One of our first ideas (as shared in the original FB post that kicked this whole thing off) was to start a regular bus service between Bridport and West Bay.
Our first Best of Bridport event at The Lyric was a fundraiser for the bus and in total we’ve raised £2000 from that, plus some generaous donations from local businesses and residents, and proceeds from our fortnightly film and food event MMMM! Monday Movie, Meal & Mingling.
But what made all the difference was that fact that we joined the Community Transport Association. Because back on 2 December 2024 their email newsletter had the subject “Funding available – South West Rural Mobility Pilot Projects” and reading that we thought “that sounds like exactly the fund for us!”.
The following Sunday night at around 10pm, Josef, who was ill with COVID at the time and so was shattered and about to go to bed, though: I think the deadline for the fund is coming up soon… I had better check when it is. And it was lucky he did! Because the deadline was 11:59pm that night, 8 December. And so Josef (with the help of ChatGPT) drafted and submitted an application just before the deadline! Phew.
And thankfully the funders really liked our application. They said they couldn’t fund the full amount we’d applied for (£22,830), but that they’d like to offer us £20,000 – we were over the moon!
But, as it turned out, because we so small and new we didn’t pass the funder’s (Western Gateway Sub-national Transport Body) due diligence tests and so they encouraged us to convince our local town council to resubmit our application in their name (as council’s don’t need to pass their tests).
And so Josef attended the Bridport Town Council Environment and Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday 8 January and they agreed to support the idea in principle, and then the Finance and General Purposes Committee on Monday 13 January, which Josef also attended and spoke, agreed the same. Finally on Monday 10 March the Finance and General Purposes Committee agreed to proceed…
And now the bus is launching on Saturday 26 July!
How the Bridport to West Bay Shuttle Came to Life
One of our very first ideas, as shared in the original Facebook post that helped kick all this off, was to create a regular shuttle bus between Bridport and West Bay.
At our first Best of Bridport event at The Lyric, we raised funds for the bus. Between that, some generous donations from local businesses and residents, and proceeds from our fortnightly film-and-food event MMMM! Monday Movie, Meal and Mingling, we raised over £2,000 to get the ball rolling.
But what really made the difference was joining the Community Transport Association. On 2 December 2023, their email newsletter arrived with the subject line: “Funding available – South West Rural Mobility Pilot Projects.”
We read it and thought: that sounds like exactly the fund for us!
Then, late on Sunday 8 December, Josef was ill with COVID, completely shattered, and just about to go to bed. He suddenly thought: I’d better check the deadline for that fund.
Good thing he did: the deadline was 11:59 pm that night. So, fuelled by adrenaline (and with the help of ChatGPT), Josef pulled together and submitted an application just before the deadline. Phew.
To our delight, the funders (Western Gateway Sub-national Transport Body) loved it. While they couldn’t offer the full £22,830 we applied for, they did award us £20,000. We were over the moon.
However, because West Dorset Commons is so new and small, we didn’t pass the funder’s due diligence checks. But they encouraged us to work with a local authority, and Bridport Town Council stepped up in a big way.
Josef attended the Town Council’s Environment and Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday 10 January 2024, where the idea received support in principle. The following week, he spoke at the Finance and General Purposes Committee on Monday 13 January, which also gave its support. Then, at their meeting on Monday 10 March, the committee gave final approval to proceed: the project was officially on track.
Now, the Bridport to West Bay Shuttle launches on Saturday 26 July 2025!
This Is Just the Beginning
The pilot service is now funded and will run for 40 weekends. Whether it continues beyond that will depend on support from the community.
We believe in community agency: it is within our power to decide together that we want something to exist, and then work together to make it happen. Our long-term dream for this service is a community-owned electric bus, running more frequently and for longer hours. We’d also love to start a late-night bus between Bridport and Lyme Regis.
But transport is just the start. West Dorset Commons is working to build a thriving bioregion: a place where people and planet can flourish together. That means stronger local connections, better access to the things we need, and new systems of mutual care and shared resources.
If you’d like to see more projects like this come to life, please join us: https://ud.coop/join
