Community money - invested by the community

Category: Dragons’ Den

The Radstock & Westfield Big Local run a grant giving event, called Dragons’ Den. This is where individuals and organisations who have an idea of how to make our area an even better place to live, pitch to the audience of local residents who then decide what projects they want to see happen in the community. Each winner is awarded £500 to bring their idea to life.

Here are a number of reports from the winners.

For the Love of Running!

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Jim Gump spent 10 months running across the US, visiting schools along the way to inspire children to enjoy running and being active. Local residents voted for him to receive a grant at our fifth Dragons’ Den in order to get that excitement and inspiration back home and to schools in our area. We’re really
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Radstock Museum Make the Most of their Window of Time

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Radstock Museum were one of the winners at our fifth Dragons’ Den. Residents present at the event voted for them to receive £500 towards making the appearance of the museum even more stunning! Miranda Litchfield, the Development Programme Coordinator for Radstock Museum, has been in touch to let us know how the funds have made a
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Radstock Juniors Club Developing Skills and Confidence

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The Radstock Juniors Club were chosen by local people, at the 5th Radstock & Westfield Big Local Dragons’ Den, to be funded to provide fun yet educational activities to their members. The Radstock Juniors Club draws members from Radstock, Westfield and the surrounding area. Children aged between 11 and 18 that are affected by a
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SWAN driving Radstock and Westfield residents forward

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SWAN Transport were one of the winners of the 5th Radstock and Westfield Big Local Dragons’ Den, receiving £500 towards providing transport for local residents who are older, frail or disabled on low incomes. They told us that Swan “was first set up by a social worker 32 years ago who recognised the need for
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Exploring our wonderful heritage

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Local residents present at the 5th Radstock & Westfield Big Local Dragons’ Den, chose to grant the Somer Valley Walking Festival £500 towards bringing interesting and engaging walks to our community. Councillor Jon Bull has been in touch to let us know how the festival went: “All the events ( opening talk, short walks ,
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The Potting Shed promotes growing in the community

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Greenlinks @ The Potting Shed is an allotment project where people who have been feeling low, struggled with poor mental health or feel they need their ‘emotional batteries charging’ perhaps after a long illness or bereavement can come to garden for leisure and pleasure in pleasant surroundings. People are encouraged and supported to develop and
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Family Fossil Hunt Digs up the Past

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The Radstock & Westfield Big Local are pleased to have been able to play a part in helping Radstock Museum bring fossil hunting to local residents. At the fifth Dragons’ Den, held at Victoria Hall, the Radstock Museum successfully pitched for £500 towards preparing the site. With another £500 match funding from Simon Carpenter they
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WAGS have raised their game!

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Local children now have a place to learn about and grow vegetables in the Westfield allotment site! Thanks to the hard work of Westfield Allotment and Gardens Society (WAGS) and the funding from Radstock and Westfield Big Local, land has been cleared, prepared and had two more raised beds built on it (phase 1). Scouts,
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Radstock Town Football Club Changing For The Better!

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At our very first Dragons’ Den, back in 2014, the attending residents of Radstock and Westfield voted to support the Radstock Town Football Club in their quest to build new changing room facilities. They were awarded £500, which has gone some way to help get them started, as you can see from the picture. They are
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The Young Actors Group benefit from Big Local funding

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We recently caught up with Jaydean Dawkins who is the director and founder of Confessions of a Youth Theatre Company. Her group were grateful to receive funding from local residents who voted for their project at the Radstock and Westfield Big Local Dragons’ Den in September 2016. Hi Jaydean, you won £500 at our fourth
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