Newsletter while we are unable to meet - August 2020

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17th August 2020

 
Sadly the trustees have decided that it is not possible to go ahead with the cream tea in the lovely Puddletown garden on September 20th - just too many risks and uncertainties involved, especially if the weather is not good. Thank you to all of you who had been willing to help – we hope for a good event next year.
 
The requests for grants are now coming in at about the rate that they were doing before lockdown. It is sometimes not easy to find ways to help because lots of organisations and services do not have office bases open and many professional staff are still working from home. It is sad that some requests are to help mothers and children who have had to be urgently re-housed in order to escape domestic violence during lockdown.
 
We have had the first request this summer for help with school uniform costs. Because most children have been off school for many months, we are expecting a flood of requests over the next few weeks. We have therefore applied not only for the Town Council grant but also for a grant from Poundbury Community Trust and are pleased that we have been successful in both cases. 
 
The website continues to bring in some generous donations and we are especially grateful for the people who give regularly by standing order. Please do continue to do everything you can to remind local people that we are still here, still working and still in need of their financial donations and prayerful support.
 
We have heard a report from Dorchester Family Support: “We have had over 180 families registered to receive a regular food pack this summer.  Due to the generosity of our community for the first time we have been able to operate for the full 6 weeks.  We are very grateful to the canteen staff at the Thomas Hardye School, who have volunteered during their holiday to help us; and also to the Head Teacher for allowing us to use the school premises.  It has made our operation run very smoothly at such a tricky time.”
 
We hope you are all well and have enjoyed some of this long uncertain summer and we look forward to seeing you all again on October 5th.
The DPA trustees

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