Thanks to funding from NHS Dorset, we have been able to offer support to people across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, who are in crisis this winter.

We worked with NHS Dorset and Citizens Advice BCP to provide 250 grants of £200 each in either supermarket or energy vouchers to local people in need, through referral by a local charity or community group to Citizens Advice.

In addition to this, we have given small voluntary organisations, charities and community groups funding to enhance their core work and add value to existing activities. From a funding pot of £90,000 grants we awarded to organisations delivering community initiatives that address and support communities in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole who are adversely affected by the impact of the rising cost of living.

With a specific focus on the following geographical areas:

• Hamworthy and Turlin Moor
• Alderney and Bourne Valley
• Kinson and West Howe
• Townsend and Strouden
• Somerford
• Boscombe, Pokesdown and Springbourne
• Old Poole Town

Alongside this we also encouraged applications from organisations supporting people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

We are really excited to share funding has been awarded to 13 organisations:

Bournemouth Gateway Club – have been awarded £2,545 to enable their Embassy Centre warm space to open an additional day a week during March and April providing a safe and warm space for people with learning disabilities.

Home Start Wessex – have been awarded £9,900 to provide a package of support to families already pushed to the brink thanks to cost of living crisis, support will provide 1-1 support and ‘stay warm’ bundles.

IAAC – have been awarded £9,741 to enable them to continue to improve community cohesion and social inclusion in Boscombe and the surrounding areas through multicultural food, arts and activities. Their Multicultural Hub is a Warm Space in Boscombe providing access to subsidised food, emergency culturally appropriate food parcels and help people stay warm by being a trusted open venue and provide activities that enable people to connect with others.

Kushti Bok – have been awarded £8,680 enabling them to bring together Gypsies and Travellers in West Howe and Rossmore to meet, have access to a hot meal and advice and support on how to keep warm, budget, food banks and local schemes that could support them.

Poole Waste Not Want Not – have been awarded £7,200 to continue their Social Supermarket & Community Coffee Shop which supports members of the community in Poole. Not only are they providing access to affordable food but their coffee shop area is set up in the middle of the shop, to support other services such as menu planning on a budget, cooking demos using energy-saving equipment, money budget advice, training, and volunteering opportunities, social groups to reduce loneliness in a non-judgemental environment.

WIRED – have been awarded £5,110 to provide young people from low income families living in the priority areas access to vital mental health support which they would otherwise not have access to due to lack of statutory funding, personal finances and household income as a result of the cost of living crisis.

ReCREATE Dorset – have been awarded £9,400 to enhance and develop their innovative partnership with C3 Collaborating for Health and Aspire, the International Care Network, the Red Cross and City of Sanctuary providing support, warm space and hot food to the elderly polish community and refugees and asylum seekers.

Samee – have been awarded £5,000 to provide residents of Somerford in Christchurch who are looking for work employability skills training and group-based peer-to-peer mentoring activities. As well as benefits, financial budgeting advice, energy saving advice and well-being boosting activities to help build self-esteem and financial resilience to help combat the negative effects of the cost-of-living crisis.

Safe and Sound Dorset – have been awarded £10,000 to further expand their Winter Crisis Warm Room Project based in Boscombe providing a safe and warm space for those who are marginalised and at risk from being exploited or trafficked, who are often encountering multiple lifestyle issues such as addiction, homelessness, relationship problems, housing, employment and educational difficulties creating isolation and mental or health stress.

Team Dorset Athletics Network – have been awarded £7,000 to enhance the support they are able to provide to their young athletes and their families including:

• Access before, during and after training to food, including providing free or low-cost hot and cold refreshments,
• Keeping warm support before and after training for athletes and during training for siblings and parents spectating
• offering our warm welcome meeting spaces to athletes and their families enabling them to stay warm and connect with others

The Friendly Food Club – have been awarded £9,728 to develop and enhance their Winter Warmth Project which works collaboratively with a range of community partners across the conurbation to support access to warm food as well as improve people cooking schools to help people with the cost of living crisis.

The Waterlily Project – have been awarded £5,373 to design and develop enhance their ‘Cooking on a Budget’ project which is an 8 week programme supporting women who are in crisis to be shown how to make and to cook themselves a nutritious dish on a budget and have the opportunity to eat that food at the end of the session together.

Untapped – have been awarded £4,900 to provide Art Psychotherapy to children and young people living in the Townsend area who are struggling with their mental health and are at risk of suicide but are unable to access support due to it being unaffordable for their parents thanks to the cost of living crisis.