Thorncombe lies in a very beautiful part of West Dorset, bordering Devon and Somerset.
It falls within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) . The Parish is over
5,200 acres in extent and is principally agricultural land.
Fields tend to be small and hilly with ancient hedgerows, while the access roads
to the village are very narrow lanes, shaded in summer by tall trees including oaks,
beeches and sycamores, and fringed with primroses, bluebells and cow parsley.
Applications for Grants from TVT
Under the terms of its constitution, Thorncombe Village Trust (TVT) invites applications
for grants from individuals or organisations wishing to undertake a project or activity
which reflects one or more of the aims of the Trust.
Namely to:
i) encourage and promote a greater interest in, and understanding of, the local environment
and its history
ii) protect historic buildings in the Parish and especially to conserve the character
of the village of Thorncombe and of the other settlements in the Parish
iii) oppose unsuitable development in the Parish
iv) safeguard and enhance the countryside in the Parish.
The money granted must be used for the direct benefit of the Parish of Thorncombe
only and for the public good, in such a manner and place that the Trustees can verify
the grant has been appropriately used.
If you wish to make an application for funding, please request an application form
in one of the following ways:
- Email the Secretary of the Trustees on rsholt@eclipse.co.uk
- Pick up a form from inside the porch at The School House, Chard Street, Thorncombe
(opposite the church)
- Download an application form and the guidelines from the TVT website Application
form Aims Summary
Completed application forms need to be received by the 10th of October for an October
decision by the Board of Trustees.
For any further information or if you have any questions, please talk to one of the
trustees: Kate Cahn (30054) (Chair), Mark Agnew (30385), John Higgs (30994), Richard
Holt (30428), Neil Croton, Jan Walker (30212), John Whitbread (30525).
We recommend you discuss your application with one or more of the trustees before
submitting it to the committee for consideration.
The latest minutes can be seen here
The Future of the Thorncombe Village Trust
Meeting – Thursday 9th
December 2021
Following an encouraging and well-attended meeting in November, a follow-up meeting
was held in the Sports and Social Club. There were some eleven people who attended,
and further discussion took place on how to maintain an organisation within the parish
to preserve the environment and character of the village.
The consensus was in favour of keeping the Trust in place rather than forming a new
organisation. This would be simpler to put into practice. New Trustees would need
to be elected or co-opted onto the board, which could be done either at an extraordinary
general meeting, or at a trustees’ meeting if it was decided to co-opt. Once that
is achieved, changes to the Trust’s name and constitution could be done to make it
more accessible to the public. New aims and structure could be agreed and parishioners
and others invited to become members. It was felt that the term “Trustee” was off-putting
to some people, perhaps indicating that the position involved more responsibility
than is in fact the case. Similarly, a name such as “Thorncombe Environmental Group”
would be more appropriate and more attractive to new members. It was envisaged that
a committee would provide organisation of the Group’s activities, and members could
join/be associated with those activity groups that appealed to them or which matched
their skills. The involvement of children in the village is thought essential, with
participation on group projects and possible educational or skill-acquiring workshops
being provided.
The next step would appear to be for the Trust to have a meeting soon, to co-opt
or elect new members to the Trustees. To this end an effective canvassing of the
parish should be done to encourage people to join up, using social media and e-mail
as well as the usual notices. That must make clear the intention to engage with members
again and to involve them with activities within the parish. With Christmas close
by, this will probably take place in January. With new trustees (and new ideas) in
place, the constitution can be changed to reflect the new direction and new name
for the group. The present trustees will agree a date and this will be made known
soon.
