Barrow Rising

14/08/2026

This week members of Team Barrow, colleagues from the local Program Management Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) stepped away from their desks and spent the day volunteering at Barrow Foodbank, supporting the team in the warehouse and learning more about the incredible work they do for local people.

The experience was hugely rewarding. As a team, we donated over 40 meals' worth of food and contributed 5 hours of volunteering, but we came away with far more than that. It was an opportunity to meet people, hear about the challenges facing the community, and see first-hand the dedication of the volunteers who make such an important difference every day.

Many members of Team Barrow have deep roots in the town and yesterday was a chance to give something back to a community that has shaped their lives. Whether they were born and raised in Barrow, have family here, or have made the town their home, there is a genuine pride in being able to support local organisations that make such a difference to people's lives. We are passionate about being part of the community we serve, listening to local people and supporting the organisations that help Barrow thrive.

This is just one example of how we're working to build stronger relationships across the town. We're also exploring ways to help facilitate wider connections with voluntary and community organisations, encouraging collaboration and helping to bring together people who share a commitment to Barrow's future.

A huge thank you to everyone at Barrow Foodbank for the warm welcome, the hard work you do day in, day out, and for giving us the opportunity to get involved. We thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to future volunteering opportunities in the town.

12/08/2026

Team Barrow announces £22.9m investment in the next phase of the Heart of Barrow programme

We're investing almost £23m to bring exciting new opportunities to Barrow town centre. Working alongside Westmorland and Furness Council more than half of this funding will be dedicated to delivering an exciting programme of arts, culture and entertainment.

Plans for the first phase include:

A large pop-up event space for performances and events
A new market village for existing and independent traders
Improvements to public spaces around the town hall
Enhancements to the town hall for cultural and community use
A town centre lighting and arts programme
These projects will create vibrant new spaces and activities while longer-term plans for a transformed town centre continue to be developed.

Importantly, demolition of the Forum and Market Hall will not begin before the masterplan and vision is complete - and then shared with the community for feedback.

A public engagement event will take place in October, giving residents, businesses and community groups the chance to learn more, ask questions and share their views. Further details will be announced soon.

Read more: https://www.barrowrising.uk/2026/08/team-barrow-announce-initial-22-9m-investment-in-first-phase-of-town-centre-transformation/

01/08/2026

30/07/2026

Fantastic to see the Prime Minister, together with his Defence Secretary, visit Barrow today in only his second week in office, underlining the strategic importance of our town and its people to national and international security.

The announcement of a £5.9bn contract for BAE Systems is great news for the shipyard, its employees and all those who support the delivery of these hugely complex submarine programmes.

It also underlines the importance of Team Barrow and our 10-year plan to transform the town into a thriving and prosperous place where people choose to live and work.

We've been awarded a new £5.9bn contract to progress the Dreadnought Class submarines.

These four submarines will replace the Vanguard fleet and maintain the UK's Continuous At Sea Deterrent, an unbroken nuclear deterrence capability that has helped protect national security for more than 50 years. The Dreadnought Class will carry that responsibility forward for decades to come.

Built at our shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, this is one of the most important programmes underway in UK defence today. It's a national effort, supporting around 30,000 jobs across the country.

🔗 http://baes.co/Vx8950Zuyw9

27/07/2026

A chance to have your say on the future of Cumbria 👇

16/07/2026

Today is the day!

Employers of all sizes are welcome to join us this afternoon in Barrow Town Hall for a work and health employer engagement event.

Discover how your organisation can better support employees with physical, mental, and long-term health conditions — and learn about support available for people struggling to access work due to health challenges.

Featuring:
• Interactive workshops from Thrive at Work | WorkWell | BEATS | Furness Sleep Helpline | IPS

• A marketplace of local organisations offering support services for employers, employees, and those seeking to access or return to work

At this event, you will:
• Explore innovative local projects tackling health-related barriers to employment
• Learn about support services for employees and people struggling to access work
• Gain practical ideas for inclusive and flexible workplaces
• Connect with local partners, providers, and stakeholders
• Improve staff wellbeing, retention, and productivity
• Share your insights to help shape future initiatives

The event is FREE, and open to any organisation which employs people.

There is no need to register, and as its a drop in event you can arrive any time between 1430 and 1830 and stay for as long as you like.

See you there?

14/07/2026

Congratulations to the University of Cumbria on becoming a founding member of the Defence Universities Alliance.

The university’s Barrow campus has a vital role to play in developing the skills needed to support delivery of Team Barrow’s 10-year plan, strengthening both our local economy and the UK’s defence sector.

NEWS: University of Cumbria becomes a founding member of the Defence Universities Alliance.
The University of Cumbria has secured a place at the forefront of a major new national defence partnership as a founding member of the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA).
Joining a national network of 35 UK world class universities, the alliance works in partnership with government, industry and the Armed Forces to strengthen the UK's defence and national security capabilities.

Professor Julie Mennell DL, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cumbria, said: “Membership of the Defence Universities Alliance is an important milestone in the University of Cumbria's purposeful journey to align our education, research and skills provision with the sectors that are critical to Cumbria and increasingly important to the UK's national security and resilience."

To read the full story: https://brnw.ch/21x45TV

Ministry of Defence

13/07/2026

Team Barrow has released an update regarding the Heart of Barrow, which is the programme to transform the town centre.

In the statement, it refers to ‘a shared ambition to build a new theatre’ and ‘first needing to ensure the whole programme is financially viable’.

You can read it here:

A joint statement from Team Barrow