Good causes in Dorset are saying 'hello, hello, hello' to a funding boost thanks to Police Mutual.

The not-for-profit financial services provider says six recipients in the county will share a £1,500 grant.

The projects that will benefit have been nominated by police officers and staff and are being supported as part of a national sponsorship programme, Force for Good to promote wellbeing.

Those being supported are:

  • Independent Age, which supports older people in Dorset by offering them the opportunity to receive a regular telephone call or visit from a volunteer. It also has a free helpline that older people and their families can call for advice on a range of issues
  • Cavernoma Alliance UK, a self-funding charity based in Dorchester, which raises awareness of the condition Cavernoma (a cluster of abnormal blood vessels found in the brain and spinal cord), which affects 1:600 people.
  • Remap, a charity that works to help people with disabilities to achieve greater independence and improved quality of life.
  • Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust, which aims to raise awareness of bowel cancer in young people, and to offer financial support to those suffering
  • The Weymouth bus for homeless people, which helps to house the homeless and attempt to deal with any medical or mental issues they may have
  • Wessex Flood Rescue Unit (WFRU), a Surf Life Saving GB affiliated voluntary unit based in Poole. The Unit is a co-first responder to assist Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service in the event of support being required.

Matthew Wilkley, Assistant Director of Fundraising at Independent Age said: “We were delighted to hear that we’d been awarded a Force for Good grant from Police Mutual. The prize money will help us support even more older people in Dorset, by allowing us to train more volunteers. We know from the older people that we support that just having a cup of tea and a chat once a week can make a huge difference to their lives, and our volunteers have told us that they also get lots of benefits from the experience.”

Carvernoma Alliance UK was nominated by retired officer, Sian Oliphant.

She said: “Carvernoma Alliance UK aims to to support better diagnosis and thereby better management and treatment of the condition for sufferers. The grant received through Force for Good will help us to fund a support line and to put on free events nationally with talks by leading medical experts.”

Police Mutual’s support for Dorset is also demonstrated by the fact that in the last two years it has delivered 46 financial education courses in Dorset Police stations, reaching 595 members of the police family with tools to help them manage their finances.