Making our own luck — our MP joins the Ingroup

There was a real buzz in the room at the Ingroup this Friday. Nineteen of us gathered for our usual 8am start in Kendal, and we were joined by our local MP, Tim Farron — not simply to speak at us, but to hear first-hand what businesses across Kendal and South Lakeland are dealing with right now.

Tim opened by saying how much he takes away from these visits. What strikes him every time, he told us, is how a room full of apparently unconnected businesses turns out to be thoroughly interconnected — and that whatever is happening nationally, people here get on with making their own luck, both individually and by pulling together. It’s a fair description of what this group is for.

He then took us through the issues occupying most of his time at the moment.

Junction 38 and the Tebay bridges. Eight bridges at the end of their working life need replacing, and the original proposal would have closed Junction 38 in both directions for up to four years. That’s a long way from Kendal on a map, but the knock-on effect here — and on places like Kirkby Stephen, which would have been left with barely any through traffic — would have been severe. After sustained campaigning, National Highways have agreed to go back to the drawing board and look again at options that keep the junction open. Tim was clear that nothing is guaranteed yet, and he met National Highways and the team at Tebay again only the day before.

Radiotherapy for Kendal. A campaign that’s been running for the best part of 17 years is live again. At present, anyone in South Cumbria needing radiotherapy travels to Preston — potentially 25 times across four or five weeks — which is exhausting and puts some people off treatment altogether. The aim is a satellite unit here in Kendal, following the model that links Carlisle to Newcastle, and there are now people within the trust who want to make it happen.

Council finances, housing and workforce. Tim was candid about the scale of the funding challenge facing the local authority and the difficult decisions that follow. He also drew a straight line between our housing shortage and the recruitment problems so many local employers describe: with the great majority of the working-age population in the Lake District already working in hospitality and tourism, there simply isn’t a reservoir of extra staff unless we can house people.

A new mayor for Cumbria. He flagged next May’s mayoral election as a genuine change in how the county is run, and one worth paying attention to.

The Q&A afterwards was every bit as lively — frank views from around the table on public sector spending, parliamentary reform, flooding and drainage responsibilities, and one member’s ongoing battle with a badly blocked beck. Tim took a note and offered to help. That’s rather the point of a morning like this.

Our thanks to Tim for giving us his time, and to Steve, who did us proud capturing the occasion — the pictures really do reflect the energy in the room.

And the business? Nineteen members present, eight referrals passed, and over £35,000 of business reported from previous referrals. Not a bad hour’s work before nine o’clock.

The Ingroup meets every Friday, 8–9am, in Kendal.