Community groups and charitable organisations across Cumbria will benefit from a legacy gift of more than £1 million from a much-loved Carlisle charity leader.
Rachael Rodway, who died in April 2022, was the founder and chair of trustees of Carlisle Foodbank, as well as being trustee of several other charities and a well-respected solicitor. She left a gift of more than £1 million in her will to Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF), the county's leading grant making charity.
The money will boost the Cumbria Fund, Cumbria Community Foundation's main fund for targeting need across the county, from poverty and poor health, to inequality, community cohesion and climate change.
Caroline Adams, Development Manager for Cumbria Community Foundation, said: "We were absolutely stunned and delighted to learn that Rachael Rodway had left this incredible gift in her will to Cumbria Community Foundation.
"As the driving force behind Carlisle Foodbank, Rachael understood the Cumbrian charity sector better than anyone. Therefore, we're particularly pleased that she entrusted her money to us to make a difference in Cumbrian communities where it is most needed.
"The Cumbria Fund is our most flexible and powerful fund that we can direct to address the priority issues in our county."
Carlisle Foodbank benefitted from a Cumbria Fund grant to expand its operations back in 2016, and more recently received further CCF funding towards salary costs for a part-time staff member to help run a new onsite community shop, café, and social hub.
The café opened last year and was named 'Racheal's' in honour of its founder.
Steph Humes, Operations Director at Carlisle Foodbank, said: "We came up with lots of different suggestions for the name and then one of the volunteers said 'why don't we call the place Rachael's?' and everyone agreed it would be a lovely way to remember her. People who come in the café ask who Rachael was and we tell them all about her."
"She did a lot of work behind the scenes for this place. She was in here right up until the end, very much playing down her illness. She was just incredible, not just for this place but for the whole community."
On Rachael's decision to leave a gift in her will to Cumbria Community Foundation, Steph said: "It's amazing. I'm not surprised at all that she would do something like that. She was a very giving and generous person behind the scenes. She didn't like to be recognised for the work she did. She just did it and did it well."
The executors of Rachael's will said: "Rachael's charitable work was done efficiently without any sense of her own importance. She was very conscious of her own good fortune and was determined to use her time to improve the lot of others. In addition, she had a robust sense of humour and a keen eye for beautiful things."
As demand for support continues to grow, CCF is encouraging more people, businesses and organisations to get involved by donating, establishing a fund or leaving a gift in their will to help make a lasting difference to communities across the county.
Development Manager Caroline Adams explained: "You don't need to give a million pounds to make a difference. That's the power of the community foundation – however much you can afford to give will be put to best use tackling the most vital issues in our communities."
To find out more about supporting those in need in Cumbria, contact Caroline on 01900 820825 or email caroline@cumbriafoundation.org.
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