Launched in 2021, the award invites pupils to complete challenges to develop their skills, confidence, and sense of pride and belonging to the county. To date 1,300 children from 20 schools have taken part.
It is run by the Western Excellence in Learning and Leadership (WELL) project which is hosted by Cumberland Council and funded by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
The University of Cumbria’s accreditation means the award can count towards the entry points students need to gain a place on a course there.
WELL is an ambitious programme of over £6 million of targeted investments and interventions that work to improve educational outcomes and combat disadvantages for all students.
Dale Hill, director of WELL said
A key ambition of WELL is to champion an inclusive approach to those curriculum experiences that can support every child and young person living in this wonderful place, to feel a strong sense of belonging, To have belief and know they are believed in, and to become the person they and we want them to be – successful, happy, resilient, employable, and knowing that positive contributions to community are achieved and recognised.
Eirini Etoimou, head of corporate sustainability and supply chain development at Sellafield Ltd said
The WELL project is a key strand of our Social Impact Multiplied (SiX) programme, which is committed to helping communities unlock a sustainable and prosperous future.
The ability to gain a tariff reduction through the Cumbrian Award ensures that even more young people can benefit from access to Higher Education, especially those who may have previously thought it couldn’t be an option for them.
This is further proof that we can multiply our collective impact when we work collaboratively and take an evidence-led approach.
Sellafield is part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group, which has invested over £60 million of direct socio-economic funding across the UK over the last 5 years, leveraging millions of pounds of further investment from partners, to support significant projects that enable permanent and sustainable change in its site communities.
