Bootle & Seascale Forum Area

Community Activity

There are a wide range of community groups and organisations in the area, many of whom have received support from the Neighbourhood forum at some time.

Wheels 2 Work is a scooter loan scheme aimed a helping young people in Copeland overcome transport barriers, and access employment, training or education opportunities
For more information contact Wheels 2 Work Project Co-ordinator Julia Mullarkey.

Transport Information
Ravenglass Basin Transport Group covers the Parishes of: Bootle, Drigg and Carleton, Eskdale, Gosforth, Irton with Santon, Muncaster, Seascale, Wasdale, Waberthwaite.
The aim of the group is to assess the transport needs in the Ravenglass Basin area and endeavour to raise funds to meet those needs. For further information contact Elizabeth Clegg on 01229 717661.

Gosforth Outriders Transport Group 
- Both groups would love to hear from anyone willing to be a volunteer driver.

Voluntary Social Car Scheme provides alternative transport to members of the community who cannot make their journey by public or private transport, for example to a doctor's surgery, hospital visiting, do shopping or visit the hairdresser.

A fare is charged to the passenger according to the distance travelled, for example a 10 mile journey would cost £3.00 could you spare sometime to for the people in your community who need transport? For further information contact Mrs Anne Williams, Local Car Scheme Co-ordinator, on 019467 25518.

North Cumbria Community Transport - Minibus Brokerage Scheme is a minibus sharing scheme, which enables groups and organisations within the community to use accessible and affordable vehicles. For more information contact Copeland Area Transport Co-ordinator Helen Sullivan on 01946 812777.

Copeland Rail Users Group (CRUG), which was formed in 2003, wish to see improvements to the quality of the rail service, its' infrastructure and the way it is perceived. The members of CRUG have an interest in the rail service from Carlisle to Barrow and more specifically from Whitehaven to Millom; membership consists of regular users, occasional users and would-be users, all of who have an interest in the Coastal Railway. For further details contact Tony Potts on 01946 694065 

Forum Area

In terms of area covered, Bootle and Seascale is the largest forum in Copeland. It is also the most rural and least densely populated of the forum areas. Some 60% of the forum area falls within the Lake District National Park. There are numerous villages and hamlets in the area, the largest of which is Seascale.

The population of the forum area is approximately 5,800 and this is gradually declining as fewer people work in agriculture and numbers employed at BNFL Sellafield are also reduced.

Transport and the decline in rural services are major issues in the area. Bus services are few and far between and it is felt that the coastal rail link south of Whitehaven is under utilised. Many post offices, shops and pubs in the area have closed during recent years. Tourism is important in the area though the western lakes are still perceived to be the `quiet' part of the Lake District.