MILLIONS of pounds of community funding from Sellafield Ltd will be spent according to the wishes of Cumbrian residents.

A radical new 'crowd sourcing' scheme is being adopted by the company that will give local good causes the chance to submit bids for assistance, which are then voted on by the public.

Sellafield Ltd is overhauling the way it manages its community investment budget following its move into public ownership under the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

Helen Fisher, head of socioeconomics at Sellafield Ltd, said: “The nuclear industry has a tremendous track record of supporting the Cumbrian community.

“Sellafield Ltd’s transition into NDA ownership offers an opportunity to improve this even further.

“We can now take full control of our socioeconomic budget, allowing us to ensure the money we spend is better targeted and delivers long-term, sustainable outcomes for Cumbria.

“The crowd sourcing element – which relates to the money generated as a result of excellent site performance – is a way of bringing the community into the decision making process. It’s a model similar to the very successful Kickstarter format.

“It means that Cumbrians are generating the money - by doing their jobs well at Sellafield - and then taking ownership of where that money is spent, helping to make us a self-sufficient community.

“Through this model we will be raising awareness of areas of need locally and asking the community to help provide the solution.

“Socioeconomics is not just about assigning cheques – it’s about helping the community develop an economy that is diversified and able to stand on its own feet.

"Sellafield and its supply chain are part of the solution, but what’s really important is that the community takes its destiny into its own hands.”