it for the whole period/
• Have, during that same period, had your principal or only place of work in the council area or within 3 miles of it for the whole period.
• Have lived in the parish area or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination.

You cannot stand for election if you:

• Are subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or interim order.
• Have, within five years before the day of the election, been convicted in the UK of any offence and have had a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the option of a fine.
• You work for the council you want to become a councillor for (but you can work for other local authorities, including the principal authorities that represent the same area).
• Are subject to certain sexual offence legal orders under the Local Government Disqualification Act 2022 (which disqualifies individuals from standing for election or holding office in local authorities).

You don’t have to be connected to a political party. If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Code of Conduct.

For more information, email the Parish Clerk at clerk@arnsideparishcouncil.gov.uk

Arnside Parish Council Councillor Vacancy – Job Description and Person SpecificatiomDownload

Temporary Road Closure Church Hill Arnside 14th February

Temporary Road Closure: Church Hill, Arnside – 14/02/26

A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Fibrus to carry out utility works which are expected to commence 14th February 2026 and anticipated to take 2 days to complete. (Although it says ‘Road Closure’, the map shows 2-way traffic control…..)

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction(s) and any alternative route(s) which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed here, and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found here.

Location: Church Hill, from its junction with Silverdale Road, extending in a north easterly direction for approx. 105 metres.

Alternative Route: There is no suitable alternative route available for vehicles. A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B Passage for Emergency Vehicles will be maintained where required for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/17936

Temporary Road Closure Orchard Road, Arnside 12th February

Temporary Road Closure: Orchard Road, Arnside – 12/02/26

A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Fibrus to carry out utility works which are expected to commence 12th February 2026 and anticipated to take 5 days to complete.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction(s) and any alternative route(s) which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed here and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found here.

Location: Orchard Road, Arnside, from its junction with Silverdale Road, extending in a north easterly direction for a distance of approx. 125m.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route will be signed and made available via Silverdale Road and the unrestricted section of Orchard Road. A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B Passage for Emergency Vehicles will be maintained where required for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this Temporary Order, please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/17178

Morecambe Bay Partnership Photo Competition

Morecambe Bay Partnership ‘Photography Competition 2025/2026’

Are you a budding photographer or just love recording Morecambe Bay’s coastline when you’re out and about?

To mark ‘Morecambe Bay Day’ in 2025 and to celebrate our amazing coastline, a competition was launched to showcase the beauty and diversity of Morecambe Bay and the talents of our supporters.

We know many people capture the Bay through photographs so we’re inviting competition entries that show your best images of Morecambe Bay and everything it has to offer. When you submit your entry, we’ll ask your view on the Bay too.

From all the entries we receive, 12 winning images will be selected and published in a fundraising calendar (published, summer 2026).

How to get involved
Whatever level of engagement you have with photos and photography, we’d love you to get involved. For those of you who want inspiration have a look at the following categories:

Towns & Villages – Capture the Bay’s towns or villages – maybe you live, work or study in one and want to share your everyday view.

Views & Landscapes – Show us your favourite view of Morecambe Bay – this can be your favourite landscape: rocky headlands, limestone outcrops, mudflats, estuaries, saltmarshes and woods.

The Bay changes so much. Blue skies and the Bay’s famous sunsets are wonderful, but we know the Bay offers up other dramatic weather – snow, storms, wind, rain, moody clouds and rainbows – all of which make the Bay dynamic and captivating.

Heritage & Landmarks – Some of our best spots on the Bay are heritage landmarks and sites such as the Hoad (Ulverston), St. Peter’s Church and Heysham Village, the ‘Chimney’ (Jenny Brown’s Point)., Arnside Viaduct. Do you have a stunning image of something less well known?

Nature – Prefer to capture the flora and fauna of Morecambe Bay? The Bay, its estuaries and surrounding countryside are famous for birdlife but are also home to seals and otters, rare butterflies and moths and beautiful orchids. Show us something you think is special.

N.B. Unfortunately, we cannot accept photographs of people. This is due to strict data protection laws which we must comply with.

12 stunning images will be selected to feature in a fundraising calendar (published summer 2026) with full credit to each photographer/creator. You will be named as the photographer and retain copyright.

Winning photos will also be published to our social media channels, with full image credits. Ideally, we’d like to accompany these posts with a little biography about the winning photographers.

if you’re a budding photographer or a professional who submits a winning entry, we’ll feature your social media channels and promote your photography (collectively we have over 10,000 followers across our channels).

Winning images will also be promoted in our newsletter (over 2,000 subscribers).

Entries are welcome from under 18’s.

The closing date for entries is 4pm on 20th February 2026. Entries will be selected by Friday, 6th March 2026.

Competition Rules and Guidelines as well as a form to submit your photos can be found by clicking here.

Road Closures - Silverdale Road

Urgent Road Closure: Silverdale Road, Arnside – The Spinney to the Cemetery. 19th December 2025

An urgent road closure has been put in place to allow Westmorland and Furness to carry out urgent tree felling works.

This notice will be in force for a period not exceeding 5 days from 19th December 2025. It is expected that the Works will take 1 day.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction and any alternative route which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed here and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found here.

Location: C5096, Silverdale Road, Arnside, from its junction with the Spinney Lane, extending in a south westerly direction for a distance of approx 130 metres.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route will be signed and made available via the unrestricted sections of the C5096, C5097, Cold Well Lane, Ford Lane and Cove Road. A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B This restriction or Passage for Emergency Vehicles will not be maintained for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/17467.

Road Closures - Silverdale Road

Urgent Road Closure: C5096, Silverdale Road, Arnside – Chapel Lane to Redhills Road. 19/12/2025

An urgent road closure has been put in place to allow Westmorland and Furness to carry out urgent tree felling works.

This notice will be in force for a period not exceeding 5 days from 19th December 2025. It is expected that the Works will take 1 day.

Please see below details of the extents of the restriction and any alternative route which may be in place, the relevant legal notice can be viewed here and a location plan clearly showing these extents can be found here.

Location: Silverdale Road, Arnside, from its junction with Red Hills Road, extending in a north westerly direction for a distance of approx 150 metres.

Alternative Route: A suitable alternative route will be signed and made available via the unrestricted sections of Silverdale Road (C5096), Briery Bank, Black Dyke Road and the B5282. A way for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained at all times.

N.B This restriction or Passage for Emergency Vehicles will not be maintained for the duration of this restriction.

Should you have any queries in relation to this temporary Order please contact the Highways Hotline by calling 0300 373 3306 or via the Westmorland & Furness Council website, quoting the reference TTROW/17467.

The Hackney & Leigh team celebrating their Award

Local Estate Agent, Hackney & Leigh, does the National Treble!

Local estate agent, Hackney & Leigh, has won three national awards at the prestigious EA Masters Best Estate Agent Guide Awards in London, underscoring the agency’s market-leading performance across sales and lettings.

• Best Sales and Lettings Estate Agency in the UK (6–20 branches)

• Best Lettings Manager in the UK – Jo Thompson, Head of Lettings

• Best Sales Manager in the UK – Keira Evans, Kendal Branch Manager

“We can’t believe it – we’ve done the treble!” said Simon Leigh, Director of Hackney & Leigh, the independent ,family-run Sales and Lettings agency with branches in Ambleside, Arnside, Carnforth, Grange-over-Sands, Kendal, Keswick, Kirkby Lonsdale, Penrith, Ulverston and Windermere.

“This is a truly momentous achievement. I am incredibly proud of our fantastic team and I am delighted for Jo and Keira in particular. These awards recognise the hard work, passion and commitment they devote to delivering outstanding results for our clients.”

The awards were presented at a glittering ceremony at Evolution London in Battersea Park, attended by more than 1,000 estate agents and industry partners.

Each year, the team behind the Best Estate Agent Guide carries out an independent performance assessment of the entire estate agency industry to identify the best agencies in the country, based on marketing, service and results. The top performers are then mystery-shopped to ensure exceptional service levels are achieved and that all the latest marketing techniques are being employed to create the perfect first impression of their clients’ properties.

The process for individual awards included Jo and Keira having in-depth interviews with industry leaders to understand more about them, their values and how they go about achieving the results for their clients. On winning the Best Lettings Manager in the UK, Jo Thompson, who lives near Kendal, said: “I am honoured and elated to have won the award. It is not only a great result for me, but it recognises what a fantastic team I have that supports me.”

The judges said her in-depth industry knowledge was a key factor in their decision. Jo has been in the industry for over a decade, having previously been a manager in the hospitality world. She joined Hackney & Leigh in 2017 and has helped shape and grow the business into what it is today.

Following the presentation for Best Sales Manager in the UK, Keira Evans said: “I am delighted to have won the award, not just for myself, but for my team. Just to be nominated was incredible, but to win was a total privilege. I’m utterly flattered to be recognised for my work in a profession I’m so passionate about, especially given the quality of the competition.”

Commenting on Keira’s win, the judges said she had shown fantastic knowledge of her market, alongside a wonderful empathy for her clients. Keira has worked as an estate agent for ten years, following a successful career as a Sales Manager in the equine industry. She joined Hackney & Leigh at the start of 2022 and has taken the Kendal office from strength to strength.

Peter Knight, founder of the Best Estate Agent Guide and EA Masters, said: “We are delighted to recognise and help celebrate the outstanding achievements of everyone who took home an award at this year’s EA Masters. “They represent the top-performing agents in the UK, setting the benchmark for excellence in customer service, expertise and results. “We congratulate this year’s winners, who continue to raise standards in the industry and truly exemplify what it means to be the very best.”

Keira Evans (left) and Jo Thompson with their awards at the ceremony

Westmorland and Furness Council Logo

Westmorland & Furness Council – ‘One Tree Per Resident Project’

In response to the climate and biodiversity crises, Westmorland and Furness Council want to help our communities to plant one tree, or one metre of hedgerow equivalent, for every resident. This means planting a quarter of a million trees over a five-year period.

Trees have various benefits for climate, biodiversity and communities, such as:

  • absorbing and storing carbon
  • providing shade and shelter
  • increasing biodiversity and enhancing landscapes
  • capturing air pollution and improving air quality
  • improving water quality
  • reducing soil erosion
  • reducing flooding risk

How to get involved

There are many different ways in which you can help reach our aim of planting 250,000 trees. If would like more details or want to tell us how many trees or hedgerows you have planted so we can count them, please contact us.

Free Trees for Residents: We are giving away free tree saplings as part of the ‘One Tree Per Resident Project’.

Who Can Apply: You can apply on behalf of:

  • you – as a resident
  • schools
  • town and parish councils
  • landowners
  • community groups

Trees and Hedge Packs: You can apply for multiple saplings. Larger planting schemes will be assessed for feasibility. Tree species and numbers are subject to availability.

Tree species: There are 10 species of tree in the scheme.

  • Crab Apple – Small gardens, pot-friendly, moist, heavier soil, pollinators and birds.
  • Field Maple – Medium to large gardens, moderately moist, wildlife and autumn colour.
  • Guelder Rose – Small gardens, pot friendly, moist, fertile soil, berries for birds (otherwise toxic)
  • Hawthorn – Small to large gardens, moist to dry soil, wildlife.
  • Hazel – Small gardens, pot-friendly, moist soil, not waterlogged, wildlife and nuts.
  • Juniper – Small gardens, pot-friendly. Dry, well-drained soil. Wildlife, berries for birds (otherwise toxic)
  • Rowan – Small gardens, pot-friendly. Light, moist soil. Berries for birds (otherwise toxic)
  • Silver Birch – Medium to large gardens. Moist, well-drained soil. Wildlife, light canopy.
  • Whitebeam – Medium to large gardens. Dry to moist soil. Birds.
  • Yew – Small gardens, pot-friendly. Dry to moist soil. Evergreen, berries (all parts of the tree are toxic)

Pick the trees suitable for your planting area. Some are suitable for pots if managed. Read advice on how to pick the right trees to plant, and how to plant them on the Woodland Trust website

How to Apply: Before you apply, you’ll need to know: Your chosen tree species and the What3Words location of your planting site.

Applications will be open until 30 November 2025, but may clsoe early subject to demand. Please note hedge packs are not currently available due to high demand.

Apply online by clicking here.

If you need an accessible version, please contact us by email, or visit one of our offices or libraries.

Contact us: We’re keen to hear from you if you:

  • are interested in linking as a partner
  • would like to get involved, or have any suggestions about how to get involved
  • want to record your tree planting under the ‘One Tree per Resident Project’.
  • have any questions about the scheme

Please get in touch by email: futuretrees@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.

Partners: Our current partners include:

  • Forestry Commission
  • Lake District National Park
  • RAISE Community Forest
  • Ullswater Catchment Management CIC
  • Woodland Trust
  • Yorkshire Dales National Park

Progress: To date, we have planted 41,544 trees which is 17% of the total needed to achieve the goal of ‘One Tree per Resident’. This planting has been delivered by council teams, supported by the Community Orchard and Micro Woodland initiatives funded through the Coronation Living Heritage Fund.

Our key partner, Raise: Cumbria Community Forest, has also played a vital role in delivering additional planting schemes..

Hollybank Care Home ’12 Days of Christmas Raffle’

Hollybank Care Home is running their ’12 Days of Christmas Raffle’ again this year.

The prizes are: hampers, gift boxes, bottles galore and even a distillery tour and tasting voucher.

An opportunity to win Christmas tipples and chocolate goodies in time for the festive season and help raise additional funds to give our lovely residents an extra special Christmas.

Tickets are £1 each or £5 a strip.