MORE than 20 voluntary groups and charities across Dorset have been awarded a total of £70,000 to improve the lives of people in their communities thanks to the continuing partnership between Dorset Community Foundation and Wessex Water.
The Wessex Water Community Fund is supported by the Wessex Water 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 Poole Waste Not Want Not’s social supermarket, which will use a £3,900 grant to buy stock for its shelves and cooking demonstrations and for training its volunteers in money management, employability skills and basic food hygiene.
Director Erika Sloper said the training will help volunteers use their own experiences to benefit people who come to the supermarket and its café. “Our volunteers who have lived experience offer one-to-one budgeting advice, money management sessions and cooking demonstrations to teach cost-effective meal preparation and smart shopping habits,” she said. “These initiatives aim to build resilience and reduce reliance on crisis handouts.
“This grant will help us expand these vital services, ensuring that those in need receive the support, skills, and guidance to improve their lives and achieve financial independence.”
High Mead Farm in Ferndown received £3,500 to expand and cover an outdoor wood workshop where volunteers, known as co-farmers, break down donated wood and old pallets into kindling that is sold in its shop to raise funds.
The co-farmers take part in the day to day running of the farm to help them with a range of issues, including learning difficulties, substance abuse, physical disabilities, dementia, anxiety and other mental health concerns.
Director Mark Gregory said the grant will mean the farm can host more co-farmers. “Getting this grant is brilliant, for years we’ve wanted to build this extension and cover it over so we can work in all weathers,” he said.
“We are at capacity and have to turn away people who want to get involved but the new extension will double our floor space, enabling many more to benefit from this great activity.”
We are at capacity and have to turn away people who want to get involved but the new extension will double our floor space, enabling many more to benefit from this great activity
Creative Kids in Boscombe has been awarded £3,900 to run weekly ukelele lessons for youngsters and their parents. Founder Cary Lightfoot said the group ran a popular pilot last year and that the experience of parents and grandparents supporting each other had been beneficial to both.
“With children spending too much time on a screen and parents being busy, this is really good for mental health and wellbeing,” she said. “When you spend time with your child and you learn an instrument with them it is really positive.
“We’ve got children from Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Afghanistan and many other places and a lot of these communities tend to be quite isolated so bringing them together in an environment where there is music and it’s really relaxed, is a quality, feelgood experience.”
Gillingham Youth Club will be able to continue its three weekly session for more than 40 young people thanks to a £4,000 grant. The grant will help cover building hire costs, staffing and materials for activities including cookery sessions and art projects.
Lead youth worker Shelley Finch said as well as giving young people somewhere to go during the week, it teaches them life skills such as cooking and budgeting and provides them with opportunities to learn leadership through the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
“By maintaining our three weekly sessions, we will reduce social isolation, which is a significant issue in our rural area, and provide a crucial outlet for young people to engage with peers in a healthy, structured setting,” she said.
Wessex Water head of community engagement Kirsty Scarlett said: “We are pleased to be able to work with Dorset Community Foundation and their local panel to fund projects that have so much impact for local communities who need it most.
“Through our community fund, we’re delighted to be able to continue to support the communities we serve and that reflect the fantastic diversity of our region.”
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 more we’ve seen grants going out to some fantastic groups who are doing amazing work that really is making peoples’ lives better.”
Full list of groups supported: Age Concern North Dorset, ASCape, Bournemouth Foodbank, Bridport and District Citizens Advice, Bridport Health and Wellbeing Champions, Creative Kids, Dorchester Youth and Community Centre, Gillingham Youth Club, Harlequin Care, HealthBus Trust, Helping Older People New Forest, High Mead Farm, Mount Scar Cygnets Playgroup, Open House, People First Dorset, Poole Communities Trust, Poole Waste Not Want Not, Powerstock Village Hall (aka “Powerstock Hut”), Shaftesbury Refugee Group, Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust (Swanage Action for Refugees), The Burrough Harmony Centre and The Bus Shelter Dorset.
Pictured left: A co-farmer working in the outdoor woodworking area at High Mead Farm in Ferndown. A £3,500 Wessex Water Community Fund grant will help expand and cover the area so more people can use it all year round
Pictured centre: A youngster gets ready to taste the outcome of a cookery demonstration at Poole Waste Not Want Not. A £3,900 Wessex Water Community Fund grant will cover the cost of more stock and volunteer training
Pictured right: Youngsters and parents learning ukelele at Creative Kids in Boscombe. A £,900 grant will pay for three months of sessions
Index image: Young leaders at Gillingham Youth Club, which will be able to continue its three weekly session for more than 40 young people thanks to a £4,000 Wessex Water Community Fund grant
