NEW RETURN CLIENT – CUMBRIA SEED BANK

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NEW RETURN CLIENT – CUMBRIA SEED BANK

The Evaluator is delighted to be working with a return client; Cumbria Wildlife Trust on their new project, Cumbria Seed Bank.

“We’re pleased to announce a new two-year project to boost the declining number of grassland wildflowers and plants in Cumbria. Thanks to £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’ll re-introduce or bolster 14 rare plant species at selected locations in South Lakeland and are looking for volunteers to get involved.

Thanks to National Lottery players, over the coming two years up to 40,000 plants will be grown from seed at our plant nursery near Carlisle. The rare seeds are already being collected (with permission) and carefully stored at the Seed Store at Gosling Sike. Over coming months, we’ll work with volunteers to plant the seeds in our wildflower nursery. Later on, volunteers will plant the plug plants in suitable locations that have been selected in south Cumbria.

A group of 24 farmers and other landowners have already signed up to grow the endangered species on their land. We’ll support them into the future, so that the landowners can provide the best conditions for these plants to prosper and establish strongholds.”

The Evaluator is delighted to be evaluating this project – supporting the team to make sure that their project is impactful, delivers the outcomes they want and ensures that it follows all the National Lottery Heritage Fund evaluation good practice guidance.

New Client: Beacon Dementia

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Beacon of Hope – A Community-Led Response to Dementia

Beacon is a heartfelt, grassroots initiative that began with two women, Rachel and Jane, spotting a gap in their local community for people living with dementia and their carers. What started as a small craft group in a fire station has grown into something far more ambitious – a supportive, welcoming space centred around “The Shed,” where people can meet, connect and thrive. Over the past eight years, Beacon has become a true anchor in Rossendale – somewhere that holds people across the whole dementia journey, from diagnosis to bereavement and beyond.

Now, with fresh funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, the team is ready to build on all they’ve learned. The plan? To grow Beacon into a network of three hubs across the valley, expanding their reach and deepening their support for carers and families. They’re also bringing on paid staff for the first time to ease the load on their (very dedicated!) volunteer trustees – and the energy and ambition are clear.

At The Evaluator, we’re proud to be part of this next chapter. Our evaluation will help Beacon track the difference they make – not just in numbers, but in people’s lives. We’ll be looking at how the service supports wellbeing, strengthens resilience, reduces isolation, and holds whole families through incredibly tough times. We’ll also help them capture the ripple effects – from carer relief to community connection – and gather real, honest feedback that helps them keep improving. Because Beacon isn’t just a service – it’s a lifeline. And we want to help them shine even brighter.

View more about the project here: https://www.beaconrossendale.org.uk/

If you have questions or want to explore how The Evaluator can help your organisation drive impact, feel free to get in touch! Email us now on info@theevaluator.co.uk or call 01756 532 538.

Meet the Team – Rebecca

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Meet Rebecca – Our Numbers Whizz with a Heart of Gold

We’re thrilled to introduce one of the quieter powerhouses behind the scenes at The Evaluator – Rebecca Throup, our Data and Finance Project Officer. If you’ve ever wondered how all those facts and figures come together so seamlessly in our reports, the chances are, Rebecca had a big hand in it.

With over 20 years of experience in finance roles – from credit control to legal cashiering – Rebecca has spent her career deep in the detail. She’s worked across industries, systems and spreadsheets (Sage, Great Plains, Evolution… you name it!), always delivering with accuracy, insight, and a strong dash of calm. Whether it’s account reconciliation, payroll compliance, or whipping a messy data set into shape, Rebecca brings precision, professionalism and a love of making sense out of chaos.

But what really makes Rebecca stand out is her blend of head and heart. She’s not only brilliant with numbers – she also genuinely cares about people. As a former Samaritans listening volunteer, she brings empathy and thoughtfulness into everything she does. That compassion is felt across the team and in the projects she supports – whether she’s solving a tricky finance issue or helping turn evaluation data into clear, meaningful stories.

Problem-solving? She’s on it. Training others? Absolutely. And if there’s a better, more efficient way to do something – Rebecca’s already got it mapped out in Excel. We feel very lucky to have her on the team, quietly making everything run smoother, smarter, and more human-like.