Dorset Community Action

This conference will include talks, workshops and discussions on topics that help you to ensure that your community space is popular, well-funded and generally buzzing! We will also look at how you can support your community in ways traditional and new.

1) Welcome from the Chair of the D'Urbeville Centre

2) Opening address from Fiona Thomas, Communities Team Leader, Communities and Partnerships, Dorset Council

3) Meet the funders

• Anita Hansen from the Sovereign network group will talk about their grants programme, including the commercial support fund aimed at helping organisations that are trading and interested in developing this element of their income generation.
• Ellie Macguire from the Dorset Community Fund will tell us about the Wessex Water Environment Fund (opens in April), which will fund projects around the environment – e.g. improving biodiversity, reducing use of water, litter picking etc.
• Kirsty Main from The National Lottery will talk about their new strategic aims and changes to the Awards for All scheme.
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4) Getting the right funding mix to cover your core costs 

It can be hard to cover the basic costs. There's money for projects with specific aims, but what about keeping the lights on and the insurance paid? This talk will suggest five ways you can do this important balancing act! Caro Hart has key tips.

Paula Bennetts, Programme Director, Dorset VCSA will talk about the value of networking and collective strategic planning.

6) Doing things differently   

These days, even community spaces which have been run on traditional lines have opportunities to do interesting new things and support their communities in new ways. Our speakers will talk about community gardens, creating a micro-business and much more.

- Tim Crabtree, Director, Wessex Community Asset will give a talk on community-owned enterprises that create a triple bottom line for communities.

- Lydia Harvey will talk about community gardens and DCA's Seed-to-Plate scheme.

5) Policies & procedures - how to put the absolutely essential ones in place. Our expert Caro Hart will give you the short version - plus there's a free review service for the first organisations signing up (see below)

6) Community Land Trusts and social housing for small communities

Speaker Jacqui Cuff is an expert on supporting small communities to consider the options for creating small amounts of social housing in an area. She was involved in the creation of a Community land Trust in her own village and will talk about the benefits it brought.

7) You can't measure smiles

Half the battle of getting funding is being able to show the difference you make in your community. Speaker Caro Hart, DCA

8) Recruiting people from the local community

Speaker Vicky Hall from Volunteer Centre Dorset will explore how to recruit the people that you need as trustees and helpers for your community space

9) Warm spaces initiatives and how to run one successfully

Being able to provide a welcoming, warm, sociable place, especially for people hit by rising prices or who are isolated, is one of the strengths of a community space. Here are some examples of schemes and an analysis of the ways to make a warm space a success. Speaker Julie Johns, DCA

Plus, insurance advice from Norris and Fisher, supporting people hit by the cost-of-living from the Big Energy Project and much more!