This newsletter is normally emailed weekly, to inform you of local events, clubs, businesses, community organisations, services, support, and volunteering opportunities.

In 2023, the Keswick to Barrow Walk Committee gave away £378,347 to charities and good causes. Over £5 million has been given to charities and good causes since the event began in 1967. Note that the £5 million figure is not adjusted for inflation and does not include gift aid, so the present value allowing for those factors could be around twice as much.

Last year many local organisations received money, including £9,000 for Alice's Escapes, £1,350 for Church Walk Preschool, £1,500 for Lindal & Marton Primary School, £700 for Kings Head Bowling Club, £32,000 for St Mary's Hospice, £1,000 for Ulverston Cricket Club, and £700 for Ulverston Resilience Group.

Ulverston Resilience Group has assisted with event stewarding for the last few years. This year, as before, we will be stewarding at Coniston Primary School and Coniston Sports Club.

Volunteers can camp at the sports club the night before the walk free of charge, or drive up in the morning. Breakfast and hot drinks will be provided. It's an early (dawn) start, and you'll be finished by early afternoon, usually about 1pm. Tasks include laying out signs, managing queues, and advising walkers and supporters on where to go for food, first aid, information, etc. We'd like about ten volunteers. No experience is necessary.

If you're already a URG member, please register for the event via RotaCentral. We'll try to arrange car sharing. Please add a note when you register to say if you need transport or if you can offer transport. For anyone who is not currently a URG member, please register via the RotaCentral link above.

Website: Ulverston Library

Here's a reminder of the available services and opening times for the temporary library in The Coro. 

The Coro’s lift - which is Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant - has been fully repaired and serviced to make the first floor of The Coro, for the main hall balcony and Supper Room, accessible to users who may find the stairs difficult.

Opening times:

Services available:

Website: Restore TV

Mobile network services are being upgraded in Ulverston, boosting speed, performance and coverage. There is a small chance these improvements may cause interference to TV received through an aerial such as Freeview, BT, TalkTalk and YouView. Symptoms could include intermittent sound, blocky images (pixelation), or loss of TV signal.

For residents who are affected by the mobile upgrades, free support is available from Restore TV. Restore TV is an independent programme created by Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (DMSL), an organisation owned by the UK’s four mobile network operators: EE, Virgin Media O2, Three and Vodafone.

Restore TV’s role is to ensure people can continue to enjoy free to view TV if mobile service upgrades cause TV interference. Restore TV reports to the Coexistence Technical Working Group, chaired by Ofcom, which monitors and advises on the programme to ensure free-to-view TV viewers’ interests are properly served.

The programme offers additional support for people who are 75 years of age or older, or are registered blind or partially sighted, or receive any of the following benefits: personal independence payments (PIPs); attendance allowance; constant attendance allowance, or War Pensioner’s Mobility Support.

Ben Roome, CEO of Restore TV, said:

“If you see new TV interference, we’re on hand to help you resolve the issue. We can send a Restore TV filter, free of charge, for you to fit between your aerial lead and TV or set-top box to remove mobile signals and allow you to watch free-to-view TV as normal. Full instructions are included, and we can provide further advice online and by phone if needed."

Cable and satellite TV, such as Sky or Virgin, are not affected. However, viewers with these services, who also watch free-to-view TV through an aerial, can receive a free Restore TV filter.

Residents are more likely to be affected if they live in an area with weak digital television reception, have a TV signal booster, or whose TV aerial is close to a mobile mast.
For residents in flats or communal buildings, Restore TV provides landlords or property managers with support to resolve the problem.

Viewers who experience new interference to free-to-view TV should contact Restore TV on the website above, or phone 0808 1313 800 (free from landlines and mobiles).

Join local Quakers at 11am at Ulverston Market Place to stand in silence for (up to) an hour, to remember all those suffering through war, terrorism and natural disaster. Come for as long or as short a time as you wish.

Tickets: Book here

Ontario musician Allison Lupton enchants listeners with story songs and tunes that take you away to another time. From playing for community dances to soloing with orchestras over more than a quarter century throughout her native Canada, her original songs fit so perfectly into the treasury of Canadian folk music that they could easily be mistaken for traditional songs. Allison has been honoured with nominations by the Canadian Folk Music Awards including most recently (2020) “Traditional Singer of the Year”. Allison is joined by her band of all-stars. This five-piece band is seriously filled with great talent.

Andrew Collins  CCBA Mandolinist of the Year

Shane Cook  Grand North American Fiddle Champion

Joseph Phillips  virtuoso bassist

Tony McManus  hailed by the late John Renbourn as ‘the best Celtic guitarist in the world’, Tony McManus has been listed as one of 50 transcendental guitarists of all time by Guitar Player Magazine.

Tickets: Book here

With visceral storytelling and music brimming with textures, reminiscent of her home on a hill farm in the North Pennines, Katie Doherty is joined by two world class folk musicians: Dave Gray on melodeon and Grace Smith on fiddle.

With all three on vocals and Katie on piano, they create a heart-swelling symphonic sound, exuding a warmth and melody which leave you feeling uplifted. Their latest album "Flow" is their boldest storytelling yet.

New weekly story time for tots aged under 5. Every Tuesday at Ulverston Library.

Tickets: Book here

The ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute band, endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself, is the only Mac tribute to authentically replicate the classic ‘Rumours’ line-up.

Over the last few years Fleetwood Bac have received rave reviews from The Stage, the UK’s leading Fleetwood Mac fan-sites, the official Stevie Nicks website, and from ecstatic audiences wherever the band played, wowing audiences as far afield as Dubai, St. Tropez, the Cayman Islands and Monte Carlo, and twice selling out the world-famous Minack Theatre in Cornwall.

Fleetwood Bac have also been rated by The Times as one of the UK’s top 5 tributes, alongside The Bootleg Beatles, Bjorn Again and the Counterfeit Stones, while notable fans include original Mac bassist and biographer Bob Brunning, who joined the band several times on stage, and Peter Green’s official biographer Martin Celmins.

23rd April at The Coro

Tickets: Book here

Join us to celebrate World Book Night after dark. Take part in the free Quiz Night and win prizes. You can either form a team or join one on the night (maximum of 6 people per quiz team).

Bring a pre-loved book for a book swap. Free book giveaway as part of The Reading Agency for World Book Night. Paying bar for refreshments and snacks.

Booking essential via Eventbrite or in person at Ulverston Library at The Coro. This event takes place in the library room.

Website: WalkFest

The 2024 Ulverston Walking Festival (WalkFest) will be held from Saturday 27th April to the Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2024. The programme is now live on the WalkFest website, including details of how to book. Note that all walks must be pre-booked, and that last year many of the walks were full well before the day of the walk. If a walk is indicated as full, you can request to be added to a reserve list, and many reserves are subsequently accepted.

As a trial this year, we are prepared to try to provide a walk for anybody needing support in any way (for instance, someone using a wheelchair or with reduced sight). An option may be to arrange a personal walk with one of our leaders to suit your situation. If you are interested, contact the organisers via the booking email address on their website.

Website: URG roles

The URG Annual General Meeting takes place at 7pm on Thursday 9th May. Anyone in the community who is interested in joining the committee is invited to contact the group or any existing committee member before the AGM. A full list of committee roles and current post-holders, and a contact form, can be found via the website link above.

URG currently has seven committee members, and over 300 registered volunteers. It is an important policy of the group to rotate post-holders and to welcome new members and ideas. Committee members must be DBS checked, which will be arranged and funded by the group. Normally, the committee meets once a month on a Thursday evening for about two hours. There are no other regular commitments.