Innovation Award in memory of Geoff Brown
4th September 2019
ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) is holding a community innovation competition in memory of a past colleague. Geoff Brown worked with ACT for over 25 years, many of those as the Manager of the very successful Fells and Dales LEADER programme. He was also well known for his knowledge about Herdwick Sheep.
Lorrainne Smyth, the current CEO of ACT said “Geoff was a great innovator, he was able to take an idea and find ways to make it work, gain funding for it and support others to deliver the project on the ground. He was a tireless campaigner for the interests of farmers and played a major role in the application for the Herdwick to gain protected designation of origin status and for the Lake District to become a world heritage site. He wrote an important book on the Herdwick breed which was published in 2009, and in 2012 was President of the Herdwick Society. Geoff was passionate about rural communities, developing many projects with ACT over the years that assisted rural communities to be more sustainable. ACT has developed this one off competition in Geoff’s memory, as he passed away earlier this year.”
The competition encourages individuals and groups to enter a project, activity or plans that show how innovation is making a difference to rural Cumbrian’s lives. Lorrainne added “ACT wants to celebrate all the innovate things communities do, the application process askes entrants to detail the difference they are making for the community. The Award will be presented to the community, not an individual, to support additional delivery.”
You can find full details of the competition on the ACT website; www.cumbriaaction.org.uk
The competition closes for entries on 30th September 2019. Those shortlisted will be invited to present at the ACT AGM on the 30th October at Crosby on Eden Parish Hall, where the Award will also be made.