COPELAND Council’s youth advocate has spoken of his pride at how the borough’s young people are supporting their communities during the Covid-19 crisis. Councillor Jeffrey Hailes, the council’s Young People’s Champion, says he has been impressed with a sense of civic pride and selflessness shown by young people across the borough in challenging circumstances.
Councillor Hailes has highlighted just some of the examples that he has encountered in his champion role, with a particular focus on South Copeland:
Isabell Jordan, 10, from Millom, set up a drinks stall Bell’s Lemonade outside her home with the help of her family and raised £100 for the local ambulance service
The Thompson family, from Millom, learned and performed songs that were posted online in the hope of lifting the community’s spirits. They have achieved over 15,000 online views and plan to go into the recording studio when restrictions allow
Drigg Young Farmers’ Club has a varied calendar of events and has raised over £50,000 for local good causes over the past 20 years. Although it cannot currently meet in person, the group is running online competitions and virtual meetings to keep all members included, especially those who live in rural and often isolated areas.
Councillor Hailes said: “It is wonderful to see how young people are so driven and are finding different ways of supporting their communities and rural areas. “I'm very proud as Copeland’s Young People's Champion to see this work first hand and promote them to our wider Copeland community. It was a pleasure to meet the volunteers and families, and to thank them for their support.”