Palmers Brewery in Bridport have given £5,000 to local good causes in the first awards from the new Palmers Brewery Fund.

Eight community groups benefited with sums ranging from £75 to £1,000 each. They included the Bride Valley Junior Archers, who were given £1,000 to buy new and replacement equipment.

‘We have about 60 members now and with that number we need to make sure we always have enough bows and arrows to go round and to replace equipment that gets worn our or broken. This award is a fantastic help,’ explained club secretary Paul Kingston.

Paul started the club in 2009 to teach children aged from six to 16 the skill of archery. Based in Litton Cheney, the club has many members from the Bride Valley and around West Dorset as well as links with several local schools and youth groups.

Cleeves Palmer, sales and marketing director at Palmers Brewery, said: ‘This is exactly the kind of group that we set up the Palmers Brewery Fund to support and I’m very pleased to be helping them with their excellent work. The fund has another £5,000 to distribute this December and the deadline for applications is 1 November, so I urge people to send in their applications in good time.’

Other organisations given funds in this round were Bridport Citizens Advice Bureau, The Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis, the Fizzy Boppers pre-school dance group, Bridport Barracudas, Puncknowle and Swyre Village Hall, Bridport Gig Rowing Club and Whitchurch Canonicorum Playgroup.

Palmers Brewery Fund is for community causes in West Dorset. For more information and to download an application form, visit the Fund section of the Palmers Brewery website. You can also pick up a form in person from the Brewery office in West Bay Road, Bridport.