Forget the TV show - Tyning's Whisty Hall was the venue for this year's Dragon's Den, which returned to the area after a Covid hiatus. The event, hosted by Radstock & Westfield Big Local, offers local charities and community groups the chance to bid for up to £500 of Lottery funding, as part of the £1 million grant that was awarded over ten years and finishes in 2026. The idea is to make the money long lasting, having a wider effect across the areas of Radstock and Westfield for years to come.
Four 'friendly' dragons - representatives from the Quartet Community Foundation, National Lottery, Rotary and B&NES 3SG (Bath & North East Somerset Third Sector Group) had the task of asking some probing questions to participants who had just 90 seconds to pitch their ideas. Each had a display beforehand for everyone to take a look at - with some participants being very inventive indeed!
There were plenty of wonderful ideas and each cause was extremely worthy, but the overall winners, with £500 each, were the Small Stuff Baby Bank, who had applied for a supply of pressure fitted baby gates to help local families in financial hardship; SWALLOW, who won a day out at the beach for its members, and Norton Radstock Boxing Club, who will have a new defibrillator serving the area of Coomb End in Radstock.
Radstock Foodies Club, which supports local families in cooking and eating also won £500 for slow cooker recipe books and Radstock Library will also be able to go ahead with a brand new outdoor messy play area. Radstock in Bloom won £500 to develop a community garden, with an eventual undercover potting area and the sewing of vegetables such as onions, potatoes and runner beans, with an idea to work alongside organisations such as the Foodies Club, by growing food that can easily be frozen and not go to waste.
The Radco site in the centre of Radstock will become far more colourful, with Youth Connect South West hoping to take part in a graffiti project to brighten up the boards that have gone up around the site, choosing positive messages and images for those passing by. Work is expected to begin on the redevelopment of the site this year (Luce I would just check this!)
The community of Tyning will enjoy future events and Radstock Arts Festival won the backing of the audience. Radstock Scouts were also winners of funding for a new cooker, which will help with hall hire and scouting events.The hall has been targeted twice by vandals in recent weeks and so the award was a most welcome piece of good news.
Audience members had to place five votes each, with those who missed out now being supported by Big Local to see how they can be helped. Refreshments were provided by SWALLOW, who packed picnic bags for each guest and everyone enjoyed a fun, networking event after such a long time away.
For more information about Radstock & Westfield Big Local or how you can be involved if you live in either of these areas, visit: radstockwestfield.org.uk/join-in/ email: info@radstockwestfield.org.uk or call Rob on: 07901 950114.
Photo below of the four friendly dragons from Quartet Community Foundation, National Lottery, Rotary and B&NES 3SG.
