A new community initiative bringing people together in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole looks set to be aDoddle.

That’s the name of an award-winning digital enterprise behind the new BCP Community Map.

The unique national community resource has been developed for use both UK-wide and at local level.

The project is the brainchild of Founder Jaki King, pictured left, Chief Executive Officer of If Everyone Cares, a registered CIC (Community Interest Company).

The social enterprise venture has one main mission: create a national resource for use at a local level to connect people and  communities – one click at a time.

Currently there are more than 200,000 charities and community projects in the UK.

However there has not been a resource that brings the information together in one place, allowing them to be found based on location and need.

aDoddle aims to change that.

It’s an interactive community map supporting charities and community projects and also connecting local businesses with sponsorship and volunteering opportunities.

This could be finding help at a time of crisis – or in time to avoid a crisis – to give support through volunteering or locating places to connect with others.

The map supports:

• People in need to find help and support, plus volunteering opportunities or places to connect.
• Charities to highlight their services.
• Community projects.
• Businesses to discover charity partnerships and volunteering opportunities for staff.
• Universities to develop new avenues for research.

aDoddle covers the whole of the UK but is now looking at local maps to better support communities.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole was next on the list to be launched.

The main sponsor for the local launch, hosted by Bournemouth University (BU), was law firm Dutton Gregory.

Jaki said: “There are so many reasons why bringing this information together is both common sense and vital for people and communities.

“To make it work we not only need support from businesses like Dutton Gregory, but also from the charities and community organisations themselves.

“Our aim is for community maps to continually react to user, community and cross county need.  

“We are connecting communities – one click at a time.”

Charities, businesses and individuals in need across Dorset are invited to connect to the BCP Community Map.

The launch – which took the form of an online webinar – offered an overview of the map and how to use it.

It took place on March 26.

Cate Battson, Dutton Gregory’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Coordinator, pictured left, said the firm was always looking at new ways of supporting the community – not just by donating, but by joining the dots between those in need and organisations that can offer help.

She added: “We believe aDoddle represents the highest level of community togetherness.

“Dutton Gregory are proud to support such a fantastic enterprise, especially in such uncertain times.

“It has enabled us to help many more individuals and local organisations than previously possible.

“We hope the BCP Community Map will offer support and guidance to our clients, staff and the wider community in the coming months.”

Martha Mason, BU’s Launch Project Lead, pictured below, said working alongside aDoddle had not only been a beneficial learning experience but also an exciting opportunity to get involved with the local community.

She added: “Our original communication plan included a live launch event.

“However, with the current unprecedented situation, our plans have had to be drastically changed.

“Although it is disappointing not to be able to implement most of our hard work, I believe that the opportunity to move this launch online opened many doors.

“We had no limitations on numbers and reach, giving access to a much broader group of people and making the event more inclusive.

“It has also allowed us as students to have first-hand experience with issues, especially around planning and implementation, things that we will encounter when working in a marketing position.

“We worked hard to make the launch a success, not only for Jaki and aDoddle but also to help ensure that BCP becomes an irreplaceable asset in our community.”

aDoddle was named on the 2016 UK’s Digital Leaders 100 List for potential social impact.

It’s also been voted in the top three by the public in Richard Branson’s “Screw Business as Usual” Virgin Unite Global Challenge.

More details about aDoddle can be found on its website at https://adoddle.org/