Home-Start Wessex is delighted to have been shortlisted for the West Dorset Gold Business Awards 2025 in recognition of its positive impact on the local community.
Organised by Marketing West, the West Dorset Business Awards are the 'Winners of the Winners' from the Bridport, Dorchester, Portland and Weymouth Business Awards. The judges review the winners in each category from across the four town awards and determine the overall winners for West Dorset. The shortlisted organisations have now been announced and invited to attend the West Dorset Awards ceremony in Bridport in July, where the winners will be crowned.
Home-Start Wessex was delighted to win the Community Support Award at the Weymouth Business Awards earlier this year. Judges commended the charity for expanding its work across Dorset, including the Weymouth area, and providing much-needed support for families who are struggling for a variety of reasons, including poor mental health, postnatal depression, disability, domestic abuse, bereavement, isolation, financial hardship and multiple births.
When Home-Start West Dorset became a victim of the funding crisis in October 2023, Home-Start Wessex immediately extended its reach to help families in Weymouth, Portland, Bridport, Dorchester, and down to Lyme Regis. In January 2025, the charity opened a Weymouth Haven group, welcoming Weymouth families every Monday morning to drop in and access free support. These groups provide a safe space for little ones to explore, grow and learn and help parents to gain confidence. One mum said, “Just being with the group and making new friends, my confidence has grown 100%.”
Belinda Hewett, Head of Operations of Home-Start Wessex, said, "We were incredibly proud to collect our Weymouth Award in April and dedicated it to our amazing volunteers who work so hard to make a difference. We could not deliver our service without them. Being shortlisted for the West Dorset Awards is another fantastic achievement for which we are very proud. Gaining recognition from not just Weymouth but across the West Dorset region really means a lot to our dedicated volunteers and staff."
The charity is actively recruiting kind, compassionate volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to parents with young children in Weymouth and across Dorset. If you could spare a few hours a week to help local families through challenging times and make a difference in your community, please contact heidi@homestartwessex.org.uk. No experience is needed – just a big heart and a listening ear, as full training and ongoing support are provided.
Over the last year, the charity has transformed 1,682 lives, helping a record 501 families. Their reach covers the Purbecks, Swanage, Weymouth, Dorchester, Bridport, the whole of the BCP Council area, including Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, across the borders of Hampshire and Wiltshire, going as far north as Cranborne and Fordingbridge and as far east as New Milton – a huge area with a population of over 650,000, including many pockets of high-level deprivation.