Poole Community Groups Receive Funding from £991,899 BCP Support Programme

Community organisations across Poole are set to benefit from new funding designed to help residents facing financial hardship and reduce the risk of people reaching crisis point.

A total of £991,899 is being distributed among 42 grassroots organisations and charities across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole through Dorset Community Foundation's BCP Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Several organisations serving Poole are among the recipients, including Poole Communities Trust, Poole Community Exchange CIO, Poole Foodbank and Life Centre and Poole Waste Not Want Not.

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Poole organisations awarded three-year support

The programme includes a mixture of one-year and three-year grants, with longer awards intended to give community organisations more certainty when planning services.

Poole organisations named among the three-year grant recipients include:

• Poole Communities Trust

• Poole Community Exchange CIO

• Poole Foodbank and Life Centre

• Poole Waste Not Want Not

• The Power House - Poole

A number of organisations working across the wider BCP area will also be supported, meaning Poole residents could benefit from services delivered by charities operating across all three towns.

Parkstone Christadelphian Church is also among the organisations awarded a one-year grant.

Helping people move beyond immediate crisis

The funding is intended to do more than provide short-term emergency support.

BCP Council is using funding from the government's Crisis and Resilience Fund, which replaced the Household Support Fund, to support projects addressing the cost of living and helping residents become more financially resilient.

Across the BCP area, funded projects include food support, affordable cooking initiatives, employability schemes, advice services and programmes helping families and vulnerable residents manage financial pressures.

The aim is to help people address immediate difficulties while also reducing their need for crisis support in the future.

Greater certainty for local organisations

Providing some of the funding over three years means charities and community groups can plan further ahead rather than relying entirely on short-term grants.

That can allow organisations to maintain services, develop new projects and build stronger relationships with the people they support.

BCP Council's Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, Cllr Sandra Moore, said the combination of one-year and multi-year funding gives groups greater confidence to plan services and support more residents.

She said the programme is intended to make it easier for people to access help while strengthening community networks and creating a more joined-up support system across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Supporting communities across Poole

The Poole organisations named in the programme provide different forms of practical support within the local community.

Foodbanks and food redistribution projects can help households struggling with everyday costs, while community organisations provide opportunities for residents to access advice, activities and wider support.

The inclusion of several Poole organisations among the three-year recipients also means some local projects will have greater certainty about their funding beyond the immediate year.

While the £991,899 total covers the whole Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, the programme ensures that a share of that investment will support organisations working directly with communities across Poole.

For local charities facing growing demand for their services, the longer-term nature of several of the grants could prove particularly valuable in helping them plan what support they can provide over the coming years.