A Dorset based charitable trust that has quietly transformed lives across Purbeck is urging community groups to come forward for its next round of funding in 2026, following the award of £400,000 to local causes in 2025.
Talbot Village Trust, which supports charities and grassroots organisations across Dorset including Swanage, Wareham and surrounding villages, has launched two new funding programmes for 2026 and is inviting groups to get in touch ahead of looming deadlines.
The #Willdoes youth bus is just one Swanage project supported by the Talbot Village Trust
Major donations for projects in Swanage
In recent years, substantial donations from the Talbot Village Trust has contributed towards projects including the Swanage bandstand, the #Willdoes youth bus, the Planet Purbeck Festival, The Studio at The Mowlem, and the Swanage Skatepark.
In the latest successful funding round, 54 groups in Dorset received grants to support projects ranging from children’s hospice care and youth work to creative arts, wellbeing and support for people facing hardship.
In total, £400,000 was awarded in 2025 to groups working at the heart of their communities, many of them delivering frontline support to some of the most vulnerable residents in the area.
Now the trust has launched two funding programmes for 2026 – a small grants programme to support projects and activities, and a capital grants programme to help charities invest in buildings, equipment or major improvements to deliver long term benefits.
Applications for small grants close on Sunday 25th January 2026, with the deadline for capital grant applications set for Sunday 1st February 2026.
A significant grant from the Talbot Village Trust helped to rebuild Swanage bandstand
“Help to continue their vital work”
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, chair of Talbot Village Trust, said:
“We’re proud to continue supporting organisations that make such a tangible difference across Purbeck and South East Dorset.
“These grants recognise the hard work, creativity and dedication of local charities and the committed teams who continue to support people and communities during challenging times.
“Our aim is to help organisations build sustainable futures and continue their vital work for years to come.”
“We are encouraging organisations of all sizes to consider applying for grants in 2026, particularly those that may not have done so before, and groups can contact us for guidance ahead of submitting an application.
“The organisations we fund are doing exceptional work, and we are committed to continuing our support to ensure that the impact of these initiatives continues to be felt across our communities.
“We hope our funding will help make a meaningful impact across different sectors, including education, youth programmes, and charitable support services. We’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to their efforts.”
The Mermaid Suite at Julia’s House is being transformed due to a £100,000 grant from Talbot Village Trust
Large grant to help Julia’s House
Among the largest grants awarded in 2025 was £100,000 to Julia’s House, the Dorset children’s hospice, which is using the funding to help create a fully equipped annex for a child at the end of their life.
Spokesperson for Julia’s House, Lisa Holmes, said:
“We are so delighted to receive these transformational funds of £100,000 from Talbot Village Trust.
“We approached the trust because we had developed some plans to adapt our Dorset hospice at Corfe Mullen to meet the changing needs of the children and families we care for, particularly our end-of-life suite.
“This grant allows us to complete an extension bringing a fully equipped annex space for a child at the end of their life, designed so the whole family can stay together.
“The improvements will make it more comfortable for families to stay and spend time together at such an important time and also enable us to better meet the needs of some of the older children we care for who will value more privacy and independence.”
A 2025 grant of £1,250 helped Not Just Sundaes increase its Welcome Table scheme
“A fabulous sense of community”
Many smaller grants have also played a crucial role in helping organisations respond to specific local needs. In Wareham, community group Not Just Sundaes received £1,250 to support cookery classes and shared meals through its Welcome Table sessions, helping residents most affected by the cost of living crisis.
Anne Laking, trustee of Not Just Sundaes, said:
“We offer a delicious two course meal free of charge aimed especially at families struggling with cost of living pressures. We’ve served over 400 meals since we started in October, and we get consistently great reviews for the food and the fantastic atmosphere.
“There is a fabulous sense of community, local families meet up and share time together as well as a meal, and we also have elderly people who come and enjoy the company and warmth.
“Some people who depend on the local food bank really appreciate the hot meal, and others come because it’s an affordable way to eat out.
“Now we are about to launch the Welcome Table cook club, aiming to give people skills to make simple and cost effective meals for themselves so they can reduce their reliance on ready meals.”
Jonathan Darling and Tracey Mead are running the London Marathon in 2026 for Prime Time Kids
A lifeline for working parents
Wareham’s Prime Time Kids Club received a grant of £3,200 to help support families most in need by offering two subsided places a day at either a breakfast, after school or holiday club from January to July 2026.
Club manager Helen Pugh said:
“At Prime Time, children have the time and space to play freely in an environment rich in resources both inside and outside, and encouraged to lead the way with their own ideas, creativity and interests through play.
“We live in a world now where adults control a lot of children’s free time and it’s important for adults to step back and allow children to play freely. Prime Time aims to be that place for children.
“We are also a lifeline to parents who need to work, as the working day does not end at 3pm and without childcare settings like ours that offer school age childcare, parents would have fewer job opportunities.
“In 2025, we secured funding to offer a service to 125 individual children from 89 local families and the Talbot Village Trust grant will enable us to continue offering subsidised places to those in need for another two terms.”
Caroline Gray, Friendly Food Club trainer, is bringing cooking skills to Swanage’s United Reform Church
“Bringing people together through food”
In Swanage, the Talbot Village Trust has given a £2,000 grant to kick start the Friendly Food Club run at the United Reformed Church where FFC trainer Caroline Gray, teaches simple cooking skills to help improve health, nutrition and community connection.
Liz Guilmant-Cush, chief executive officer of The Friendly Food Club, said:
“We’re truly grateful to Talbot Village Trust for this £2,000 grant. It will help us deepen our community engagement work across Purbeck, bringing people together through food and supporting local families to build skills, confidence, and connection.
“This support goes right to the heart of the Friendly Food Club mission, empowering communities to thrive through good food shared.”
Wareham’s United Reformed Church will be able to replace its cooker thanks to a £13,000 kitchen rebuild grant
“A diva of a cooker!”
Karen Naylor, of Wareham United Reform Church, said:
“Unfortunately, after 45 years of hard service our kitchen was totally dilapidated, no freezer or dishwasher and a diva of a cooker!
“Talbot Village Trust were total heroes! Our bid to the capital grants programme was shortlisted, a lovely TVT assessor visited to talk to us, and shortly afterwards we were offered a whopping £13,000 to gut and refit the kitchen.
“The refit means we can offer two additional hospitality events every month from February – a veterans’ breakfast and a lunch for those in greatest need locally. TVT even awarded us £2,000 in small grants to help set up these new Clubs!”
“They say all the best parties end in the kitchen, but we think the reverse is true. So many of our most meaningful events have started in the kitchen!
Further information
- Apply for grants through the Talbot Village Trust website
