Every month, morebus is approached by many organisations in the community asking for help, or donations towards their local efforts. In the past, we have dealt with these requests in a very ad-hoc manner and the result differs dramatically depending on who gets the call, question or email.
Our Community Fund is a dedicated resource for supporting local causes, charities and organisations, whether it is monetary support, marketing help, free travel or the use of a bus/coach for an event required.
The Community Fund is open for applications from everyone in our local community; whether it’s a charity, a sports team, a school or a one of the local events that makes Bournemouth, Poole and the wider Dorset area an exciting place to live.
Local people are able to apply via our website and we have two rounds of applications per year in March and September. There is a judging panel to see which causes we can support and this will involve some of our local management team. This process will help us streamline the constant requests we get for help and support and ensure we give to the ones that fit closely with our brands.
Who did we support in 2023?
Dorset Devils Litter Pickers
As part of the March round, we made a cash donation to the Dorset Devil Litter Pickers, who aim to clear litter from the streets of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The group used the money to buy new equipment and Hi Vis jackets so youngsters volunteering as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme can litter pick in their own areas.
St Michael's Primary School
We were pleased to donate £250 worth of bus tickets to the local school to provide help for local families who need transport to-and-from food banks within the area. It meant they were able to access the food bank without having to find extra money to pay for the bus.
Bournemouth Foodbank
Bournemouth Foodbank received a donation from our September round to help cover their ongoing costs during the autumn and winter which are usually covered by donations. The cause provides emergency food to those experiencing the impact of limited finances, rising costs, hunger and poverty. Without the help the charity provides, many local people will go hungry.
COAST
Tricuro’s Community Outreach Support Team (COAST) in Poole helps provide travel training for local people who have a long-term health condition or a disability to gain and sustain work. Our bus ticket donation to COAST will provide free travel for their trainers who make such a huge difference in people's lives, helping them claim their indepence.
The Chatterboxes
A local youth action project, designed to support young people with disabilities, received our final donation in 2023. Chatterboxes aims to give those who are disabled the opportunity to fulfil their potential, whilst improving their well-being, self esteem and independence. They plan to use the money for a new PA system which will help their young people to express themselves through music and help with their confidence.
How does it work?
There are two months a year where local charities, organizations and events can apply for community funding, donated by us. These months are March and September.
This application could be as small as a raffle prize or as large as a £500 donation. We have a total of £500 to give away, twice per year.
It will be at the discretion of the assigned judging panel to select the worthiest causes and allocate the support/donation to the causes they feel would most benefit from our support.
By applying for the community fund, applicants must agree and acknowledge that morebus must be given the opportunity to take a press photograph at the applicant's premises/with their cause/group in order to issue a press release that they will be obliged to provide a comment for. They agree that this will be used on the morebus website and social media channels.
What is the benefit?
The Community Fund enables us to engage and support the local community as needed, allowing us to build firm relationships within the community, while making support more accessible – providing a fairer system and inviting applications twice annually.
Apply online today
