Dorset County Council has re-opened its Community Innovation fund to back inventive community projects that can help improve local people’s lives.
There is a total of £75,000 available to Dorset-based community organisations that can show how their project would help achieve the outcomes for local people set out in the county council’s corporate plan.
These are grouped into four key outcomes: making sure people in Dorset are safe, healthy, independent and have a prosperous economy.
The fund aims to support community groups to deliver services that meet local people’s needs. Successful projects will be those that target people with the greatest needs and reduce demand for the council’s services by giving people the support they need early on.
Groups are invited to bid for grants of up to £8,000. There is also a ‘Micro’ grants fund for smaller amounts of up to £2,000 as the council wants the fund to be able to reach all parts of Dorset’s communities.
Cllr Rebecca Knox said: “We want to support community projects that can demonstrate how they support the council’s top priorities for local people.
“For example, as part of our aim to ensure people in Dorset are healthy we want to make sure people adopt healthy lifestyles and lead active lives.
“The important element is that the projects must be resident-driven with evidence of the benefits for people and the contribution they will make to helping improve the lives of people in Dorset.”
This round of the grant will close on Friday 21 September.
