Dorset Community Foundation

10 years a bishop - celebrating a decade of the Bishop of Sherborne in Dorset The Rt Revd Karen Gorham, first female Bishop of Sherborne, celebrates 10 years of service with a special Holy Communion at Sherborne Abbey, Dorset.

Congratulations to our Patron the Rt Rev Karen Gorham on her tenth anniversary as the Bishop of Sherborne. We are privileged to have her in our corner.
www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/2589047...

Dorset Council says rough sleeping in its area has dropped to its lowest level since 2022. It reports 14 people were recorded sleeping rough in 2025 – down from 15 the previous year, compared to an 11% rise across the South West and a 3% UK rise.

When young jeweller Becky Walker's business reached a plateau, a £1,000 grant from our SWEF Enterprise Fund helped her buy tools and training to help it expand. We could do the same for other young people facing disadvantage.
Find out more: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/swef-e...

Congratulations to Home-Start Wessex for winning the Best Place To Work and Community awards at the Dorchester Business Awards. A fitting reward for 30 years' work in #Dorchester.

Our Surviving Winter campaign works with Citizens Advice to award £200 energy grants to older people and those with disabilities living in fuel poverty. Help us and you might just save a life.
Support our appeal here: ⬇️
dorsetcommunityfoundation.enthuse.com/donate#!/

West Howe Community Enterprises is using a grant from our BCP Food & Energy Support Fund to run After School Spoon, a brilliant family cooking club that gets young people cooking and sharing the meal with family. This week's mac and cheese, garlic bread and pancakes look tasty.

Leon and Doreen Samuels bequethed money from their estate to set up The Samuels Fund with us after they died. To this day, it is funding grants to tackle poverty and disadvantage in the county they loved. Read more about making a gift in your will. ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/giving/legac...

SWEF enterprise grant helps young tree surgeon branch out - Dorset Community Foundation A SWEF Enterprise Fund grant from Dorset Community Foundation helped 22-year-old tree surgeon Toby Gale gain key qualifications and equipment to grow his business.

When young tree surgeon Toby Gale needed extra investment to branch out in his business, our £2,000 SWEF Enterprise Fund grant paid for the new equipment that allowed him to expand his client base and income. Can we do the same for you?
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/swef-gr...

We've published the latest impact report from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund, in partnership with NHS Dorset and Community Action Network. It details how we've awarded £264,924 to 23 groups in the Summer 2024 funding round. Read it: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/impactreports/

❄️Temperatures are set to plummet this weekend and for the following days. Will you be turning your heating up? Thousands of older and disabled people living in fuel poverty don't have that luxury. Help them by supporting our Surviving Winter appeal. ⬇️
dorsetcommunityfoundation.enthuse.com/donate#!/

IVAR, the Institute For Voluntary Action Research, is asking voluntary sector workers to share their funding experiences and will share results with 170+ funders. It will award 3 £100 donations to random entrants. Take the 10 min survey here by March 4.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/FundingExp...

Our BCP Food & Energy Support fund is helping The Power House in Poole provide not just a warm space but upcycling activities to give the people who meet there the chance to learn new skils, make friends and share some fun. It's providing help with dignity and we love it.

The Parks Foundation in Bournemouth has been using funding from our BCP Food & Energy Support Fund to run pay what you can Sunday lunches in Redhill Park and Winton Park Cafés to bring people together.
It has two more Sundays to run, this one coming and on the 22nd.

It's still cold and damp out there. How would you feel if you couldn't afford to heat your home? Our Surviving Winter appeal provides £200 energy grants to help older people and those with disabilities to stay warm.
Donate here: ⬇️
dorsetcommunityfoundation.enthuse.com/donate#!/

Our BCP Food & Energy Support Fund helped West Howe Community Enterprises run Gather & Graze, a community cooking session teaching people to make wholesom food. Here's their fantastic-looking mac & cheese with garlic bread. A delicious slice of local giving in action. 🥣

Seed2Plate's Warm & Well Workshops in January, which included a free slow cooker and were funded by our @BCPCouncil Food & Energy Support Fund, were so succesful they're running another one in Somerford on Monday. Places are limited, see details below.

Dorset Council's Organisational Support Revenue Fund offers grants of up to £10,000 to groups and charities addressing the needs of disadvantaged, under served and marginalised communities in the Dorset Council area. It's open until March 12.
Details here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/organisati...

Our Ethnically Diverse Communities project partner Community Action Network is organising an EDC networking event on Thursday at 6pm. It's a great chance to hear about the project and connect with other groups in the community. Contact: mayu.rouco-santos@can100.org for details.

Our Surviving Winter appeal gives £200 energy grants to older people and those with disabilities living in fuel poverty. Having a warm home helps prevent potentialy fatal illnes such as respiratory disease. Help us and you could save a life.
dorsetcommunityfoundation.enthuse.com/donate#!/

We enjoyed our visit to boxing and sports club Launch Pad Dorset in #Dorchester to hear about their Life In Balance sessions for people with Parkinson's, and other conditions and also with young people. Thanks to David Baird and Kate Parkman for hosting and giving us an insight into your work.

We love visiting the groups we fund to understand their challenges and chat about how they've used the funding, so we can report back to our donors. We had a great time with #Dorchester Arts at the Corn Exchange, hearing about its Parkinson's Dance group and other activities.

We took Dorset's Lord Lieutenant Michael Dooley and our ambassador Victoria McDonaugh DL out on our visit to Transition Town #Dorchester's wonderful community farm in Poundbury.
Thaks to community co-ordinator Michelle Markham and Kate Forrester for hosting us.

Our Chief Executive Grant Robson has stepped down from his role after almost ten years. He leaves with our grateful thanks and best wishes for the future.
Read more here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/chief-e...

It's damp and cold out there today.
How would you feel if you were too scared to put the heating for fear of being unable to pay the bill? Our Surviving Winter appeal gives older people in fuel poverty a £200 energy grant.
Help us here: ⬇️
dorsetcommunityfoundation.enthuse.com/donate#!/

Do you know someone aged 18-30 self employed or with their own new business who needs a boost to get to the next level? Our SWEF Enterprise Fund grants can award up to £2,000 (or £500 for start-ups). More details and how to apply here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/swef-e...

Our Chairman, Tom Flood CBE, and Alix Rusling, Project Manager and co-foundern of The Power House, Poole, will be on BBC Radio Solent at 11.35 today talking to Katie Martin about our work and its impact for small charities in #Dorset.

Dorset art prize opens with Poole Museum as host AN ANNUAL art prize is open to inspire, champion and celebrate creative talent across the county.

We're delighted to be a sponsor of the #Dorset Art Prize in partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College for the 12th year. The competition, open to 16-18s and 18+, is an encouragement to creativity and innovation and, we're honoured to be a part of it.
www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/2576588...

Researchers at the University of Bournemouth have teamed up with a drugs charity to start an alcohol abuse rehabilitation scheme focussing on healthy food. The project looks at the science behind… How a healthy diet is helping patients recover from alcohol abuse

Here's a heartwarming film to start your day featuring The Friendly Food Club using a @BCPCouncil Food & Energy Support Fund grant to help people recover from alcohol abuse. Take a look: 👇

🚨 CLOSING SOON: Applications for our Neighbourhood Fund close on Friday.
Our fund offers grants of up to £5k for projects addressing a broad range of social issues, problems, poverty and disadvantage.
More details and eligibility here: ⬇️
www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/neighb...

The good people at The Power House - Poole are using one of our BCP Council Food and Energy Support Fund grants to run a warm space hub for people.
But they are also filling it with some great activities to make it a really valuable and enjoyable experience – like this furniture upcycling session.