A VEHICLE which will provide activities and wellbeing support across local villages will be in action this week. The Prout Bridge Project raised £20,000 earlier in the year to buy, kit out and staff an outreach vehicle - so that it can flexibly provide activities and support within Beaminster and surrounding villages. The vehicle, affectionately named Gilbert after the late founder of the charity, Gil Streets, is now ready to take to the streets. Alongside the support of the public, the campaign was also backed by Dorset Council, Comic Relief, Sport England s Return to Play scheme, Power to Change Community Business Crowdmatch and the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership s Crowdfund Dorset Business initiative.
Dorset LEP crowdfunding help for small businesses bournemouthecho.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bournemouthecho.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
FUNDING is available to help small businesses across Dorset adapt and survive the coronavirus pandemic as part of a crowd-funding scheme that has already seen tens of thousands of pounds handed out. Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) set up the Crowdfund Dorset Business campaign in response to the first wave of coronavirus pandemic to help support local businesses. The initiative offers micro, small and social enterprise businesses up to £5,000 of match-funding, provided they can raise an equivalent amount from 10 or more supporters. Since May 2020, the scheme has pledged more than £36,000 in match-funding to nine businesses and projects across Dorset. Among them is Nothe Fort, which raised £5,000 through crowdfunding, which was then matched by Dorset LEP, to make the heritage attraction Covid-safe, enabling more than 35,000 visitors to safely enjoy the attraction in summer 2020.