GROUPS in west Dorset which have benefited from European funding will be showing off their successes at a party.

The celebration will be on the evening of Thursday, November 21 at the George Albert Hotel, near Evershot.

Projects attending have benefited from Europe’s Agricultural Fund for Rural Development via the Chalk and Cheese Local Action Group.

There will be presentations from the award-winning Broadwindsor Community Stores, a Care Farming project, and a screening of the three short promotional films recently produced in Bridport.

A Chalk and Cheese spokesman said: “Naturally, there will be plenty of local food available, but there will be surprises as well.

“Some of the projects have offered raffle prizes, including weekend courses in stone carving or wood whittling, and a guided tour of the Marshwood Vale by electric bike. “The team hopes to encourage communities and businesses to think about innovative ways they might access this funding from 2015, for the benefit of their community and the wider area.”

Chalk and Cheese projects are part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for European Development 2007-2013: Europe investing in rural areas.

They are delivered through the Chalk and Cheese Local Action Group with Defra as the managing authority. Most of the Euro money goes to help farmers across member states, but a small amount is set aside to be used to support rural communities and businesses through Local Action Groups.

In the Chalk and Cheese area, the amount has been £2.065m over the last seven years, shared out over 40 projects.

Negotiations are underway at government level at the moment to decide how much money will be available from 2015.

The local action group is open to everyone who has an interest in their rural community.

One of 64 local action groups around rural England, its principal role is to provide rural communities with a voice in local democracy, together with access to funding for projects which support their local strategies.

Meetings are held regularly in venues around the Chalk and Cheese area, to give as many people as possible the opportunity to take part in the decision-making process about how European funds are delivered in this part of Dorset.

To find out more about Chalk and Cheese and see examples of projects recently funded visit chalkandcheese.org or call 01305 228699. Anyone who wants to attend the party is asked to contact Sarah Harbige on 01305 228699 or email s.e.harbige@dorsetcc.gov.uk for more details.