Nearly £35,000 has been given to good causes in the Dorchester area.
Village halls, pre-schools, sports clubs and a women’s refuge were among those that benefited from a £34,058 cash boost.
West Dorset District Council collected the money from people selling at the weekly car boot sales held on Sunday mornings in Fairfield Car Park in Dorchester. All the cash collected gets paid into the Dorchester Car Boot Fund, which helps local groups.
Community groups that won funding were invited to a celebration tea at the Corn Exchange in Dorchester on Friday 5th September to receive certificates, handed out by District Councillor – Mary Penfold and the Mayor of Dorchester Peter Mann.
Councillor Penfold, who is chairman of the Dorchester Markets Joint Informal Panel (who manage the Dorchester market) said: “It is wonderful to be able to support these local voluntary projects that do so much to support people in the Dorchester area. The grants will help the groups continue the excellent work they do for our community”.
Community groups in the Dorchester area were invited to apply for the funds earlier this year. A panel of town and district councillors awarded the grants from the many applications received.
Good causes that have received grants include Autism Wessex who received a £500 grant to help them with the costs of running a support group for people with Asperger’s and Autism, Dorchester Try This who received a grant of £800 to allow them to run a week long programme of free taster sessions in a wide range of topics for local residents, the Durnovaria Silver Band Trust who received £1000 towards the cost of buying tables for their new premises in the Fordington Methodist Hall so that they can make it more appealing to share with other projects and Home-Start West Dorset who were given a grant to help them to train up volunteers who will go on to support families with younger children who might be struggling and in need of a bit of additional help.
Irene Calcutt, Treasurer of the Dorchester Disabled Club said after attending the celebration tea “It is really amazing to learn how many great charities there are in Dorchester and of the amazing work they are doing”.
Other groups that benefitted include: 2182 Sqn Air training Corps, Bradford Peverall Village Hall, Broadmayne Village Hall, Charlton Down Cricket Club, Charminster Pre-School, Cowden Care Farm, Cruse Bereavement Care, Crossways Youth and Community Centre, Dorchester Ballet and Dance Club, Dorchester Amateur Boxing Club, The Dorchester Child Contact Centre, Dorset Blind Association, Dorchester Community Nursery, Dorchester Disabled Club, Dorchester Love Parade, Dorchester Municipal Charities, Dorchester Youth Theatre, Dorchester Opportunity Group, Dorchester Youth Extra, Dorchester Social Stroke Club, First Dorset Credit Union, Friends of Dorchester West Station, Godmanstone Village Hall, The Grove Pre School, Relate Dorset, Ridgeway radio, the Rotary Club of Dorchester, the South West Dorset Multicultural Network, Stratton Youth Club, Victim Support, the Volunteer Centre, WAND, Wheel Keep Dancing and the Dorset Women’s Refuge.
The grant programme is currently closed but will be opening again for applications in January 2015.
More information about the grants is available at: www.dorsetforyou.com/dorchestergrants or call the Emma Scott, Community Development Officer at West Dorset District Council on 01305 252204
Emma Scott
