Palmers Brewery Community Fund has provided £524 of match funding
Family/Accessible Changing Facilities Fundraiser
Bridport, Dorset, United Kingdom
Your donation unlocks match funding
Boost your impact
Your donation unlocks match funding
Aim
To expand accessible changing cubicles and showers at Bridport Leisure Centre, enhancing inclusivity for disabled, family, and LGBTQ+ users.
Bridport Creating Inclusive Changing Spaces for Our Community.
Bridport Leisure Centre is improving its locker area to provide more accessible changing cubicles and showers for the growing number of people who rely on these facilities.
We currently have limited accessible changing provision. Demand from families, disabled users, people with additional needs and the LGBTQ+ community has increased. By converting unused space in the existing locker area we will install four new large changing cubicles (one with a private shower) and five new drench showers.
Palmers Brewery have pledged £2,000 in match funding through their Community Fund. This support continues a deep and valued local partnership. The Palmer family has enabled and sustained sport and recreation on this site for generations, and the Centre stands on land historically associated with the brewery. We are proud that this positive relationship between Bridport & West Dorset Sports Trust and Palmers continues strongly today, demonstrated once again through their generous commitment to this project.
Your donation will help us reach our target and unlock Palmers’ match funding. As a strictly non-profit charity, every contribution directly improves facilities that enhance health, wellbeing and inclusion for the people of Bridport and West Dorset.
Please support this important community project.
Bridport Leisure Centre: A Community Hub Built by Local Passion
Bridport Leisure Centre is operated by Bridport & West Dorset Sports Trust Ltd, a registered charity (No. 267781) dedicated to providing high-quality recreational facilities for the people of West Dorset. Our vision is to create an accessible, affordable health and wellbeing hub that truly serves everyone in the community, regardless of age, ability, gender, ethnicity, religion, or background.
Our History
The site’s sporting roots trace back to Bridport Cricket Club in 1885 on Palmers Brewery land. The modern centre began in 1975 with squash courts, leading to the formation of the Trust as a charity. With support from Tony Palmer and development proceeds, dry-side facilities opened in 1986.
In 1983, local residents formed the BACIT group to campaign for an indoor swimming pool. Through determined fundraising - including petitions signed by thousands and countless community events, they raised £185,000. This effort, alongside council support, resulted in the 25m main pool and learner pool, proudly opened in 1994 by Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies MBE.
Since then, the centre has grown steadily with further expansions, including the rugby pavilion, BACIT Studio, fitness suite upgrades, and modern facilities. Now celebrating over 50 years, it has evolved into Bridport’s thriving community hub.
We are a passionate, community-focused team committed to maintaining and improving our facilities to enhance quality of life. Through this Locker Area Project, we aim to expand our accessible changing facilities to meet rising demand and reduce queues, ensuring the centre remains a welcoming space for all. The funds raised will directly support construction works, enabling us to deliver modern, inclusive amenities that align with our mission of improving conditions for local inhabitants.
Today’s Community Asset
The centre offers a 25m swimming pool and teaching pool, state-of-the-art Technogym fitness suite, sports hall, squash courts, dedicated studios, and outdoor pitches. It delivers over 100 weekly classes, SEN sessions, exercise referral programmes, cancer rehabilitation, dementia groups, and inclusive activities for families, disabled users, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of all ages and abilities.
As a single-site charitable trust, surpluses are reinvested to maintain and improve facilities. Community support remains essential - just as during the original BACIT campaign - to keep this vital local asset strong for future generations.
Your Crowdfunder contribution will directly help sustain and enhance Bridport Leisure Centre, ensuring it continues to serve as a welcoming space for health, wellbeing, and community connection.
Exercise and fitness is what keeps me strong at Bridport Leisure Centre.
Sarah Adams, is a long-standing member of the Centre living with Multiple Sclerosis. She has been a keen swimmer since childhood and it remains her primary form of exercise, offering time to think, de-stress, and stay fit, while also providing a sociable space to meet others.
Over the years she has enjoyed Aquafit, Aqua Zumba, Deep Water Sessions, and Aqua Wellbeing classes. Today she continues her routine using a woggle, pool cycling, jogging, and resistance work against the pool side to support her flexibility and muscle tone.
“The staff are brilliant, I let them know when I’ve arrived and they always look after me,” Sarah says. “I’d love to see more people using the facilities. For anyone in a similar position, the pool hoist can feel daunting at first, but once you get past that fear, the joy of swimming far outweighs any concerns. The benefits are life-changing.”
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are crowdfunding to complete vital upgrades to our locker area, addressing increased demand for accessible changing facilities. Currently, we have only two such spaces serving disabled users, families, and the LGBTQ+ community, leading to frequent queues.
By repurposing unused space, we will install additional large changing cubicles and showers. This project strengthens our eligibility for match funding by demonstrating clear community benefit, improved accessibility, and efficient use of existing infrastructure. It directly supports our charitable objectives and will make the centre more inclusive for all.
[Mock up of the new cubicles in the current locker area)
How we’ll spend the money raised
We are seeking partial grant support, particularly for the cubicle installations, with other elements already part-funded through reserves and events. Funds raised will contribute to:
- Cubicle installations: £15,000 (primary request)
- Suspended ceiling works: £1,560
- Drench showers: £2,500
Total project cost is £31,060. Your support will help complete these essential works, ensuring the new facilities are delivered efficiently and to a high standard. We maintain full transparency with detailed budgeting and regular project updates.
[Floor plan showing the new cubicles and showers]
Community impact
Bridport Leisure Centre, serves as a vital community hub for the people of West Dorset. Our facilities benefit a wide and diverse range of residents, including disabled individuals, families, the LGBTQ+ community, older adults, and those with additional needs, by providing accessible, affordable health and wellbeing opportunities irrespective of background.
The centre supports not only recreational swimming, fitness, and changing facilities but also delivers the local exercise referral programme and specialised classes in partnership with key stakeholders. These services improve physical and mental health, reduce social isolation, and enhance overall quality of life for local inhabitants.
Beyond sport, the centre hosts community events, supports local groups, and acts as an inclusive space that strengthens neighbourhood connections. By expanding our accessible changing facilities through this project, we will ensure even greater participation, minimise barriers, and deliver lasting benefits to the entire West Dorset community.
How you can play your part
Your support is vital to transforming our locker area and delivering enhanced accessible facilities for the whole community. Here are four simple ways you can help us reach our target and make this project a reality:
Make a Pledge Today - Every contribution counts. If you’re able to support us, please don’t delay, early momentum is key to unlocking further match funding and ensuring the project’s success.
Spread the Word - Share our Crowdfunder page across your social media networks, with family, friends, and colleagues. The wider the reach, the stronger the community support we can build together.
Offer Rewards - Local businesses and organisations: we warmly welcome donations of goods, services, or experiences that we can offer as rewards to our supporters. In return, we’ll proudly give you a public shout-out and recognition.
Fundraise With Us - Organise your own fundraiser, whether a sponsored swim, bake sale, or any creative activity. Simply use the ‘Contact Project’ button at the top of our page to get in touch. Setting up a personal fundraising page takes just a few minutes and requires no bank details.
Together, we can secure the future of these much-needed accessible changing facilities. Thank you for standing with Bridport Leisure Centre, your generosity will make a lasting difference to so many local lives.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th October 2026 at 7:23am