Vote for Cumbria Family Support in Our May 2026 Charity Poll

Posted on 01 May 2026 by Emily Atkinson-Dalton
I'm the Charity Coordinator at Discount Promo Codes, and every month I pick a shortlist of charities for our poll. For May 2026, one of these amazing charities is Cumbria Family Support.

They've been working with children and families across Cumbria since 1993 — over 30 years of showing up for families who need help. 

They're in our May poll alongside two other charities, and I think they're worth your vote. Here's why.

cumbria family support

 

Who Cumbria Family Support Are


Cumbria Family Support started in East Cumbria in 1993 and expanded to West Cumbria in 2018. Today they cover Penrith, Carlisle, Workington, and the surrounding areas.

Their focus is on early support — getting in before things reach crisis point. Helping parents develop skills. Helping families feel less overwhelmed. Helping children grow up in stable, secure environments. It's practical, grounded work, and they've been doing it for a long time.

Children are at the centre of everything they do. But they understand that supporting a child means supporting the whole family. Because the two things aren't separate.

 

What They Do Day to Day


Cumbria Family Support runs several services, all focused on real, practical help:

Home-Based Support — This is their core service. Qualified staff and trained volunteers go directly into family homes and provide tailored support. Every family gets a personalised plan built around their specific needs and goals. And crucially, the support isn't time-limited in most cases. They stick around for as long as it takes.

Playgroups — Based in Allerdale, these are relaxed sessions where parents can meet others in a similar situation while their children play in a safe space. There's parenting advice on hand too, from local staff who know the community.

Family Time Centres — This one stood out to me. Cumbria Family Support are the only provider in Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness offering this service completely free of charge. Their centres in Carlisle and Kendal give children a safe, neutral space to spend time with a non-resident parent. Both centres are accredited by the National Association of Child Contact Centres. For families going through separation, that kind of provision can matter enormously.

Counselling — From April 2026, they're also offering a counselling service for adults. That's a significant addition, and it makes sense — because parents who are struggling emotionally can't always give their children what they need. Supporting the adult is part of supporting the child.

 

Why They're in Our May Poll


Families in Cumbria face a lot of the same pressures families everywhere face right now — but in a more rural setting, isolation can be even harder to deal with. Services can be harder to reach. Support networks can be thinner.

Cumbria Family Support has been filling that gap for over 30 years. They know their communities. They've built real trust with the families they work with. And they keep expanding — adding new areas, new services, and new ways to help.

That's exactly the kind of organisation worth supporting.

 

What Winning Actually Means for Them


The charity with the most votes in our May poll receives 20% of our profits for the month, paid directly to them.

For Cumbria Family Support, that could mean more home visits, more playgroup sessions, more support through their Family Time Centres, and more families reached before things get to crisis point. Every bit of funding helps them do more of what they're already doing well.

 

Other Ways to Help


Voting is the simplest thing you can do, but there are other ways to support them too.

You could volunteer — they're always looking for people to join their team and work directly with local families. You could make a donation via their JustGiving page. Or you could fundraise — whether that's a collection at work or something more ambitious. One supporter cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats for them in 2022, which is pretty impressive.

Whatever you can do, it goes directly towards helping families in Cumbria.

 

How to Vote


No sign-up, no form, completely free. Here's how:

1. Go to our homepage

2. Find the May Charity Poll — right-hand side on desktop, bottom of the page on mobile

3. Pick Cumbria Family Support

4. Submit your vote!

Less than a minute. The poll runs from 1st May to 31st May 2026 and anyone can vote.

 

One Last Thing


Cumbria Family Support have been quietly doing important work for over three decades. No fuss, no big campaigns — just consistent, practical support for families who need it, delivered by people who genuinely care.

If you've got a minute, please vote for them. And if you can share it too, even better. The more votes they get, the better their chance of receiving a real donation this month.

Small actions, adding up.

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