Dorset Community Action

Dorset Community Action Dorset Community Action is a charity committed to helping communities and voluntary groups to achiev Have a look around. From time to time we have job vacancies.

We are ready to help with a whole range of services; from local community groups, parishes or villages, with an idea or a problem to solve, to formal voluntary organisations that want to grow or change to do more for the people they support. Dorset Community Action (DCA) is an independent voluntary organisation and charitable company. We are governed by a Board of Trustees, and have a membership o

f over 250 voluntary organisations, community groups, social enterprises and local authorities from across Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole. All voluntary and community groups are encouraged to become members, more details on our membership page. DCA is known as the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) and the Rural Community Council (RCC) for Dorset. This means we support the development of the voluntary sector through information, networking, representation, building capacity, and filling gaps as well as supporting and enabling initiatives in rural communities. The services and support we offer are accessible through this website and/or our staff

We are ready to help with a whole range of services; from groups of people in their local communities, parishes or villages, with an idea or a problem to solve, to formal voluntary organisations that want to grow or change to do more for the people they support. See how we offer Support for Voluntary Groups, Support for Communities, and Resources for more details. This website hosts a variety of resources that are useful for community action. Please contact us if you have any questions or think we can help. We have staff working across Dorset on a number of projects and programmes in various locations. Our main office is in Dorchester at Community House. We also run the Community Learning and Resource Centre in Wimborne as an affordable and high quality venue for training, meetings and conferences. DCA works in partnership with, and is funded by, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dorset's local authorities and other statutory and grant-making bodies. We are members of both ACRE and NAVCA and hold their Quality Standard Awards, demonstrating that we deliver high quality services to the local voluntary and community sector.

The GreenCare team at the Moreton site did a great job of showing me around to understand what they get up to and the fa...
05/09/2026

The GreenCare team at the Moreton site did a great job of showing me around to understand what they get up to and the fantastic work they're doing cleaning and maintaining gardens on site at Employ My Ability
Don't forget GreenCare also do private garden maintenance and clearances too, message them for a quote and help support the project and these young people or contact Lydia via [email protected]

ADVERT: Book a free demo with the UK’s leading online reservation system for church halls, village halls, clubhouses, co...
02/09/2026

ADVERT: Book a free demo with the UK’s leading online reservation system for church halls, village halls, clubhouses, community centres and all other bookable function rooms.
Read more here:
https://www.dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk/offer-hallmaster-booking-system/

👉 Flexible system for any venue
👉 Secure and safe software
👉 Easy to use and fully supported
👉 Click here or the image above to find out more

Don’t forget – DCA Members gain a discount!!

Hallmaster

Hallmaster Hall & Venue Booking System streamlines your online website booking system. DCA members gain a discount, click to read more...

28/08/2026

Join the Dorset Coaching Network on Monday 12th October in Wimborne.

Noble Manhattan Coaching UK and Dorset Community Action are bringing together coaches, business owners, leaders, charities and professionals from across Dorset for a day of learning, networking and making new connections.

The aim is to start building a stronger coaching network across Dorset, bringing together people and organisations who are interested in how coaching can support better leadership, stronger teams and more effective conversations.

📅 Monday 12th October 2026
📍 Wimborne, Dorset
🕤 9:30am start

As part of the Noble Manhattan Coaching network, we’re able to offer you a specially reduced community ticket of just £45, normally £95 - You’re also very welcome to bring a colleague, friend or someone from your network completely free of charge.

During the day, we’ll explore Introduction to Coaching and Coaching in Business, with Gerard O’Donovan and I sharing practical tools, ideas and experiences that can be applied in the workplace, in leadership and in everyday conversations.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced coach or completely new to coaching. This is about bringing good people and organisations together, sharing ideas and creating a local network that can continue to grow.

Don't miss out on the free session tomorrow - Book now!This project is a partnership project between DCA and East Dorset...
25/08/2026

Don't miss out on the free session tomorrow - Book now!

This project is a partnership project between DCA and East Dorset & Purbeck Citizens Advice, aimed at helping anyone working or volunteering with people who may be at risk of fuel poverty. We tell you what to look out for, how to have difficult conversations and how to help.

BOOK NOW for the inaugural session, tomorrow, 26th August - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/energy-advice-training-tickets-1992553239377 or any of our subsequent sessions between now and March 2027 - which can be found on Eventbrite by clicking the following link here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/energy-outreach-project-sw-england-38618096543

Choose from workshops, short briefings and in-person sessions.

We can also do a be-spoke session just for your team or organisation. For more information, email [email protected]

VACANCY - Rural Housing and Communities Officer37 hours per week | 12‑month fixed term (with potential extension)Salary:...
24/08/2026

VACANCY - Rural Housing and Communities Officer
37 hours per week | 12‑month fixed term (with potential extension)
Salary: £29,114 FTE
Location: Wimborne / Dorchester, with travel across Dorset

We work with communities across Dorset to develop practical, community‑led solutions that improve local lives. We support places where traditional services are limited or inaccessible, helping communities respond to real local need.

We are looking for a Rural Housing and Communities Officer to support the delivery of affordable housing in Dorset’s rural communities, particularly through rural exception sites.

You will not be expected to come with detailed technical knowledge of rural housing policy. Training, mentoring and technical support will be provided, including support from national and local Rural Housing Enabling networks.

We’re interested in how you work, not just what you’ve done. This role is well suited to someone with strong people skills who is interested in developing a career in housing, community development or place‑based work.

Click here to read more and find out how to apply:
https://www.dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk/vacancy-rural-housing-communities-officer/

Closing date: 5pm on Monday 7th September.

Vacancy - Rural Housing & Communities Officer, 37 hours per week | 12 month fixed term, Salary: £29,114 FTE, Closes 18th May 2026.

Click here to see the latest newsletter from the Dorset Innovation Hub -
21/08/2026

Click here to see the latest newsletter from the Dorset Innovation Hub -

The Dorset Innovation Hub newsletters are published four times per year. They are designed to be of interest to everyone working in health and social care within Dorset, and an accessible way of finding out about the latest news on innovation across Dorset and the help that is available to innovator...

Dorset Innovation Hub begins an exciting new chapter:The Dorset Innovation Hub (DIH) is set to begin a new chapter follo...
18/08/2026

Dorset Innovation Hub begins an exciting new chapter:

The Dorset Innovation Hub (DIH) is set to begin a new chapter following agreement from partners on future hosting arrangements.

The DIH is a strategic partnership, currently hosted by NHS Dorset, which brings together Dorset’s NHS organisations, public services, local authorities, academia, business partners and the voluntary and community sector to drive innovation that improves outcomes for local people.

With the formation of the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW), Dorset and Somerset Integrated Care Board, partners reviewed the future hosting arrangements for the Hub.

Continue reading here:

The Dorset Innovation Hub (DIH) is set to begin a new chapter following agreement from partners on future hosting arrangements. The DIH is a strategic partnership, currently hosted by NHS Dorset, which brings together Dorset's NHS organisations, public services, local authorities, academia, business...

Campaign resources now available:Using the toilet independently is one of the most significant school readiness challeng...
13/08/2026

Campaign resources now available:
Using the toilet independently is one of the most significant school readiness challenges facing families and schools, with many children still developing this important skill before starting school.

With Reception just around the corner for many children, Best Start in Life has launched a Toilet Training campaign to support parents of children aged 3 to 4 who are due to start school this September. The campaign reassures parents that there is still time to help their child build confidence and independence with using the toilet before their first day at school.

To help promote the campaign, partners can download a range of resources from the Campaign Resource Centre, including a social media toolkit, a hero film, shorter film cutdowns, and five carousel assets that provide practical toilet training guidance for parents.

Toilet training is an important step for families. Learning to use a potty or toilet independently takes time, practice and patience, and every child’s toilet training journey will look different. Ahead of children starting school in September, this PR campaign supports parents of children prepari...

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!We've raised £1,200 already to help keep food and support available through our Community Fridge a...
10/08/2026

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!
We've raised £1,200 already to help keep food and support available through our Community Fridge and Lounge.

Every week:
✅ 187 people access support
✅ 40 hot meals are cooked and shared
✅ Surplus food is rescued and redistributed

Demand has nearly doubled and food is disappearing from our shelves faster than ever.

If you've been meaning to donate, today is the day - Eligible donations may still be matched by the Aviva Community Fund, but today is the last day -

To continue to run our food and wellbeing project to meet increasing demand from people impacted by the cost of living crisis.

Have you seen Caro's Corner yet? A new addition to our quarterly enews - This month Caro gave us top tips on how to be f...
04/08/2026

Have you seen Caro's Corner yet? A new addition to our quarterly enews - This month Caro gave us top tips on how to be flexible when times are tough!
"It is a really tough time for the charity sector at the moment.
As well as reduced funding opportunities, many face increased demand from service users hit by the cost-of-living crisis, rising mental health problems and a sense that communities are becoming divided by social tensions..." continue reading here -https://www.dorsetcommunityaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/E-News-21-Aug26.pdf

Address

Dorchester
DT11SQ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441305250921

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