Our Wessex Water Community Fund is open for applications until October 20. It offers grants of up to £4,000 for groups running projects that bring people together and strengthen communities. More details and how to apply ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/wessex...

We care about how we deal with the groups we fund and the donors we work with so we regularly ask for feedback. It helps improve our service and makes applying for grants smoother. These quotes are from our new impact report, which is here: ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/wp-content/u...

Applications are open for grants of up to £4,000 for groups running projects that bring people together to build stronger communities from our @wessexwater Community Fund. More details and how to apply here: ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/wessexw...

The Friendly Food Club and DorPIP are using a grant from our BCP Food & Energy Support Fund to run free three-week eating Well In Pregnancy Courses at the Townsend and Turlin Moor Family Hubs and Somerford ARC next month. Details and booking: ⬇️ www.thefriendlyfoodclub.org/pregnancy

Congratulations to our friends at Home-Start Wessex, who have opened their referral-only forest school as they expand their service in #Weymouth. More details here: ⬇️ dorsetchamber.co.uk/home-start-w...

Congratulations to Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young & Talented grantee Harry Stewart of #Bridport on winning bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the World Paralympic Games in Singapore. His swim in the heat broke the European record. He goes again in the medley relay on Friday. 🥉

Many thanks to the good people at Monkey World near #Wareham for hosting our strategy day yesterday. We had a brilliant day of chat, activities, walking and – not unexpectedly – monkeys.

Our BCP Food and Energy Support Fund awards grants of up to £6,500 to groups helping people cope with the cost of living over winter. It is open for applications until October 13. More details and how to apply here: ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/bcp-foo...

Our Hidden Dorset report paints a true picture of the real Dorset. You can find it here: ⬇️ hidden.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org

Good luck to Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young & Talented grantees Tom Walker and Molly Cartwright-Tickle who have been called up for England's Beach Sprints team at the Home Internationals in Donegal this weekend.

Seed2Plate's grant from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund supports nature connection and wellbeing sessions. In recent weeks they've practiced nature sketching, forest bathing, Qigong and mindful photography. It's wonderful seeing these grants in action.

If you know a young person from a household with under £35k income who has begun a vocational college course, they could be entitled to up to £1k towards costs of travel, meals, equipment and more. Find out about eligibility and how to apply here: ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/dcf-bu...

A grant from our Dorset Performing Arts Fund is supporting an immersive community performance in #Weymouth today and tomorrow. 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

Island Community Action has used a grant from our Commnunity Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund to organise subsidised days out to combat loneliness, isolation and anxiety. The latest was to #Bridport Hat Festival at the weekend. It's great to see our funding in action.

Our Superior STEM Bursary Fund, in partnership with #Wimborne engineering company Superior Seals, 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: dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/superi...

Our Hidden Dorset website is a needs analysis of the county using statistics and first-hand accounts of the challenges it faces from the groups on the frontline who work so hard to meet those challenges. Take a look here: ⬇️ hidden.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org

Our latest Impact Report – for 2023-24 is available to read or download via this link. It's been a year in the making because we wait for the groups we fund to report the full impact of their grant. www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/wp-content/u...

Our Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young & Talented grantee Tom Walker, from Southborne, rowed and ran his way to two bronzes and a silver in the British Beach Sprint Championships at Studland at the weekend. Great work Tom. 🥈🥉🥉 @allmarkone and @cjtaylorphotos

Our Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young & Talented helps talented sportspeople fulfil their promise and recipient Molly Cartwright-Tickle is doing just that with bronze in the J16 Solo Sculls at the British Beach Sprint Championships at Studland at the weekend. Well done Molly! 🥉

Going to college to study a vocational course? Household income under £35k? You could be entitled to a grant of up to £1,000 towards your course costs from our DCF Bursary Scheme. Find out more here. ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/dcf-bu...

Dorset Council's Capital Leverage Fund offers grants of up to £25,000 for community groups, cultural organisations, and sports clubs to refurbish, improve, or adapt existing spaces – or develop new ones. More details and how to apply here. ⬇️ www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/capital-le...

Island Community Action used a grant from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund to subsidise a day out at Sculpture by the Lake to help improve health and wellbeing. "The grant has allowed us to offer these activities free or at a much lower rate than normal," they said.

Congratulations to our Lord Lieutenant's Fund for Young and Talented grantee Molly Tickle of Poole on her J16s silver at the Scottish Beach Sprint Championships at Ayr Beach. Her scores earned her a thrd place overall. Brilliant performance Molly. 🚣

It's lovely to see our friends at Island Community Action using a grant from our Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund to run an outing to the New Forest and Bucklers Hard aimed at getting people out, learning something new and socialising through their passions.

If you know someone from a household earning under £35k who is going to college to study a vocational course this year, they may be eligible for our DCF Bursary, which can cover up to £1k of their course costs. Find out more here: ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/apply-for-a-...

Our fund supported by the Lord-Lieutenant is helping 22 young sports stars fulfil their promise. Grants up to £1k for coaching, kit, entry fees, travel and much more are aiding disadvantaged skiers, sailors, swimmers, golfers and more. Read more: ⬇️ www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/news/young-a...

Our friends at Community Action Network are holding a Volunteering Fair on September 9 in Bournemouth, where more than 30 groups will be showcasing volunteering opportunities. More details here: ⬇️ can100.org/event/can-vo...

"The grant could not come at a better time and is already making an impact." CEO Julie Berti says a £6,000 grant from our BCP Food and Energy Support Fund is helping Hope Housing in #Bournemouth teach cookery and budget skills to formerly homeless people as they rebuild their lives.

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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/...

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 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...