Farmhouse with ex-ballroom becomes social housing

West Farm was officially opened by Councillor Gill Taylor

An old farmhouse with an outbuilding that was formerly used as a ballroom has become a supported living scheme for vulnerable young people.

West Farm, at an undisclosed rural location in west Dorset, has been opened for people aged 18 to 25 who are at risk of homelessness.

The six-bed unit together with two nearby flats are designed to provide safety and teach independence skills, Dorset Council said.

Councillor Gill Taylor, in charge of housing, said residents were being given a chance to "rewrite their future".

The property, dating from the mid-19th Century, is the council's first round-the-clock supported living scheme of its kind, the authority said.

Renovation work started in March 2024 to add solar panels and transform the interior.

Retail firm Ikea's community fund donated £1,000 of kitchen equipment as well as design ideas.

Dorset Council, which owns the site, said the scheme was a financial partnership with the government and Homes England.

The site is managed by Salvation Army Homes, which said it would support residents to "believe in themselves".

Earlier this year, the council opened emergency accommodation for vulnerable women at The Haven and for former rough sleepers at the Bus Shelter project in Weymouth.