COMMUNITY projects that make life better for people in Dorset are celebrating a cash boost of nearly £450,000.

The money totalling £494,150.28 has been distributed to 12 groups in the county through the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All and Reaching Communities programme, it was announced today.

They are among the South West organisations to share a pot of £5,075,689 raised by National Lottery players for good causes.

The funding will support a diverse range of projects enabling people to improve their skills, meet new people, and strengthen their communities.

In Bournemouth this includes £407,074 for Bournemouth Young Men’s Christian Association project The Chatterboxes, which will help disabled young people aged 13 to 25 who lack confidence and independence to take an active role in communities and volunteering programmes.

Other projects to benefit are Ezri’s Up and Away group who received £10,000 to deliver a residential retreat for isolated widowed women to improve mental and physical wellbeing, £6585 for Hampshire Art for Recreation and Therapy for a 12 week art exchange in Bournemouth for black and minority ethnic women who have experienced or may be at risk of abuse and £9976.44 for Poole Communities Trust to expand its youth club.

Other grant winners across Dorset include £10,000 for a replacement playpark at Dunbury C of E Academy in Winterborne Whitechurch, north Dorset for children and the local community and £10,000 for the Sustainable Dorset website and connect local groups to share learning through a community engagement officer.

Grant making director at the Big Lottery Fund James Harcourt said: “It is great to think that National Lottery players have now raised £36 billion for Good Causes and it’s when you hear about projects like these that you realise the incredible impact that funding has had on communities across England. Whether the grant is for £500, or £500,000, our funding is used to run amazing projects led by local people. It really is life changing.”