The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company will be returning to Stourpaine this summer with our new production, The Wife.
They’ll be playing at Stourpaine Village Hall Field on Friday 4th July. The Wife is a lively, musical retelling inspired by Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, full of bold storytelling, live music, humour and poetry. As ever, they’ll be performing outdoors and bringing their travelling stage back to the village.
Tickets from therudes.co.uk and for timings: here, Stourpaine – 7:30 p.m. with BYO camp picnic from 6 p.m.
Public consultation continues into proposed fire station closures
The ongoing public consultation into the potential closure of eight fire stations by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service will run until Friday 15 May.
The eight locations under consultation are all on-call fire stations: Bradford on Avon, Charmouth, Cranborne, Hamworthy, Maiden Newton, Mere, Ramsbury and Wilton.
Chief Fire Officer Andy Cole said: “Nobody wants to close fire stations but, despite saving over £15 million in the last ten years, our financial position remains very challenging due to a 19.5% cut in funding provided directly from Government. We still need to make sure our operational staff have the equipment and training they need to stay safe, and we’ve pared back our Corporate staff numbers as much as possible. This isn’t Plan A, we’ve worked through many difficult options before this point.”
He added: “The elected Members of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority are responsible for keeping the Service sustainable, and they recognise that tough decisions need to be considered.
“This consultation is therefore essential. We understand that people care about what this means for their community. That is why we want them to tell us what they think, and if there’s anything important that we might have missed. No decisions have been made. The final decision will be made by the Fire & Rescue Authority at their meeting on 30 June. We would urge our residents to have their say via our survey or the upcoming online meetings.”
In-person meetings have been held already in six of the eight locations, with further dates booked for Charmouth and Maiden Newton in April. There will also be an online meeting for each location during April.
Join us on Tuesday 25 March 2025 for our “One Stop Shop” Walk-in Wellness Clinic in the Stourpaine Village Hall. You will be able to engage with lots of services but note the Post Office Outreach and Warm Hub is relocated to the Pavilion for this one event.
You will be able to speak to the Blandford Group Practice Wellbeing Team.
It is nearly three years since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and thousands of Ukrainians have had to flee the worn torn country.
Hundreds of refugees have found a safe haven in Dorset, regaining their independence with the help of kind hosts and sponsors.
More than 500 households in Dorset have opened their homes as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, but more homes are still needed for those escaping war zones.
Dorset Council is once again asking anyone who has a spare room or two, or an annexe, to host a Ukrainian refugee or a family and help them rebuild their lives. For more information, please register here
You will be linked into a network of support, and we will pay you £350 a month to provide a room in your house.
Rental
We’re also looking for landlords who can rent a home to refugees. Many are now ready to live independently. Ukrainians on the Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Extension, and Family Schemes have the right to rent, work, claim benefits and access public funds.
Ukrainian refugees can access a range of services including schools, work, training and volunteering placements, while libraries and community groups are working to make them feel welcome.
Here are a few quotes from our current hosts:
“Hosting is a venture worth embarking on – understand the implications, have courage, and the rewards will be with you, and your guests, for life!”
“They bring me immense joy every day”
“Playing a small part in taking action to show support for Ukraine in opposing criminal Russian aggression.”
Cllr Ryan Hope, Portfolio Holder for Customer, Culture and Community Engagement at Dorset Council, said, “We continue to stand with all those affected by the horrific events which have taken place in Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
“Dorset has a proud history of welcoming new arrivals at times of crisis, offering homes and support to people escaping the horrors of war, and I am grateful to local people who have shown true community spirit and willingness to help others by welcoming Ukrainian people into their homes and our communities.”
If you would like to talk to us about the Ukraine Response in Dorset, please call 01305 221000 or email us at ukraineresponse@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Leaving small electrical devices on charge overnight has been the cause of multiple house fires in recent years, so Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is urging people to ‘Unplug to Unwind’.
Only large appliances such as fridges are designed to be left switched on all the time, so ensuring that everything else is unplugged before you go to bed is a simple routine that could protect your home from fire.
To help reduce the risk of a fire in your home, take these simple steps:
Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.
Only buy your electrical chargers from a reputable source.
Never leave items on charge when you are sleeping or when you are not at home.
Don’t overload sockets.
Regularly check for frayed or worn cables and wires.
Stampede by the Sea is raising funds for Weldmar Hospicecare, who provide specialist end of life care for local adults with a life limiting illness, and support for their loved ones.
As Learning Partner, Wessex Internet is encouraging schools across Dorset to get involved in designing their own elephant and also helping Weldmar to provide vital resources to help teachers tackle ‘the elephant in the room’: the loss of loved ones.
Wessex Internet CEO, Hector Gibson Fleming, and staff from Weldmar meet a full-size elephant and two of the ‘mini herd’ at the charity’s hospice
With discussion of grief and dying still a taboo subject, Weldmar will work with teachers, leaders and schools to support group conversations with young people while they work on the art project, and to help those directly affected to safely share their feelings with their friends, parents and teachers.
Wessex Internet will also be funding longer-term training and resource materials for teachers and schools, which will help them to support young people who need it in the future.
Our only ask of you is to spread the word so that more young people can be helped:
If you are involved in a school – as a parent, staff member, governor, PTA member or other volunteer – please take a moment at the start of this new school year to let the school’s leadership know about the initiative.
There are still a few baby elephants available to schools or other learning venues to take part in Stampede by the Sea, and leaders can speak to Weldmar about the resources that are available.
Community Contact Point Meet your neighbourhood policing team
When & Where is it? Sat 17 Aug 2024 10:00 M&S Foodhall, Langton Road Blandford Forum DT11 7EN ///surveyors.cling.unloading
Community Contact Points are pop-up events where you can speak to an officer from your neighbourhood policing team to report a crime or an incident or discuss issues affecting your community. These are drop-in style events with no need to make an appointment. Please come along as this is your opportunity to speak with your local officers to discuss any issues of concern to you. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to attend a future one, look out for the dates on Dorset Alert or follow us on social media. You can report concerns in your area, view policing priorities and a calendar of events from your local neighbourhood policing team via this link: https://www.dorset.police.uk/npt
Message Sent By Pete Smith (Dorset Police, NEO, North & East Dorset)
Message Sent By
You must be logged in to post a comment.