Donors

Donations from grant giving bodies and supporters make it possible to provide direct support to displaced families.

Asda Foundation, empowering communities grant, 2022.

  • £1500 From July 2022 to June 2023

  • We will use the community support money as follows:

    Support to equip homes for people moving on from being a guest in a Homes for Ukraine arrangement after the 6 months obligation has expired. Sofas, dining tables, beds, mattresses, bed linen and kitchen equipment are often needed.

    Educational benefits for refugee children including uniforms, laptops, mother language books,

    English language additional lessons for adults and for children. Venue and teacher costs. Venue costs for English conversation classes.

  • We have provided home making grants to Ukrainian families moving from host family homes into their own accommodation.

    We have provided grants to help children attend summer language schools at Port Regis with English Country Schools.

    We helped people with transport where it was an issue in a rural community, including helping buy small personal vehicles and bicycles as well as licence transfers for non UK licence holders.

    We have helped with recycled laptops and other It equipment.

    We have provided English Conversation volunteers to help families gain fluency in English.

Dorset Community Foundation, Dorset Welcome grant 2022

  • £4000 From August 2022 to July 2023

  • We said we would use the money as follows:

    • Support to equip homes for people moving on from being a guest in a Homes for Ukraine arrangement after the 6 months obligation has expired. Sofas, dining tables, beds, mattresses, bed linen and kitchen equipment are often needed.

    • Translation services for key documents such as Syrian and Ukrainian Diplomas and Certificates and for specialist advice for issues such as employment contracts and tenancy agreements.

    • Educational benefits for refugee children including uniforms, laptops, mother language books, education trips, attendance for University interviews, summer activities.

    • English language additional lessons for adults and for children. Venue and teacher costs. Venue costs for English conversation classes.

    • Support for training, especially conversion training where the origin country has a different professional standard and training is needed. Training for new skills.

    • Meet and greet events’ catering and venue costs (nibbles and a village hall) Meeting up with people in a similar situation is a vital part of the support that people need, whether hosts or guests.

    • Training programmes and enhanced DBS checks for Friends of our charity who are beginning to volunteer directly with refugees (who are by definition vulnerable and requiring specialist support)

  • We have provided home making for a Syrian family and gave support to a number of Ukrainian families moving from host family homes into their own accommodation.

    We have paid for children to attend summer language schools at Port Regis with English Country Schools. Two summers of excellent development time.

    We helped people with transport where it was an issue in a rural community, including helping buy small personal vehicles and bicycles as well as licence transfers for non UK licence holders and driving lessons for new drivers.

    We have helped with recycled laptops, phones and tablets and helped purchase other IT equipment such as printers and even a 3D printer.

    We have provided English Conversation volunteers to help families gain fluency in English.

    We have run very successful cultural events and meetings where Ukrainian guests and the local community have come together and shared food and ideas.

    Our website has developed to provide a point of contact for local advice, news and events for Ukrainian guests.

    Translators have been provided where there have been very specific challenges facing Ukrainian guests.

Gillingham Town Council discretionary grant 2022

  • £1667 From October 2022 to September 2023

  • There are a significant number of Ukrainian and Syrian families who live in and around Gillingham who need to be able to travel for employment and adult education.

    We hope to enable this by providing partial grants for driving lessons and tests to help people move from the licences gained in their home country to UK licenses.

    A grant of up to £350 affords the following:

    Application for a licence

    Theory test

    4 X 2 hour driving lessons

    Driving test

    A grant of £50 will support a bicycle purchase

    A grant of up to £250 will support the purchase of a small vehicle such as a scooter

  • We have helped people with transport including helping buy small personal vehicles and bicycles.

    We have helped with licence transfers for non UK licence holders and helped people into independence with support for driving lessons, licences and tests.

    We have helped with business start up costs for Gillingham residents.

    We have helped Gillingham residents to start in a new home when leaving their hosts’ houses and entering new accommodation.

Shaftesbury Town Council 2023

  • £1,000 from 17th August 2023 for one year

  • We said we would use the money to meet the needs of Refugees and displaced people in the Shaftesbury area especially those that they have identified for us which include:

    Transport support grants, in particular for support to gain an appropriate licence for driving in the UK, emergency support where public transport does not exist and seed funding for vehicles such as bicycles and mopeds.

    Home making grants, in particular for the costs of van hire for removals, the purchase of furniture and other essentials such as kitchen ware.

    Community connection, in particular to be able to host joint refugee and local community events that encourage a knowledge of, and connection with, people displaced by war and persecution.

    Advice and Support, in particular the cost of hosting our website which is where we provide the refugee community and their supporters with specific targeted information and news that helps them access the community and services.

  • We used the money to meet the needs of Refugees and displaced people in the Shaftesbury area.

    We used our Transport support grants to help S gain a licence for driving her automatic car in UK,. We funded a bike for S from Hope2Cycle and coached him in its maintenance.

    We helped T and V and M with home making grants, that helped them with the purchase of furniture and other essentials such as kitchen ware. We helped N with the purchase of a carpet, supplied and fitted by JOT and helped O and R move into their new flat.

    We built community connections, with local community events such as the visit of Kyiv City Ballet that involved the Mayor in learning Ukrainian for her reception and her presentations at the dance finale in Sturminster Newton and which, through presentations at Shaftesbury Arts Centre, encouraged a knowledge of, and connection with, people displaced by war and persecution.

    We continued to give Advice and Support, through our website which is visited by about 2000 people from the refugee community and their supporters to get targeted information and news that helps them access the community and services.

Dorset Community Foundation and The Toby’s of Shaftesbury Fund 2023

  • £3,000 and £2,000 from July 2023 to December 2023

  • We said we would use the money as follows:

    We have invited Kyiv City Ballet to come to N Dorset to support a week-long programme of cultural activity in which Ukrainian culture and resilience will be celebrated, young people will build their identity and there would be a chance to share thanks for safe refuge.

    Two Directors and 4 dancers will visit. We have developed a programme with our partners around this visit, which will include:

    1.5 hour school workshops in 5 local schools who have Ukrainian students.

    Classes for local classical dancers. and a 2 hour class for Ukrainian children.

    Discussion sessions the importance of culture for humanity is considered.

    A film with talk at Shaftesbury Arts Centre about what it has taken in terms of resilience to maintain a professional dance company.

    A performance for all of the Ukrainian people in North Dorset at Sturminster Newton Exchange, with local dancers, apprentice Ukrainian dancers and culminating in a short section of classical and Ukrainian traditional dancing by the company.

    We are arranging visits for the Ballet company to local attractions and landscapes.

  • It was our aim during the week to give all the children in local Ukrainian families a chance to see and meet this internationally renowned company of dancers and identify with them. Schools had done a huge amount to support and integrate Ukrainian children and we hoped that school visits would in some way recognise this and give thanks for it.

    There were 5 workshops in 5 schools on Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th October where Ukrainian and other children from 8 schools met the dance company, learned something of their lives and experience, and the rigours of a dancer’s life and had a chance to dance with them.

    We provided young local dancers with an inspiring opportunity to be coached by the company. We also encouraged young people to start to dance and be uplifted by the challenge and potential it offers. We arranged a class for Ukrainian children and 4 coaching classes by the Directors and members of the Ballet Company for novice and senior dancers with our partner, TLW Dance on Saturday 7th October.

    We wanted the week to build community and to be a reason for Ukrainian people to meet with each other, speak Russian or Ukrainian, share meals based on Ukrainian cuisine, and celebrate their resilience. We gave Ukrainian guests a chance to invite the community and especially their hosts to their events, to give thanks and celebrate the kindness and security that has been given.

    There was a ‘Bread and Salt’ welcome drinks reception at Compton MCrae on Monday 2nd October, catered by and hosted by guests for their hosts, KCB and the partners that supported the week

    In addition to the Bread and Salt welcome there were two evening discussion events in Shaftesbury on 4th October and Gillingham on 5th October.

    There was a film and talk at Shaftesbury Arts Centre on 6th October and the Mayor of Shaftesbury held a thank you reception in her Parlour and Town Hall Chamber on Sunday 8th October.

    Through this series of events the ballet company visit gave a strong signal to Ukrainian guests that the community of N Dorset has high regard for people from Ukraine who have been displaced.

    We used the visit of KCB to draw attention to the positive influence of refugees on our community. How their endeavour, cultural transfer and economic contribution makes for a richer local life. The highlight of this and of the week was a rich performance of Ukrainian culture including Kyiv City Ballet, in Sturminster Newton on Sunday 8th October

    Finally, we were conscious that the dancers live a life as displaced people as challenging as the guests in our area. We therefore provided some moments of respite for the Company and celebrated with them the beautiful landscapes of Dorset and South Wiltshire on the journeys we took. We ensured there were two recreation days for the Company where they were able to visit local landmarks, undertake favourite pastimes and receive therapies.

Dorset Council, Culture and Community Project Award, Round 5 2023

  • £4,700 until September 2024

  • ‘Kyiv City Ballet in North Dorset’.

    The Community and Culture Project Fund is a grant program that supports innovative projects that build the capacity of the cultural and community sector in Dorset. The goal of the fund is to help Dorset Council meet its corporate priorities and cultural outcomes within the Dorset Cultural strategy.

    Shaftesbury Refugee Group have invited Kyiv City Ballet to come to N Dorset to support a week-long programme of cultural activity in which Ukrainian culture and resilience will be celebrated, young people will build their identity and there would be a chance to share thanks for safe refuge.

    Two Directors and 4 dancers will visit. We have developed a programme with our partners around this visit, which will include:

    1.5 hour school workshops in 5 local schools who have Ukrainian students.

    Classes for local classical dancers. and a 2 hour class for Ukrainian children.

    Discussion sessions the importance of culture for humanity is considered.

    A film with talk at Shaftesbury Arts Centre about what it has taken in terms of resilience to maintain a professional dance company.

    A performance for all of the Ukrainian people in North Dorset at Sturminster Newton Exchange, with local dancers, apprentice Ukrainian dancers and culminating in a short section of classical and Ukrainian traditional dancing by the company.

    We are arranging visits for the Ballet company to local attractions and landscapes.

  • It was our aim during the week to give all the children in local Ukrainian families a chance to see and meet this internationally renowned company of dancers and identify with them. Schools had done a huge amount to support and integrate Ukrainian children and we hoped that school visits would in some way recognise this and give thanks for it.

    There were 5 workshops in 5 schools on Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th October where Ukrainian and other children from 8 schools met the dance company, learned something of their lives and experience, and the rigours of a dancer’s life and had a chance to dance with them.

    We provided young local dancers with an inspiring opportunity to be coached by the company. We also encouraged young people to start to dance and be uplifted by the challenge and potential it offers.

    We wanted the week to build community and to be a reason for Ukrainian people to meet with each other, speak Russian or Ukrainian, share meals based on Ukrainian cuisine, and celebrate their resilience. We gave Ukrainian guests a chance to invite the community and especially their hosts to their events, to give thanks and celebrate the kindness and security that has been given. There was a ‘Bread and Salt’ welcome drinks reception at Compton MCrae on Monday 2nd October, catered by and hosted by guests for their hosts, KCB and the partners that supported the week

    In addition to the Bread and Salt welcome there were two evening discussion events in Shaftesbury on 4th October and Gillingham on 5th October. There was a film and talk at Shaftesbury Arts Centre on 6th October and the Mayor of Shaftesbury held a thank you reception in her Parlour and Town Hall Chamber on Sunday 8th October. Through this series of events the ballet company visit gave a strong signal to Ukrainian guests that the community of N Dorset has high regard for people from Ukraine who have been displaced.

    We used the visit of KCB to draw attention to the positive influence of refugees on our community. How their endeavour, cultural transfer and economic contribution makes for a richer local life. The highlight of this and of the week was a rich performance of Ukrainian culture including Kyiv City Ballet, in Sturminster Newton on Sunday 8th October

    Finally, we were conscious that the dancers live a life as displaced people as challenging as the guests in our area. We therefore provided some moments of respite for the Company and celebrated with them the beautiful landscapes of Dorset and South Wiltshire on the journeys we took. We ensured there were two recreation days for the Company where they were able to visit local landmarks, undertake favourite pastimes and receive therapies.

The Grosvenor Arms, Shaftesbury 2023

  • Accommodation for 8 members of Kyiv City Ballet for 8 nights.

    Provided their Assembly Room for an evening discussion of ‘The place of Culture in a time of war’.

  • ‘Kyiv City Ballet in North Dorset’.

    Shaftesbury Refugee Group have invited Kyiv City Ballet to come to N Dorset to support a week-long programme of cultural activity.

    The Company needed a location in the heart of the community from which they could provide the events and have a home from home.

    The Grosvenor Arms and their owners, Stay Original Co. have generously provided the accommodation for the week and are hosting a discussion evening on 4th October from 7pm.

  • It was our aim during the week to give all the children in local Ukrainian families a chance to see and meet this internationally renowned company of dancers and identify with them. Schools had done a huge amount to support and integrate Ukrainian children and we hoped that school visits would in some way recognise this and give thanks for it.

    There were 5 workshops in 5 schools on Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th October where Ukrainian and other children from 8 schools met the dance company, learned something of their lives and experience, and the rigours of a dancer’s life and had a chance to dance with them.

    We provided young local dancers with an inspiring opportunity to be coached by the company. We also encouraged young people to start to dance and be uplifted by the challenge and potential it offers. We arranged a class for Ukrainian children and 4 coaching classes by the Directors and members of the Ballet Company for novice and senior dancers with our partner, TLW Dance on Saturday 7th October.

    We wanted the week to build community and to be a reason for Ukrainian people to meet with each other, speak Russian or Ukrainian, share meals based on Ukrainian cuisine, and celebrate their resilience. We gave Ukrainian guests a chance to invite the community and especially their hosts to their events, to give thanks and celebrate the kindness and security that has been given.

    There was a ‘Bread and Salt’ welcome drinks reception at Compton MCrae on Monday 2nd October, catered by and hosted by guests for their hosts, KCB and the partners that supported the week

    In addition to the Bread and Salt welcome there were two evening discussion events in Shaftesbury on 4th October and Gillingham on 5th October.

    There was a film and talk at Shaftesbury Arts Centre on 6th October and the Mayor of Shaftesbury held a thank you reception in her Parlour and Town Hall Chamber on Sunday 8th October.

    Through this series of events the ballet company visit gave a strong signal to Ukrainian guests that the community of N Dorset has high regard for people from Ukraine who have been displaced.

    We used the visit of KCB to draw attention to the positive influence of refugees on our community. How their endeavour, cultural transfer and economic contribution makes for a richer local life. The highlight of this and of the week was a rich performance of Ukrainian culture including Kyiv City Ballet, in Sturminster Newton on Sunday 8th October

    Finally, we were conscious that the dancers live a life as displaced people as challenging as the guests in our area. We therefore provided some moments of respite for the Company and celebrated with them the beautiful landscapes of Dorset and South Wiltshire on the journeys we took. We ensured there were two recreation days for the Company where they were able to visit local landmarks, undertake favourite pastimes and receive therapies.

TLW Dance Foundation 2023

  • Funding for a dance class for 35 Ukrainian children with the dancers of Kyiv City Ballet during their week in North Dorset.

  • ‘Kyiv City Ballet in North Dorset’.

    Shaftesbury Refugee Group have invited Kyiv City Ballet to come to N Dorset to support a week-long programme of cultural activity.

    We aim to give local dancers a chance to be coached by them and to enable local Ukrainian children to meet directly with and learn from the Company.

  • We arranged a class for Ukrainian children and 4 coaching classes by the Directors and members of the Ballet Company for novice and senior dancers with our partner, TLW Dance on Saturday 7th October.

Migrant Help 2023

  • A grant of £5000 to sustain and grow our work.

  • Supporting people most in need and least likely to receive support elsewhere

    Working with communities to bridge gaps and co-ordinate services

    Demonstrating the value that migrants bring to the UK

    In particular:

    1. Provide a programme of attractive community based events

    2. Provide a further set of small grants that help people to: set up a new home when moving on from Homes for Ukraine; gain access to driving or other transport solutions; support digital inclusion with the help of our partners DonateIT; start businesses that require specialist equipment e.g. catering; support and arrange additional English lessons for children and young adults.

    3. Create an actual weekly meeting space for displaced people, doing this in collaboration with our partners Fathers House and Global Cafe (Dorset Race Equality Council).

  • We delivered a programme of activity, support and events for 2024 and are in the process of planning for 2025.

    In 2024 we celebrated Ukrainian cultural events and drew the local community into these to share food and customs.

    We supported young people to attend summer schools and be tutored to learn English.

    We have helped young people move into HE with a small grant and helped others moving into rented accommodation.

    New arrivals have been welcomed with a small grant and we have helped people with transport needs such as hospital visits.

    The grant has helped us maintain our website and insure our charity.

Swire Charitable Trust 2023

  • An unrestricted grant of £1000

  • We will use the grant to support a proportion of the following activity:

    Equipping homes after Homes for Ukraine.

    Running Ukrainian community events that bring this displaced group together with local people.

    Providing additional activities for refugee children such as English summer schools, dance classes, countryside picnics and traditional Ukrainian festivals.

    Grants for extraordinary household costs such as new school uniforms.

    Transport grants that help with learning to drive, and that supports essential activity such as finding a job and medical trips.

    Grants to support refugees new businesses, e.g. specialist catering equipment and 3D printers. IT equipment for educational use.

  • The funding helped us deliver a programme of support, including social events that brought Ukrainian families together. The most significant of these was a trip to The Jurassic Coast and Weymouth. This enabled Ukrainian people from North Dorsetto meet with compatriots in Dorchester and Weymouth.

    The funds have also supported grants that helped young refugees begin their first year of Higher Education as we awarded £150 per student for the extraordinary costs of becoming a 1st year student.

Community Chest 2023

  • We received an award for 2023 -24 of £1200.

  • We will use the grant to support a proportion of the following activity:

    Equipping homes after Homes for Ukraine. £1500 Running Ukrainian community events that bring this displaced group together with local people. £900 Providing additional activities for refugee children such as English summer schools, dance classes, countryside picnics and traditional Ukrainian festivals.£1600 Grants for extraordinary household costs such as new school uniforms. £500

    Transport grants that help with learning to drive, and that supports essential activity such as finding a job and medical trips. £1400

    Grants to support refugees new businesses, e.g. specialist catering equipment and 3D printers. £1000 IT equipment for educational use. £1000

  • The funding helped us deliver a programme of support, including social events that brought Ukrainian families together. The most significant of these was a trip to The Jurassic Coast and Weymouth. This enabled Ukrainian people from North Dorsetto meet with compatriots in Dorchester and Weymouth.

    The funds have also supported grants that helped young refugees begin their first year of Higher Education as we awarded £150 per student for the extraordinary costs of becoming a 1st year student.

SJP Charitable Foundation 2023

  • A grant of £1000 has been awarded.

  • We will use the grant to support a proportion of the following activity:

    Equipping homes after Homes for Ukraine.

    Running Ukrainian community events that bring this displaced group together with local people.

    Providing additional activities for refugee children such as English summer schools, dance classes, countryside picnics and traditional Ukrainian festivals.

    Grants for extraordinary household costs such as new school uniforms.

    Transport grants that help with learning to drive, and that supports essential activity such as finding a job and medical trips.

    Grants to support refugees new businesses, e.g. specialist catering equipment and 3D printers. IT equipment for educational use.

  • The funding helped us deliver a programme of support, including social events that brought Ukrainian families together. The most significant of these was a trip to The Jurassic Coast and Weymouth. This enabled Ukrainian people from North Dorsetto meet with compatriots in Dorchester and Weymouth.

    The funds have also supported grants that helped young refugees begin their first year of Higher Education as we awarded £150 per student for the extraordinary costs of becoming a 1st year student.

The generous people of Semley Village 2024.

  • £138

  • To provide general support to Ukrainians living in the local area in line with our charity objects:

    To advance the education and relieve financial hardship of those granted refugee status and other displaced people in Shaftesbury, Gillingham, Motcombe and the adjacent villages and towns through:

    increasing opportunities to engage with service providers, to enable those providers to adapt services to better meet the needs of that community.

    providing peer support and other activities that build people’s confidence and enable them to participate more effectively with the wider community.

    promoting educational, training, social and recreational events involving the local community.

  • Our activity is documented through our news pages here

    £138 was enough to pay for our charity insurance, so our activities could be carried out.

Asda Foundation, empowering communities grant, 2024.

  • £400 From April 2024 to April 2025

  • We will use the community support money to:

    Bring the Ukrainian refugee community together and support their cultural events which are important to help Ukrainian children maintain a link with their heritage.

    The two events the money will support are:

    Ivan Kupalo, 21st June. A traditional midsummer festival to celebrate friendship and hope.

    Independence Day of Ukraine, 24th August. A commemoration of the 1991 Declaration of Independence.

    The funds will pay for the use of venues, compostable cutlery and plates, food items, materials for children's activities and some transport for volunteers to bring guests to the venue.

    These events will unite the Ukrainian community, empower them to organise and run their own events to celebrate their rich culture and heritage.

    Bring solace through companionship at this very difficult time of loss and grief.

    Provide a link to the country of their birth for children rapidly growing up in the UK,

    These events also make links with the local community of North Dorset.

  • Ivana Kupala took place in June and was a glorious evening event which you can read about here.

    Independence Day of Ukraine took place in August in Gillingham and you can read about it here.

    There was enough money left to support a Christmas Workshop for children seen here.

Dorset Community Foundation, Dorset Welcome grant 2024.

  • £5000 From June 2024 to June 2025

  • We said we would use the money as follows:

    We will organise a programme of inclusive cultural events based on the heritage of the local population of refugees that help them and their children connect with their homeland. These will include local community members and be led as far as their resources allow, by refugees themselves.

    We will aim to connect our local Ukrainians to other groups across Dorset and BCP through face to face visits and shared cultural events.

    We will provide befriending services through our English Conversation volunteers and one to one contacts with especially vulnerable families.

    We will provide opportunities to visit UK sites of interest where refugees will travel together and share an experience, whilst understanding more of the society they have found safety in.

    We will, with our partner, provide summer schools based on developing social skills and English.

    We will provide well-being activities for adults such as yoga and art and craft classes.

    We will provide additional activities for children, such as music, art, theatre, sport and education in Ukrainian and English.

    We will manage a group of volunteers able who can provide lifts where public transport is inadequate.

    We will, with our partner, provide IT equipment such as phones and laptops.

  • The activity is currently in the delivery stage.

    You can catch up on our recent activity by visiting our news pages and our events pages

The SEMMA fund 2024.

  • £2000

  • This generous award from private individuals in Semley is unrestricted and intended for us to ‘keep up the good work!’

    We will use it to maintain the cultural and social events that are so important for building community.

    We will also use it to make the small grants that help to advance the life chances of displaced people in our area.

  • The activity is currently in the delivery stage.

    You can catch up on our recent activity by visiting our news pages and our events pages

Dorset Community Foundation, Dorset Welcome grant 2024-25.

  • £3900 From November 2024 to December 2025

  • We said we would use the money as follows:

    We will aim to connect our local Ukrainians to other groups across Dorset and BCP through larger and more frequent face to face visits and shared cultural events.

    We will expand the provision of befriending services through our English Conversation volunteers and one to one contacts with especially vulnerable families.

    We will provide further opportunities to visit UK sites of interest where refugees will travel together and share an experience, whilst understanding more of the society they have found safety in. For example our current offer to Oxford is oversubscribed but we could meet demand and add refugees from Blandford and Dorchester with another coach.

    We will provide more of the highly rated and successful well-being activities for adults such as yoga and meditation classes.

    We will provide new activities for children in mathematics education in Ukrainian and English.

    We will expand the group of volunteers able to provide lifts where public transport is inadequate.

  • The activity is currently in the planning stage.

Wessex Water Foundation Community Fund 2025-26.

Managed by Dorset Community Foundation.

  • £4000 From January 2025 to December 2025

  • We said we would use the money for a summer school for displaced children with partners; English Country Schools and Port Regis School, Motcombe.

    The school will feature intensive English lessons and varied trips and social activity together and with international students.

    The school will give displaced children in our area a chance to be together, to develop community and improve their English. They will gain confidence through being with students from across Europe and beyond and by using English as the shared language.

  • The activity is currently in the planning stage