Neighbourhood Appeal Fund

Donations to the Neighbourhood Appeal will support the county's growing elderly population.

Neighbourhood Appeal Fund

According to findings from our Hidden Dorset Report over a quarter of Dorset’s residents are over the age of 65 and their numbers are likely to increase in the future. Older people bring a lifetime of skills and experience and make a significant contribution to community life, supporting a great many local charities and social initiatives. Yet whilst many local residents are enjoying their retirement, the growing elderly population also places an increasing demand on already constrained health and welfare services.

Our Neighbourhood Appeal Fund has been established to focus on supporting projects that enable local older people lead more healthy and independent lives.

Generous donations from individuals, trusts and companies, as well as the annual yield from the Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset Communities Funds, enable us to support issues such as: loneliness and social isolation, mental and physical health, supporting carers, community transport schemes, volunteering and engaging with the local community.

Examples of funded projects include (but are not limited to): lunch clubs, befriending schemes, reminiscence or memory box projects, sports and health activities, gardening clubs, music and dance groups, social clubs.

We also support older people through the winter months through our Surviving Winter Appeal.