Local community and cultural organisations across the county have been awarded just over £120K in financial support from Dorset Council in recent months to assist with their work in local communities.
The grants, round 4 of the council’s Community & Culture project Fund, has boosted community groups and charities in their support for marginalised residents in Dorset as well as support for arts and cultural projects.
27 grants worth a total of £64,970 were awarded to voluntary and community organisations that work with disadvantaged, under served and marginalized communities in Dorset towards their support of cost-of-living projects. Projects funded include help with running cost of warmer spaces, foodbanks, lunch clubs and cost of living support for childcare places.
In addition to community grants, a total of £54,420 were awarded to heritage, museums, and arts organisations across Dorset.
The cultural grants will support a range of activities for children, young people, and adults, including arts and crafts, physical activities, support for local Festivals and other local projects such as a creative hub space for local people of Portland and creative workshops in Dorset’s isolated rural communities to name a few. In all 20 cultural organisations benefitted from grants.
Cllr Laura Beddow, Cabinet member for Culture, Communities and Customer Services, said:
“Our voluntary and community sector organisations continue to provide invaluable support for local people to help them overcome challenges, reduce inequalities, and enrich their lives.
“We know that a significant number of households are experiencing hardship due to rise in basic living costs. Projects such as warmer spaces, foodbanks and lunch clubs have become a lifeline for many, and these grants will go some way to continue to provide help where it’s most needed.
“I am very pleased we are also able to provide these small but vital grants to promote a wide range of cultural, heritage and physical activities that enrich the lives of people who live and work in Dorset. The grants will ensure communities thrive and residents can access health and wellbeing activities across the county.”
The grants are designed to kick-start new activities that will benefit the local community and offer support to marginalised and disadvantaged groups in the Dorset Council area. Round 5 of the Community & Culture project Fund will open for applications on 7 May.
