Several grants awarded to community and voluntary organisations in Weymouth
Weymouth Town Council has awarded six grants to community and voluntary organisations to help fund projects for the benefit of Weymouth residents.
The following grants were awarded at last night’s Finance and Governance meeting (Wednesday 24th July).
Age UK North South and West Dorset were awarded £1,500to expand their successful Forget Me Nots dementia support groups and will use the money to set up new groups in the Weymouth area.
The groups provide support combining socialisation, cognitive stimulation, and respite for caregivers.
Dorset Youth Association were awarded £3,000 towards the #willdoes bus facility. The double decker travels to community settings to support young peoplewith their wellbeing and mental health, allowing everyone the chance to access support and a safe space.
On board there is a kitchen, tables and chairs, beanbags and a private room for confidential conversations. The funding will help pay towards two youth workers, the cost of the bus, fuel, the generator and resources.
The Front Skatepark will receive £2,850 to overhaul and resurface the mini-ramp facility which is one of the most popular ramps among all ages and skill levels and consequently gets a very high level of use.
Triton BJJ Weymouth will receive £2,850 to help update their changing room facilities. They will also use the money to go towards installing a sink and cabinets to provide drinking water for members and storage for cleaning products.
And £3,000 was awarded to Activate Performing Arts towards the Dusk til Dark on two evenings in Weymouth this September (27th and 28th). They will present four performances by the internationally renowned UK percussion ensemble Worldbeaters, last seen in Weymouth in 2021.
Three Friday performances of SPARK! will take place across Weymouth, in the wards of Preston (Bowleaze Cove), Rodwell (Hope Square) and Melcombe Regis (St Mary Street). SPARK! is a mesmerising street theatre show that combines high-impact drumming with kaleidoscopic lighting design, that has toured across the world for nearly 20 years.
Saturday’s performance, along Weymouth Esplanade, will be a culmination of two days of workshops, bringing together the performers of Worldbeaters with 20 young people from Weymouth. The show, FIREFLIES, will be a world premiere, and expands the original Spark! show into a true community experience. As well as the spectacular LED costumes and drums, they are exploring the possibility of using some of the empty properties along the Esplanade in order to reach the thousands of Weymouth people who attend these events every year.
Citizens Advice Central Dorset (CAB) – Service Level Agreement Request of £5,000 each year for five years.
The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent cost of living crisis has resulted in many Weymouth residents struggling to survive on low incomes.
In Weymouth, thanks to a grant from Weymouth Town Council in 2023-24, CAB have increased capacity, but still urgently need to recruit and train new advisers and meet the salary costs of paid advice supervisors and small management team.
The funding will contribute to the costs of delivering their expanding core advice service in Weymouth, enabling them to focus on those who are most in need – those living in areas of deprivation, or who are most vulnerable due to physical and mental ill health.
ENDS