YOUNG people facing financial challenges are being helped to change their futures through enterprise grants from Dorset Community Foundation – and now it wants to see more applying.
Its SWEF Enterprise and Business Fund is fuelling the ambitions of young people with their own business, or who are self-employed, by awarding grants of up to £2,000 to help their projects progress – or to help those who have been running their own business for less than two years.
Since its launch in 2021 more than £45,000 has been awarded to more than 50 young people aged between 18 and 30 to help with rent, equipment and other bills.
The businesses funded so far range from drone photography to making furniture, clothing to camping vans and recycling to remote bookkeeping. Some of them had already taken their first steps before the funding gave them stability, while others were unable to get beyond their development phase through lack of funding.
Dorset Community Foundation grants manager Ellie Maguire said: “We want to fund young people who are in the first stages of getting their business going. They might have just sold a few items or have done some work for friends or family and they know they have a viable proposition but they don’t have the capital to really get up and running.”
A £1,900 SWEF grant helped young grower Lily Brett’s market garden business to thrive. The 28-year-old said the grant helped buy essential equipment for The Edible Acre at Crossways, near Dorchester.
The garden, set up by Lily and her mum Nicky, produces fresh vegetables using organic and regenerative principles to supply direct to restaurant kitchens and the public via a veg box scheme.
Getting the market garden up to speed quickly soaked up the pair’s £5,000 savings. “We applied for the grant mostly because our funds were very quickly going on the maintenance of the site because there was a lot of clearing involved,” said Lily.
She heard about the grant through social media and applied. “I found the application process wasn’t challenging, it helped solidify ideas, which was really useful,” said Lily. She was invited to an interview over Zoom with SWEF grant panel members. “They were really warm, it didn’t feel like you were being interrogated. It felt more like just a nice, relaxed chat,” she added.
She and her mum were overjoyed to be told the application had been successful. “It was really fantastic,” she said. “It felt great knowing that people had faith in the business idea as well, because you doubt yourself a lot when you go into business.”
Dorset Community Foundation chief executive Grant Robson said “the grants are a good way for any young person with a business idea to find funding. The idea of the fund is not just about supporting some genius with an idea that will change the world, it’s for ordinary, hard-working people who just want to utilise their skills, energy and courage to change their future but don’t have parents who can afford to fund them or savings in the bank.”
“No matter what the business, whether it is capable of growing to employ 20 people or a self-employed worker providing a brilliant service to their community, we see the value in it. We’ve loved working with the SWEF team and it has been truly inspiring to see young people making the most of the opportunity and we want to see more.”
Find out more about eligibility and how to apply at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org.
With over 100 members any business in Dorset can join Dorchester Chamber from business for £60p/a (no VAT).
