/ Press Release

A cheque for £250,000 was presented by George Jenkins OBE, Chairman of Dover Harbour Board and Tim Waggott, Chief Executive of the Port of Dover, to the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Dover, who is leading the independent community fund panel and The Lady Colgrain, the Chairman of Trustees of the Kent Community Foundation, which is providing administrative support.

The official handover took place in Dover town centre’s Market Square by the Christmas tree that the Port had erected for the town’s recent Christmas Lights Switch On event.

Tim Waggott said:

“I am absolutely delighted to present the cheque for £250,000 as a real and visible sign of our commitment to our community. This kick starts the Port of Dover Community Fund which will see an ongoing tangible and significant contribution to supporting learning, education and skills as well as enriching the social, cultural and environmental life of local communities. Today sees the result of much hard work with the local community in establishing the priorities for the fund and enables us to achieve even more together in the years ahead.”

On receiving the cheque, the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott said:

“It is not just money. It is a pledge to help bring hope to young people and to the community of Dover. A great day!”

The ceremony was attended by a number of local dignitaries and community representatives including Charlie Elphicke MP, Deputy Town Mayor Councillor Sue Jones and Chairman of the Dover Society and Port and Community Forum Derek Leach.

To celebrate the happy occasion, the Port handed out festive drinks and mince pies to members of the public whilst Christmas carols filled the air.

The first round of funding is planned to open from the middle of January 2015 and close on 31st March 2015 with the first awards being finalised in early June.

ENDS

Issued by Corporate Affairs on 01304 240400 (ext. 4410 from 8.30 – 17.00)

Notes to Editors

The purpose of the Port of Dover Community Fund will be to benefit the Dover community, focussing on charitable activities within the following two main areas:

Skills & Jobs: To enable the Port to support projects that will provide opportunities through learning, education and skills. To assist job creation and to help improve people who are changing employment. Most notably to be supportive of efforts that focus on young people.

Community: To support activities that will provide opportunities to enrich the social, cultural and environmental life of local communities. To assist in creating an attractive and welcoming destination for both visitors coming to the region through the UK’s premier port and for potential inward investors promoting economic growth in Dover.

Subject to the purposes as described above, detailed guidelines and grant-making priorities will be developed.

Administrative support for the fund will be provided by the Kent Community Foundation who will agree detailed guidelines, grant-making priorities and the schedule of funding rounds in consultation with the Port of Dover Community Fund Panel led by the Right Reverend Trevor Willmott Bishop of Dover. The Foundation will promote the Fund and open it to applications from the local community under their normal grant-making application processes.

More details on the make-up of the panel, and the process for applications will be announced early in the New Year.