Spotlight on Port of Dover Community Fund

Dover community receives significant funding boost

Set up in 2015, the Port of Dover Community Fund which is delivered by Kent Community Foundation, has distributed £536,203 to 76 organisations, benefitting over 45,000 local people.

The Port made an initial significant donation of £275,000 to set the fund up and continues to boost the fund each year with a donation equivalent to 1% of their pre-tax profit for grant-making to local communities in Dover and the surrounding areas.

Doug Bannister, Port of Dover Chief Executive explains;

“The Port is such an integral part of the local community, from supporting thousands of local jobs that in turn support the local economy to providing some of the key community events that mark Dover out as a special place to live and work.

“The Port of Dover Community Fund goes an important step further and brings the Port and its community together at a fundamental level where it is making a real and lasting difference to peoples’ lives, working to transform the very fabric of this place we all call our home. From creating opportunity for young people to supporting and enabling new and valuable experiences for those most vulnerable, it is a demonstration of a port that really cares about people, the people of Dover.”

The identity of the fund is completely independent of the Port with a panel made up of five members of the local community with a long-term commitment to strengthening the fabric of the voluntary sector and benefiting the lives of local people in Dover and the surrounding areas. The panel meets twice a year with Kent Community Foundation to discuss the applications received and to decide where the money should be distributed within the local area.

The Port of Dover Community Fund is not restricted by cause and is open to a range of different charities and projects, from cultural one-off events that benefit the local community to initiatives to raise the aspirations of young people in the area.

Natalie Smith, Direct of Grants & Impact at Kent Community Foundation said;

“The Port of Dover Community Fund is a fantastic boost for Dover and its local residents. The panel is well-informed about the locality, make intelligent decisions on where the funding should go and are keen to enrich the area. The members also understand the importance of core costs for charities and voluntary organisations and will multi-year fund organisations for their core costs if they can demonstrate strong positive impact on local people”

Roger Knight, Managing Director of R K Graphics Limited and Port of Dover Community Fund panel member was approached in 2014 by members of Dover Society and Rotary Club of Dover to become their representative on the Port of Dover Community Fund panel;

“Becoming involved was an easy decision after learning about the aims and aspirations for the fund. As an active businessman already working with community based organisations, clubs and groups, working on this project with funds available to make a difference was very appealing. Our community is in desperate need of support and we are able to help fund projects that deliver exactly that.

We have a strong panel with close connections to the town, and we are able to make informed and knowledgeable decisions as to which projects qualify for our support and that will actually make a difference.

Being a panel member has been a most enjoyable and gratifying experience, especially when we visit a funded project working well and helping somewhere in our community.”

The panel has a strategic approach to its grant-making - for example it is working alongside one charity to help them focus their activities to work in a more structured and targeted way. This will not only strengthen the charity’s impacts but will help their future fundraising and approach to service delivery.

One charity to receive funding through Port of Dover Community Fund is Bright Shadow CIO who offers creative opportunities to people with dementia.

Clare Thomas, Manager at Bright Shadow CIO comments; “Bright Shadow's Zest sessions give people from Dover living with or affected by Dementia the chance to connect with professional artists, sharing creative time, making new memories and expressing themselves. Living with Dementia can be an isolating situation, but with the fantastic support of the Kent Community Foundation and Port of Dover Community Fund, we are enriching lives and giving a voice to lived experiences of Dementia for us all to learn from.”

Another charity to receive funding is HiKent who offer free support, training and advice services to deaf and hearing impaired people.

Debra Jones, Lipreading Coordinator at Hi Kent describes the impact the funding will have; “The generous donation of £3,500 from the Port of Dover Community Fund will fund our Whitfield lipreading class for the current year, 2020 and 2021. This will allow us to continue to offer this free of charge, weekly class to local people living with hearing loss, enabling them to learn this vital skill. As their hearing fades, then so does their ability to communicate effectively with the people around them and this can lead to social isolation affecting mental health and wellbeing.

The change we see in our students is often remarkable. In the feedback they send us, we hear that learning to lipread has led to vastly improved confidence and they can enjoy everyday conversations and social interaction once again. In some cases, students have managed to return to work and volunteering.

Being together in a social group of people all experiencing the same challenges in life is the first step for many people in getting to grips with their hearing loss and making a positive step to change the way they cope with it. Committing to learning a new skill that will re-open the channels of communication is a challenge in itself but one that we hear is well worth the effort. The advantages of lipreading are not just felt by the student but also by family members, friends and colleagues who also benefit from being able to communicate more effectively with the person living with hearing loss”.

Are you a local business thinking about your Corporate Social Responsibility? No matter what size of company you are or how much you wish to donate, through your corporate giving you have the opportunity to make a real difference to local communities in Kent and Medway. For any questions relating to Corporate Giving, please contact our Development Team via development@kentcf.org.uk or call 01303 814 500.