Dorset Community Foundation

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 our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund grant for nature connection and wellbeing sessions, that include sketching, forest bathing, and mindful photography – sharing stories, laughter and companionship amid the beauty of nature. 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. bournemouth.ac.uk/news/2025-07-2…

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. lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/influencing/re…

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: ⬇️ eventbrite.co.uk/e/supporting-e…

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: dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/swef-ent…

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 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: ⬇️ dorsetaccesswellbeing.co.uk/our_impact_acc…

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: ⬇️ dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/swef-jame…

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: ⬇️ dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/wp-content/upl…

Our friends at @InaraProject, 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/1FAI…

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 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. 👊

We recently celebrated a year of our Ethnically Diverse Communities project with our partners Community Action Network, Dorset Race Equality Council and BCP Council. It is using National Lottery Community Fund funding to help ethnically diverse groups beome more resilient.

Wild and Free Therapy are using a grant from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund to run a WaterWavesWellbeing group for adult carers. They try yoga, surfing and other sea activities – using the natural world to restore calm and peacefulness. Local giving in action. 👊

This thought-provoking film, Hidden Hunger, from the BCP Access to Food Partnership and Christchurch Community Partnership, with support from Bournemouth University, reveals the barriers to people, especialy older people, seeking help. It's riveting. youtu.be/XT-DHWop8Vg?si…