VOLUNTARY groups and charities across Dorset will share grants worth £70,000 to improve the lives of people in their communities thanks to a continuing partnership between Dorset Community Foundation and Wessex Water.
The Wessex Water Community Fund is supported by the YTL Wessex Foundation, which is part of the water and sewage company’s mission to fund projects that build stronger communities. Since 2020 it has provided grants of at least £500,000 a year to projects across the Wessex Water region.
Among the 21 grant recipients is the Gambian Association of Dorset, which will use a £3,000 grant on community activities, including family networking events, children’s activities and sports and recreation spotlights, storytelling sessions and information sessions.
Baye Sow, of the organisation, said the group, which supports 750 people from Gambian and Senegalese communities living in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, polled members vis its WhatsApp group on what activities they want.
“Parents often highlight that their children are growing up without enough exposure to our Gambian traditions, stories and music,” he said. “They want their children to feel pride in their identity and to connect with their heritage in a way that is fun and interactive. Young people have also asked for more safe spaces to meet others from similar backgrounds and build confidence.
“With this funding we hope to achieve stronger, more confident and better-connected individuals and families within the Gambian and wider African community. The African storytelling sessions will ensure children grow up with pride in their heritage, while the monthly information sharing sessions will empower adults to access services confidently.”
With this funding we hope to achieve stronger, more confident and better-connected individuals and families within the Gambian and wider African community
Home-Start Blackmore Vale received £3,364 to help recruit and train volunteers to support young families. Funding co-ordinator Jen Pickard said referrals to the group have risen by 30 per cent in the last three years and 12 per cent in the last 12 months.
“This grant will support our early intervention, core, home-visiting service for families in Blandford Forum,” she said. “We aim to recruit ten new volunteer who could support up to an extra 30 families in a 12 month period. Our trained volunteers visit or contact families on a weekly basis, offering both practical and emotional support, as well as befriending. They help strengthen family relationships.”
Island Community Action received £3,441 to fund its Community Connectors, who help people who are lonely and isolated find services and activities to engage them. “The project supports some of the island’s most vulnerable residents, including, but not limited to, older residents, those impacted by poor health and wellbeing and bereavement, those who’ve recently relocated to the island without support networks, and those experiencing hardship,” said CEO Kim Wilcocks.
“This work empowers individuals to live well and independently for longer, building resilience and problem-solving abilities, boosting confidence and skills, improving life chances, and encouraging volunteering.”
Refresh — The Church of Weymouth and Portland in Action was awarded £3,200 for its Baby Matters Baby Bank to help pay for electricity and wi-fi. Team leader Elaine Bateson-Brown said the volunteer-run group runs from a warehouse on the Granby Industrial estate in Weymouth distributing clothes, toys, and essential equipment for babies and toddlers to families in Weymouth and Portland.
She said the group now has to pay the costs of running its base. “It is not easy to get funding for core costs,” she said. “Without it, we would have to close this vital service.”
Nourish Foodbank in Blandford is using a £3,000 grant to buy essential supplies for the winter. “With this funding we will be able to purchase additional food which will be used to help those in food poverty,” said Manager Sophie Burditt. “Our aim is to provide food for those who are struggling financially, supporting local people and their families.”
Our aim is to provide food for those who are struggling financially, supporting local people and their families
The St Peter’s Church Development Project in Bournemouth will use a £3,000 to strengthen its community café. “The grant will enable us to purchase essential café equipment, including refrigeration and a coffee dispenser, to improve service and expand our capacity to provide affordable meals and drinks,” said Vice-Chair Jane MacDonald -Styslinger. “Funding for basic food essentials will allow us to continue offering hot, nutritious meals at low or no cost to those experiencing loneliness, financial hardship, or social isolation.”
Wessex Water head of community engagement Kirsty Scarlett said: “We are pleased to be able to work with Dorset Community Foundation and its local panel to fund projects that have so much impact for local communities who need it most.
“Through our Community Fund, we know we can support a wide range of customers through many smaller organisations that work across the communities we serve.”
Dorset Community Foundation Chief Executive Grant Robson said: “We are very thankful to Wessex Water for continuing to support communities in Dorset through this fund. Once again we’ve been able to make grants to some fantastic groups whose work really is making peoples’ lives better.”
Find out more about the work of Dorset Community Foundation at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org.
Pictured: The Gambian Association of Dorset will use a £3,000 grant from Dorset Community Foundation’s Wessex Water Community Fund on community activities, including family networking events
Pictured: Island Community Action received £3,441 to fund its Community Connectors, who help bring people together
Pictured: Nourish Foodbank in Blandford is using a £3,000 grant to buy essential supplies for the winter
