A winner at our 10th Dragons’ Den, Radstock Wellbeing Group have reported back on their project:
Radstock Well-Being Group Dragons’ Den Winner’s Report 2024-2025
Please receive this report with immense thanks as the grant we were allocated has enabled us to have a very good year filled with a wide range of activities which would have been out of our reach.
We have also increased our membership by 41% and allowed more residents of Radstock and Westfield to participate in our group.
The project has recently been completed with the final activity, a group trip to M-Shed in Bristol on the 11th February 2025. The funding supplied for the trip was spent on the mini bus transport meaning the local residents on lower incomes were able to participate.
The cookery session was completed on 16th July when a professional chef taught the group how to make cheesecake! As we had funds remaining, we also held a social BBQ facilitated by the Lead Volunteers.
The next active session was held on 24th September when a tutor came in and led a watercolour class.
Following this, we spent the remainder on 4 watercolour palettes for permanent use in the group.
During December, on the 3rd, we, as the group Lead Volunteers, were able to facilitate a pyrography lesson using pyrography pens and wooden decorations bought with DD funds. This is particularly good as we now have these resources for future use.
More recently, we were very lucky to enough to meet a lino print artist whom offered her time free of charge, to tutor us. This enabled us to focus on purchasing all the necessary resources which we do now have for future sessions. The group participated in this tutor led lesson 4th February 2025.
The Radstock and Westfield Big Local funding has had a significant impact on our members, all from the local community. Membership of the group and participation in the sessions provide an improvement in mental health wellbeing, avoids social isolation and allows individuals to develop friendships. Maintaining routines by attending the group and trying new things have enabled individuals to boost their confidence and self-esteem, develop creativity and Radstock Well Being Group has helped connect with people in the area who need support. We talked a lot about Radstock and Westfield Big Local. From the outset members were involved in the whole process of applying for the funding, from putting forward ideas for sessions and activities they would like to do through to full, transparent feedback as to how the funds were being spent. We made sure it was advertised in meetings that our funding came from the Radstock and Westfield Big Local.