Who can apply?

Your project can be any size but must support local residents. We support charities, faith-based groups, schools, universities and nonprofits.

Your organisation must be based within the BCP council area, Purbeck or east Dorset. When you apply, your organisation will need to prove that it has - or can - raise at least 25% match funding.

Make an application

Our area of benefit

Our mission is to help people living and working across east Dorset, and our funding and activity is geographically restricted - our Area of Benefit. We cover areas including: the Purbecks, Bere Regis, Verwood, Wimborne and BCP's surrounding areas. Charities applying to us for funding will need to be based within this area, and must be able to demonstrate that their work has impact for people living and working here.

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Projects and initiatives we fund

    • Community events
    • Repair and refurbishment of community buildings
    • Youth clubs and activities
    • Playground equipment
    • Venue hire
    • Festivals
    • Carer support
    • Programmes to address loneliness and isolation
    • Advisory and support services
    • Training and learning opportunities
    • Improving playground facilities
    • Extramural / community activities
    • Specialist equipment
    • Improvements to places of worship and buildings with wide community use
    • Programmes or festivals open to all
    • Youth clubs and activities
    • Youth development projects
    • Community health and wellbeing services
    • Innovative hospital equipment
    • Hospices for the terminally ill
    • Defibrillators
    • First aid training
    • Mental health and wellbeing
    • Contributing to costs of counselling / therapy sessions
    • Environmental improvements to local areas
    • Restoration of green spaces
    • Promoting climate change awareness and actions
    • Accommodation, support and allied services for people with learning disabilities
    • Supporting foodbank service provision
    • Activities or facilities to support people with physical disabilities
    • Advice services
    • Programmes to alleviate poverty
    • Community kitchens
    • Homelessness
    • Animal welfare organisations unless for assistance therapy
    • One-off events with limited longer-term benefit
    • Applications made by individuals except in exceptional circumstances
    • Where the application is to repay a loan or previous commitment
    • Retrospective funding – grants for work that has already started or been completed
    • To fund the cost of repairs to churches and church buildings unless these benefit the wider community
    • Where the application is purely concerned with the environment and not linked to local community-based sustainability efforts
    • Where the application is from an independent or fee paying school unless the application is to assist those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds
    • Where the application is from a local authority school, unless the application is to meet expenditure which is clearly outside of the scope of funding for which the State should be responsible
    • Public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
    • Projects for items/ refurbishment which are the responsibility of the applicant’s landlord
    • Projects where statutory funding has been withdrawn and/or where the proposed project is duplicating an existing service
    • Swimming pools, unless for specific therapeutic reasons
    • To fund research including medical research
    • Provision of broadband