Meet the shortlist in the Community Choices campaign

You have until March 26 to make your selections – everyone who takes part has 10 votes.

Each of the following organisations are in the running for up to £50,000 of funding – and you make the decision.

To vote, visit www.decidingtogether.org

Here is the shortlist for each of the categories:

Improving Cumbria

Cumbria Rungwe is celebrating 30 years of exchanges with Tanzania groups and the funding would go towards a three-week programme while the Tanzanian group is being hosted by families in Copeland, including a Whitehaven Carnival float and stall, a fun day and a farewell party.

Friends of Kie Park was set up in 2013 to create a Whitehaven skate park as a memorial to Kieran Goulding, who was killed in the 2010 Keswick School bus crash. It would use the funding to make sure the ongoing running cost are maintained.

Nurture Lakeland want to use the cash to repair the badly-eroded Scafell Pike.

Egremont Crab Fair wants to promote healthy eating and wellbeing to families and junior schools using Taste Cumbria. It will work with local schools and community groups.

Creative Wellbeing wants to deliver a total of 75 energy-themed activities, including print-making, drumming, felt-making, drawing, singing and bookbinding, across Allerdale, Copeland and Carlisle, along with a showcase event in each area.

Cumbria Rugby Union Football Club is leading an initiative to support, encourage and inspire more women and girls across Cumbria to be active.

Home to Work offers more skills training for disadvantaged people in Copeland to help get them into employment and wants to expand into Allerdale.

Rosehill Arts Trust wants to build on the theatre’s community performances it has been putting on while work to redevelop the Whitehaven theatre has been ongoing. More than 4,000 people have been to events in West Cumbria and the trust wants to make sure they visit the theatre itself.

The Farmer Network ’s flood reduction project helps farmers reduce flooding in West Cumbria’s main towns, using natural flood management techniques. It wants to install different methods, measure their impact and educate other farmers.

Improving Health and Wellbeing

Watchtree Wheelers at the Watchtree Nature Reserve, near Carlisle, wants to resurface a mile of a multi-purpose trail to allow visitors of all abilities greater opportunity to explore.

Copeland Stadium Trust wants to improve the facilities at Copeland Stadium to meet the rise in user numbers seen during 2016.

Wigton Baths Trust says replacing its water tank and almost doubling the number of available showers will provide a better experience for people who use the community pool.

Mirehouse Residents’ Group ’s Fit for Life scheme would offer healthy eating and fitness classes to residents of the Whitehaven estate, plus introduce a food co-op.

Mind in West Cumbria says the funding would help it continue its key drop-in sessions, which offer safety and social activities for isolated people with mental health difficulties.

Carlisle United Community Sports Trust ’s Football Fans In Training is a 12-week programme aimed at people between 35 and 65 to help them lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. It wants to deliver the programme at Maryport, Lakes College and Carlisle United’s ground.

Cockermouth RUFC , at Grasmoor Sports Centre, wants to establish an outdoor gym and all-weather multi-use sports area for the entire community.

CADAS , which delivers free support to people affected by substance use, wants to provide a volunteer co-ordinator to recruit, train and co-ordinate 20 volunteers so it can continue its work.

SASRA Ltd want to develop its facilities in Seascale, improving access and increasing capacity so it can offer a wider range of activities to all users.

Improving Social Inclusion

1st St Bees Scouts want to buy new tents for its cubs. It currently uses patrol tents which are over 50 years old. With new tents, it will be able to give the cubs valuable experiences of outdoor adventures.

1st Hensingham Scouts want to buy new water safety and archery equipment to give young people in Cumbria a real taste of outdoor life.

2199 (Workington) Air Squadron ATC wants to buy outdoor equipment so its cadets can take part in Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions and other activities.

Healthy Hopes Cumbria offers workshops covering health and wellbeing topics to encourage positive change. It wants to offer more sessions, led by experienced workers.

Time to Change West Cumbria ’s Calderwood Furniture Services, based in Egremont, wants to offer a free collection service for donations in Copeland and residents will participate in the recycling and upcycling of furniture.

Stepping Stone 2to would use the cash for exercise sessions, using fitness equipment to improve participants overall health, and wellbeing. The organisation was set up to address some of the issues of social exclusion experienced by people who have organic learning disabilities/difficulties in West Cumbria.

CROPT ’s project is to improve the employability of some of the most socially isolated people in the whole of Cumbria as well as brokering links with employers.

This will be done through mentoring, identifying and challenging barriers, and recognising educational needs that can be addressed.

Hospice at Home West Cumbria ’s patient support volunteer project provides friendship during the last weeks and days of life.

It wants to extend the service into the palliative care unit at the West Cumberland Hospital so it can support even more local people.

Citizens Advice ’s mental health project will address the need of people with mental ill health for specialist welfare benefit, debt and housing advice in West Cumbria. The funding would provide dedicated workers to champion the cause of people with mental ill health problems.

Supporting Stronger Communities

The Punch Bowl in Great Broughton is a thriving community pub, run by volunteers who came together to save the 17th century coaching inn from closure. It wants to repaint the pub’s exterior, using local contractors and volunteers to carry out the work.

Newton Arlosh First Responders want to train and equip two new members of the team to be first on the scene at a medical emergency.

AWAZ Cumbria , which supports the most marginalised people and communities, says this funding would mean it can help over 250 key stage two students from West Cumbria to learn how to stay safe and deal with anti-social behaviour, prejudice and hate crime.

Seascale Community Beach Park Project needs cash to complete the purchase of play equipment for the beach park, which will be a community space. The park will increase the quality of tourist visits to the Seascale to support local businesses, it says.

Aspatria Dreamscheme wants to set up Elevated, an all-age community-led project providing practice space, expert tuition, peer mentoring and quality recording and video opportunities for novice and veteran musicians in West Cumbria.

Rosehill Youth Theatre wants to revamp its base, Solway Hall in Whitehaven, which is also used by several other groups and organisations. The volunteer-run group has fundraised to reopen the hall and now wants to refurbish it to make it more attractive for the community.

Phoenix Enterprise Centre wants to set up Digital Moor, a free drop-in, computer centre in three days a week.

Help will be available so people can access the internet for essential tasks.

Supporting the Younger Generation

Millom Stepping Stones , a charity-run day nursery, wants to buy new play equipment to encourage its 120 youngsters to have a healthy lifestyle through physical play.

Mayfield School Development Fund wants to provide technology to help young people communicate.

There are a group of non-verbal youngsters, aged three to 19 who attend the school and need the support of electronic communication aids to allow them to be socially active.

Air Training Corps (RAF Cadets) – 1030 Whitehaven wants to buy fieldcraft expeditionary equipment to help its members develop their intiative and identify leadership qualities while out on expeditions.

Whitehaven Theatre of Youth , a performing arts group for seven to 18-year-olds, wants to buy a wireless sound system, including microphones and a sound desk, so it can present a wider programme of productions to a wider audience.

Egremont RUFC wants to increase young people’s participation in the sport by making sure its single pitch has improved drainage.

The pitch is regularly waterlogged as it has no installed drainage system which hampers its extensive youth development programme.

Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project ’s scheme is Harbour Rock, to refurbish its existing climbing wall and install an extension. Indoor climbing is a new Olympic sport and the project wants to inspire aspiring Olympians.

West Cumbria Domestic Violence ’s Freedom Project aims to give children and young victims support. Its wants to offer group and individual sessions with consellors so the young people and children affected by domestic/sexual abuse have a safe space and the appropriate help they need.

West Cumbria Carers Young Carers Support project will provide one-to-one sessions for 65 young carers who are struggling with caring for a family member and school life.

Specialist staff will help them to get the best out of school life and to achieve their full potential.

Safety Net (UK) supports the recovery of those affected by rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence in north and West Cumbria. It wants to roll out #bemysafetynet, a county-wide training and education programme in schools to support staff and pupils, provide information and counselling to make sure young people feel safe, stay safe and feel included.

Where to vote

Visit decidingtogether.org , visit your local library where access to a computer is available for a fixed time or go to one of the IT centres in Allerdale and Copeland, which will be open on the following days until March 24:

• Cleator Moor: Phoenix Enterprise Centre, Jacktrees Road, Wednesday and Thursday, 9am-4pm.
• Egremont: De Lucy Centre, Market Place, Thursday, 10am-4pm.
• Maryport: Ewanrigg Community Centre, Ennerdale Road, Monday, 10am-3pm.
• Millom: Millom Network Centre, Salthouse Road, Friday, 11am-3pm.
• Whitehaven: Harbour Youth Project building, Swingpump Lane, Monday and Tuesday, 9am-3pm.
• Wigton: Market Hall, Church Street, Tuesday, 10am-3pm.
• Workington: Bradbury Independent Living Centre, Oxford Street, Wednesday, 10am-3pm.
• Workington: Northside Community Centre, Trinity Drive, Thursday, 10am-3pm.