Dorset Community Foundation

In partnership with Wimborne engineering company Superior, our Superior STEM Bursary Fund fund is supporting disadvantaged young people aged 16-25 on STEM courses with bursaries of up to £1,500.
Find out more and how to apply here:
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/superi...

Our DCF Bursary Scheme, which is now open for applications, offers grants of up to £1,000 to students with household incomes under £35k who are studying vocational college or sixth form courses. Details below or read more here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/dcf-bu...

Equadem Quarterly Network Event Bournemouth Join us for our free quarterly Equadem event to discuss solutions to dementia inequalities, this time in Bournemouth!

The EquaDem Network is organising an afternoon of updates and discussion on addressing inequalities in dementia diagnosis and care at Bournmouth University on Sept 3. It is aimed at anyone with an interest in dementia. ⬇️
Tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/equadem-qu...

Jewellery business with 'niche skill' boosted by grant Dorset jeweller Becky Walker expands business with £1,000 SWEF Enterprise Fund grant, boosting skills and confidence for young UK entrepreneurs.

Thanks Bournemouth Echo for writing about our SWEF Enterprise Fund grant recipient Becky Walker, whose jewellery business was boosted with our support. ⬇️
www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/2536228...

It's great to see Island Community Action's Sculpture By The Lake trip, part-funded by our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund in association with NHS Dorset, Community Action Network and Access Wellbeing is completely sold out. We hope everyone has a wonderful day.

A grant from our Dorset Performing Arts Fund is supporting an exciting immersive community performance in #Weymouth. Teatro Vivo's Orpheus and The Underworld mixes music & performance at The Nothe Tavern Weymouth and Nothe Fort. Tickets here: ⬇️
www.teatrovivo.co.uk/Event/orpheus

When young jeweller Becky Walker from #Swanage needed new equipment to grow her business, our £1,000 SWEF Enterprise Fund grant gave her the investment – and the confidence she needed. Read her story here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/swef-en...

CoCreate Dorset is using a grant from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund to run creative courses to support #mentalhealth recovery. Its most recent work was a play about Hope. Its new term starts in October, more details here: ⬇️
cocreate.org.uk/create-conne...

Dance class launched to help older adults stay active In partnership with Pavilion Dance South West, Dorset charity Artsreach is excited to launch a brand-new twelve-week dance class for the over 60’s…

It's great to see the dance classes for older people run by Artsreach and Pavilion Dance South West that we've helped to fund getting a mention in the Bournemouth Echo.

Hidden Dorset Impact Report: Dorset Community Foundation Hidden Dorset has been commissioned by Dorset Community Foundation to highlight need in the county and inspire action. It includes up-to-date statistics and real-life experiences of charities and volu...

More than 20 #Dorset voluntary groups and charities have given us first hand accounts of their hopes and challenges as part of our Hidden Dorset needs analysis report. Read their stories here: ⬇️
hidden.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org

The impact report for the first round of our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund Two Year grants is out.
You can read how the fund, run in conjunction with Community Action Network, Access Wellbeing and NHS Dorset, has reduced pressure on NHS services here: ⬇️
tinyurl.com/y9rc6tte

Congratulations to our Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young & Talented grantee Alex Jones of Bere Regis on becoming WASZP world champion after a week of sailing in Weymouth. Our grant helped him buy the sail that allowed him to compete.

Seed2Plate are using a grant from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund for nature connection and wellbeing sessions, that include sketching, forest bathing, and mindful photography – sharing stories, laughter and companionship amid the beauty of nature.
That's local giving in action.

Hidden Dorset is our online report using statistics and first-hand accounts to uncover the true picture of the challenges faced by people in the county and the work of the voluntary sector to meet those challenges.
You can read it here: ⬇️
hidden.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org

Congratulations to our former trustee Sir Martin Davidson, who has been appointed as the new chair of the board at Bournemouth University. We're certain he'll bring the same insight and enthusiasm to the role he brought during his time with us.
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/news/2025-07...

Financial resilience and the role of small charities This report, commissioned by Lloyds Banking Group and its four charitable Foundations to mark 40 years of supporting communities across the UK and Channel Islands, seeks to better understand the role ...

A report from Lloyds says 4.3 million UK people relied on charities for financial advice, even though only 5% of the charities they visited had financial aid as their primary focus. It shows how vital charities are to the wellbeing of communities.
www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/influencing/...

Supporting Eating and Drinking Well with Dementia at Home | Public Event We’re delighted to invite you to the official launch of our new resources and successful completion of Project TOMATO (NIHR funded study)

Bournemouth University has published a Eating and Drinking Well with Dementia at Home Guide for carers and are launching it an event on July 24, featuring a talk by Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive, Homecare Association. Free tickets and details: ⬇️
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/supporting...

When #Bridport gardener James Ball's business reached a plateau our SWEF Enterprise Fund grant provided £1,300 to buy the tools and equipment he needed to expand.
If you are aged 18-30, find out how a SWEF grant could help your business:
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/swef-e...

Congratulation to our Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young and Talented grantee Honor Johnson on winning the U18 Dorset Girls' Championship at Ferndown Golf Club.
🏆⛳️

Funding from our Neighbourhood Fund meant The Front Skatepark in #Weymouth could offer 24 young people work experience to sharpen their workplace skills and add some weight to their CVs. Last week it was Ethan and Harvey's turn and it looks like they put quite a shift in. 💪

Access Wellbeing: News We are proud to share our first Access Wellbeing impact report, which highlights the difference our new services have made since we opened the doors to our first hub. Between January 2024 and March...

Access Wellbeing Hubs have marked their first 15 months by sharing an impact report. Their hubs in #boscombe, #poole and #weymouth helped thousands of people find support with mental health, wellbeing, debt, housing or benefits.
Read their report: ⬇️
www.dorsetaccesswellbeing.co.uk/our_impact_a...

Access Wellbeing have marked their first 15 months with an impact report. Their hubs in #Bournemouth, #Poole and #Weymouth helped thousands of people find support with mental health, wellbeing, debt, housing or benefits. Read their report here: ⬇️
www.dorsetaccesswellbeing.co.uk/our_impact_a...

When James Ball of Bridport needed help to grow his gardening business a £1,300 SWEF Enterprise Fund grant paid for game-changing tools and equipment. "The grant changed everything," he said.
Read more: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/swef-ja...

Congratulations to our Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young & Talented grantee Molly Cartwright-Tickle on her bronze in the Welsh Home Internationals Beach Sprint Championships silver in the Jersey Home Internationals Beach Sprint Championships. Fantastic performance 👏👏👏

Our summer newsletter is out. Find out what we've been up to and what we're planning here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/wp-content/u...

Our friends at Inara Project, who we funded through our Thriving Communities Fund, are looking for girls from ethnically diverse backgrounds aged 16-30 who are interested in running coaching sessions this summer. Sign up here: ⬇️
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We've published an impact report from the first round of funding of our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund in partnership with @NHSDorset and @can100org. You can read it here: ⬇️
tinyurl.com/3wwrp8r5

Yesterday our grants panel awarded £18,250 in grants from our Wessex Water Environment Fund to 15 groups delivering projects including Citizens Science, rainwater harvesting, tree and wildflower planting, community composting, and supporting community owned woodlands.

Thanks to our partnership with BCP Council, 38 groups have received a share of almost £280,000 in grants from our BCP Food & Energy Support Fund.
Read about how it has supported food parcels, community meals, cookery workshops and more here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/food-an...

Thanks to our partnership with BCP Council on the BCP Food and Energy Support Fund, groups like The Water Lily Project is able to run its Cooking on a Budget course, teaching people to make the most of their money to produce healthy meals.
That's local giving in action. 👊