How You Can Help
Make Things Happen in Dewsbury!
Not enough happening for you in town?
If You Want Something Doing
- 'Best Do It Thissen'
The Dewsbury Partnership aims to make it easier for local groups to work together and get things done - and if no-one else is doing what is necessary then to do it ourselves.
One of the things we identified long ago was that community events are one of the best ways to get people together - but also the hardest thing for the community to organise for itself.
So we need all sorts of resources, people and money mostly. People with skills as well as people who just give their time and enthusiasm. We would love it if you could volunteer your skills - or your time - or just your enthusiastic help with all sorts of jobs that need doing.
No time to volunteer?
Yes, we know that you've probably GOT NO TIME. You've got a family - and one of those time gobblers called 'a job' - and pets - and a garden and all the other reasons that mean you have difficulty helping out no matter how much you might want to.
All the same, we are slowly accumulating a small group of volunteers who find that they are able and willing to help - but we're still not enough.
The Big Problem: Things We Can't Do Ourselves And Have To Pay For.
No matter how many volunteers we get from the community there are still services that we have to buy in and pay for in order to run an event. Things we don't have the experience or knowledge to do - or things that the council require before they will issue a licence.
And all those contractors have yet more regulations - on top of insurance that we have to buy to enable our events to take place. Things we have to pay for like:
And it all costs money. Just the stuff listed here will cost about £5,000 - for every event. And that's before we even start to think about any entertainment.
Then: How To Pay For The Entertainment
Here's our dilemma: we have a great creative energy in Kirklees supported both by a council team and an Arts Council funded organisation whose every effort goes into training and nurturing local talent so that they can earn a living in the performing arts. And there's the rub - their livelihood depends on being paid for what they do So how can we expect them to work for free?
Lots of artists are ready to reduce their rates for community events - but even so... it all costs.
We Had A Great Time
With Previous
Dewsbury Christmas Lights!
Dewsbury Christmas Lights 2019 was the first event we took responsibility for.
We quickly discovered we were trying to do too much with too little in too short a time
and generated an enormous amount of stress!
But lots of people enjoyed it - and boy, did we learn some lessons!
The Lessons We Learned
1. Keep it simple. We're simplifying the layout of the event this year
2. Focus on your target market. For Christmas it has to be about the children - so we're going big on children this year.
3. Start planning early - really early. And yes, we've started planning - of which this page is part - to make sure we're ready.
4. Build support. We're starting on that as well - we need help, your help - and we'll come to how you can do that in a minute.
So Now We Know:
Putting on Events Is Expensive
Why Don't You Get a Grant?
There's an obvious solution to all this MONEY TROUBLE - go get a grant. Well, yes, we did that last year and it helps and we will no doubt do it again together with every other money making scheme we can think of.
THE PROBLEM WITH GRANTS: - is that they always run out. We have to spend as much time and effort in getting a replacement grant as in delivering what we exist to do.
And whoever provides the grant usually wants you do to what they want - which might not be want you want to do.
So we need a better solution to generate our own income.
And here's the answer: including your chance to WIN BIG!
Our own local lottery
Your chance to WIN CASH while supporting your favourite town
And help The Dewsbury Partnership
to put on more events
with a more secure financial future
PRIZES drawn from
£30,000 Annual Prize Pot
Looks Interesting - but you're not sure?
I don't like doing financial stuff online
No problem. Just click here to download and print a paper form and follow the instructions to return it to us.
My culture does not allow lotteries
We're working on a way for you to support us without taking part in the lottery. You can support us with a regular gift.
Easy to join
Subscription is by secure Direct Debit. Just fill in the form either online or on paper and we will take care of the rest. The Lottery provides long term, reliable funding for The Dewsbury Partnership as well as giving you a bit of fun. You can subscribe with anywhere between 1 and 6 tickets. Unhappy with that sort of commitment? - don't worry, we will still be fundraising by other means and you will have other, short term, opportunities to support individual events.
What's In It For You?
A bit of fun - you always have the chance of winning one of the lottery cash prizes - every week, or month or even one of the four seasonal Jackpots!
Knowing that when you are giving ...your community is winning. Every subscriber is a long term win for community events in Dewsbury.
Just 200 annual subscribers with 1 ticket will return £12,480 per year.
Enough to fully fund 1 event every year. But why stop at 1 when you can join with up to 6 tickets.
300 annual subscribers brings in £18,727 per year -
Enough for 2 or maybe 3 events if we can get other funding.
Beyond that, the sky's the limit.
If we can make this really interesting and amusing there's no telling where this might go - and how Dewsbury really can stand on its own feet.
Join now to help us deliver some really special community activity and entertainment in Dewsbury!
Payment is by Direct Debit. You do not require a credit or debit card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs the lottery?
What are the prizes?
Where can I find the winners?
Why is the monthly payment an odd number?
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