Since The Port of Dover Fund opened in 2015, they have awarded over £1.3 million to good causes within the Dover community.
Leading grant maker Kent Community Foundation has been funding organisations across Kent and Medway for over twenty three years. One of the Funds they administer is the Port of Dover Community Fund. Since 2015, when the fund opened, the Port of Dover Community Fund has awarded £1,339,294 to one hundred and fifty nine grass roots organisations based in the Dover area.
To support the community, The Port of Dover Community Fund awards grants of up to £10,000 for projects that provide opportunities to develop skills, support people on the pathway into employment and assist job creation, with a particular focus on young people and community led activities that enrich the social, cultural, and environmental life of local communities, enhancing Dover as an attractive and welcoming place to live, work and visit.
The wide range of projects in the Dover area that have been awarded funding include, Woodpecker Wood CIC which facilitates community access to woodland in East Kent for young people, Home-Start Dover supporting vulnerable families with children under eleven, Wetwheels South East which provides water access for disabled individuals, the Martha Trust which offers lifetime care for people with profound disabilities and Deal Music and Arts Limited which provides high quality and low-cost arts and culture and Hope for Tomorrow which makes life easier for cancer patients by delivering treatment nearer to their homes on mobile cancer care units.
Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact for Kent Community Foundation, said, “The Port of Dover Community Fund is a fantastic asset for Dover and its residents and we are delighted to have assisted them with funding for159 organisations over the last 10 years.”
Jenny Beacon, from the Port of Dover said, “We are incredibly proud to have reached this major milestone with the Port of Dover Community Fund, which has seen us donate over £1.3 million to inspirational local charities. The Fund has empowered such a diverse range of causes to make our community a healthier and happier place; sometimes during the most challenging circumstances.
“It’s been amazing to see the impact that over 150 projects have had on our environment and people over the past ten years. Thank you to the Kent Community Foundation and all these organisations for helping us to shape a positive and sustainable future for the community in the years to come.”
To contact Kent Community Foundation about funding for charities and community groups with an annual income under £3m, or to discuss setting up a fund please email admin@kentcf.org.uk or visit www.kentcf.org.uk/funding
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About Dover
The Dover community faces significant challenges, including high levels of deprivation, with some neighbourhoods ranking among the most disadvantaged in Kent. Employment opportunities can be limited, particularly for young people and those without access to transport. The cost-of-living crisis has only deepened financial strains on families, making essentials like food, housing, and childcare increasingly out of reach for many. Children and young people in Dover face barriers to accessing education, safe recreational spaces, and emotional support. Mental health needs have risen, and local services are often stretched thin. Single-parent households, foster families, and low-income households can struggle to find the wraparound support they need to thrive.
About the Port of Dover Community Fund
Grants of up to £10,000 are available from the Port of Dover Community Fund for projects that provide opportunities to develop skills, support people on the pathway into employment and assist job creation, with a particular focus on young people and community led activities that enrich the social, cultural and environmental life of local communities, enhancing Dover as an attractive and welcoming place to live, work and visit.
About Kent Community Foundation
Leading grant-maker Kent Community Foundation has been finding, funding, and supporting some of the smallest voluntary groups in the county for over twenty three years. In this time, it has distributed £60 million to support thousands of small charities and deserving causes where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.
Kent Community Foundation is part of a UK wide accredited network of forty-seven Community Foundations who are committed to improving the lives of local people and communities, particularly the most vulnerable, isolated, and disadvantaged by matching those who want to help, with those who need the help.
Responsible for more than one hundred philanthropic funds, Kent Community Foundation is unrivalled in its knowledge of local causes and assists individuals, families, and businesses who want to help, to establish and administer their own charitable funds.
Kent Community Foundation funding priorities –
- Children, Young People & Families
Supporting disadvantaged children and young people’s physical and mental health, encouraging positive choices and staying safe. - Vulnerable Adults
Helping those who may need extra care dealing with challenging issues or those at risk of social exclusion or discrimination.
3. Elderly and Isolated
Enabling elderly adults to stay well, healthy, independent and free from social isolation.
4. Employability, Skills & Enterprise
Creating opportunities to develop skills and confidence and have a positive impact in areas and groups of people with high unemployment.
5. Environment
Encouraging community action to improve and protect local spaces with support sustainable ways of living.
