Winfrith Drama Group

Dorset Drama gets Lottery Boost

Winfrith Drama Group in Dorset has been awarded a substantial grant from Awards for All (supported by the Arts Council England, the Big Lottery Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England). This will give a much needed boost to the group, enabling it to enhance its productions and the work it does in the local community.
The Group started fund-raising some years ago as part of a long-term investment programme. Its aim was to improve the quality of productions, encourage participation of children and teenagers in productions and to support the local and wider community.
The Group wished to upgrade existing resources and provide new sound and lighting equipment to enhance its performances at the Winfrith Village Hall and its outside productions at the local recreational/sports field. Some of the grant will be allocated to stagecraft workshops aimed at improving the skills and confidence of the Group’s members.
Over the past two years the drama group has staged summer and winter productions, to entertain both local villagers and visitors. These productions have enabled the group to raise over £4000 towards its investment programme.  During this time the Group has also been pleased to donate significant sums to local charities. 
The Group’s chairman, Paul Rodgers, welcomed the award: “This counters recent speculation that local arts groups and rural good causes are missing out on Lottery funding due to the 2012 Olympics; this award demonstrates that groups with coherent plans for community involvement and enhancing local culture can attract the funding they need.”
Plans are already in place to update the Group’s lighting and sound systems, although it is unlikely that all of the enhancements will be in place before the next Pantomime: "Panto at the OK Corral” in January 2008. Auditions for the Panto are being held on Thursday 20^th and 27^th September at 7.30pm in the Winfrith Village Hall. These are open to all.
Winfrith Drama Group hopes, over the forthcoming years, to continue providing quality entertainment and continue to raise funds for other community projects and charities. 

The Awards for All grant was for £8386 and will be combined with Group funds of £4000 to complete the current investment programme.

For more information visit www.winfrithdramagroup.org or contact:
Wendy Jones (Press Officer)
 wendycjones@btinternet.com

John Yonwin (Honorary Treasurer)
07966 551038

Paul Rodgers (Chairman) 
07785 502605 paul.rodgers@winfrithdramagroup.org

About Awards for All

Awards for All England is supported by the Arts Council England, the Big Lottery Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England.

It awards grants of between £300 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community.

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