Kitchen facilities for village halls, befriending schemes for people with disabilities, funding for a website and an app for a mobile village shop – just three examples of the 264 projects the Fund supported since 2011.

The funding was distributed with the help of the Dorset Community Foundation – a local charity raising funds for those most in need. The Foundation’s grant making expertise and voluntary sector knowledge helped the council support worthwhile projects reflecting community needs. To celebrate the end of the programme (which saw over £1.2 million of funding support distributed to local good causes) the Foundation collated feedback from some of the supported groups to showcase their learning and ‘steps to success’.

‘Your grant has enabled us to feel positive about the future!’ commented representatives from Shaftesbury and District Carers Association. Their Hope 2 Cycle project which helps people with mental health issues learn new skills in a supportive environment received funding from Dorset County Council just as their five year grant from Big Lottery was coming to an end.

‘It was hard to raise the funding, but so worthwhile when we see the feedback from the young people we work with’, explained volunteers from Not Just Sundaes. The community café based near Wareham helps boost self-esteem in young people and their tip for groups is to search for funding from smaller community pots such as festivals and other local events.

The committee of the Christchurch based group Water Lily Project which helps victims of domestic abuse advised groups to value their volunteers. Trustees of the completely volunteer-led project are continuously looking for ways to show their appreciation to people who donate their time and expertise to keep the project going.

Click here to read about feedback and ‘steps to success’.