Since April 2022, we have been working hard to support individuals and families across the BCP area through some genuinely difficult times. Thanks to the incredible backing of Dorset Community Foundation and BCP Council, the numbers speak for themselves.
Supporting the community through the cost-of-living crisis
Between April 2022 and February 2025, we supported 1,227 households, helping a total of 2,804 adults and children. We distributed 2,627 emergency food parcels, served 3,002 free meals, provided 181 pieces of energy saving equipment, and delivered 991 holiday hampers to families who needed them most.
Every one of those numbers represents a real person – someone who needed a little help and found it here.
The power of volunteering
None of this would be possible without the people who give their time to make it happen. Over the same period, we supported 68 volunteers – helping them build confidence, develop new skills, and feel part of something bigger.
13 of those volunteers went on to find paid employment, and 36 achieved formal qualifications through funded training and development. 18 of our members are now volunteering themselves, supporting events, festive wrapping, and fundraising – and we currently have 29 active volunteers working to a flexible, work-life balance rota.
As one volunteer put it: “Once you join, you don’t leave – it’s a real family!”
We’re incredibly proud of what this community has built together, and we’re not done yet.