Hope Housing, Training & Support, which supports homeless and vulnerable adults in Bournemouth and Poole, has received funding from the Hall and Woodhouse Community Chest.

The charity, which support homeless, vulnerable adults in Bournemouth and Poole, received a £3,000 grant at an awards ceremony held at the Blandford brewery last week.

The money will be specifically put towards appointing a mental health and wellbeing officer, who will be able to identify ways of helping people struggling to access advice and guidance.

Over £25,000 was awarded to 18 charitable organisations in Dorset including East Dorset Parkinson’s Branch, Poole Sailability, Read Easy Poole and Bournemouth, Poole Waste Not Want Not and Fernheath Play.

Mark Woodhouse, family director said: “Our Community Chest was founded over 20 years ago to support and strengthen the local communities which make Hall & Woodhouse such a vibrant company that is committed to providing support for those in need. This year, we have found the need to provide people with food, warmth, and shelter to be extremely high due to the cost-of-living crisis. It is both an honour and a necessity to provide funding for these good causes that play such vital roles in our communities.

“With costs rising during a financially difficult time for many, being able to offer necessary support for those in desperate need is more important now than ever before. We are proud to make it our duty to help where we can with this critical fund.”

A grant of £2,000 was awarded to Cycling Without Age, an organisation which helps people with limited mobility in Weymouth still have an active life. A team of volunteer ‘pilots’ ride trishaws around the town to allow their service user ‘passengers’ enjoy a bike ride in the fresh air. The grant will be put towards investing in more trishaws to expand the number of towns within Dorset to provide this service.

Since 2002, the Hall & Woodhouse Community Chest has donated over £760,000 to more than 850 causes across the south of England and works in partnership with both the Dorset and Sussex Community Foundations.