This week, Shaftesbury-based BV Dairy celebrates a significant milestone—one year since joining farmer-owned dairy cooperative, First Milk.
First Milk member, Lucy Noad, BV Dairy Technical Information Officer, Hazel Warner, and Greg Jardine, First Milk CFO and BV Business Unit Director.
To mark the occasion, colleagues from BV Dairy and First Milk came together on Friday 14 February for a special tree-planting initiative at Woodhouse Farm in Trowbridge, home to First Milk member Lucy Noad. The team planted 365 trees—one for each day BV Dairy has been part of the First Milk family—demonstrating their shared commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Over the past year, BV Dairy and First Milk have successfully integrated, combining their expertise and building on their strengths. This collaboration has reinforced BV Dairy’s strong reputation for quality and customer service in food manufacturing and food service, while also exploring new opportunities in emerging markets such as gut health.
Reflecting on the past year, Greg Jardine, First Milk CFO and BV Business Unit Director, said:
“Bringing BV Dairy into the First Milk family has been a fantastic step forward for our business. We have seen first-hand the dedication, expertise, and passion of the BV Dairy team, and it has been great to work together to further strengthen the business and drive sustainable growth over the last 12 months. We look forward to building on this strong foundation in the years to come and have some exciting plans in the short term.”
Jardine continued: “This tree-planting initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability and the environment. As a farmer-owned cooperative, we recognise the importance of working in harmony with nature, and this project is just one of many ways we are making a positive impact.”
With a successful first year behind them, BV Dairy and First Milk look ahead to a future of innovation, collaboration, and continued growth.
This week we had an important debate on the health of rural high streets. The wonderful towns across the breadth of West Dorset may be small, but they are mighty. The resilience of our local businesses cannot be overstated. The Liberal Democrat-run town councils have done a brilliant job of working with local business groups to help our high streets recover from the ravages of COVID. In our bigger towns of Bridport, Dorchester and Sherborne we have seen encouraging signs of recovery but there is still much work to be done. Amazingly, Bridport and West Bay enjoy 596,000 visits a year, and up to £49m in tourism spend – including £10m spent in the shops alone. That’s driven in no small part by a packed calendar of events in the town. Retail unoccupancy in the town is seven per cent – significantly below the national average of 14 per cent, but still higher than the pre-pandemic levels. In Dorchester, the town’s Sunday market has drawn more than 10,000 visitors, leading some businesses to extend their opening hours. Sherborne, too, has shown its ability to attract new businesses, with cultural events like abbey concerts, the literary festival, the film festival and the Sherborne Festive Shopping Day in December all helping to bring more people into the town. But there are challenges too. The last remaining bank in Sherborne is set to close soon, to be replaced by a banking hub. The transition highlights the ongoing struggle to maintain essential services in rural communities. Our high streets are not just places to shop: they are spaces where communities come together. These businesses need help, not just from all of us shopping locally – even just occasionally – but from government policies that recognise the unique challenges of rural high streets. That is why the Liberal Democrats are fighting so hard to convince the Government to reverse its decisions on National Insurance contributions and business rates. West Dorset is home to some of the most remarkable towns in the country. They are proving that with determination, innovation and the right support, high streets can thrive. Edward Morello MP for West Dorset
Dorchester has staged the greatest number of community plays of anywhere in the world, and now the efforts of all those involved are bearing fresh fruit. Several participants have been inspired by the stories that have been discovered, and by the experience of creating the plays. Now a new venture is taking shape, this time spreading its wings across Dorset and delving into women’s stories. Like every other project in the arts field, funding is tight, but the newly-formed collective Women of Dorset is taking the first research steps to create what is described as “a fierce new play about historical Dorset women.” On 10th March, the project will be launched at Dorchester Arts by playwright Stephanie Dale and director Penny Levick, who will be joined by Visible Women UK’s Anya Pearson (who championed the Mary Anning statue at Lyme Regis) to talk about the plans. Acappella singing group Bread and Roses will provide the music. A group of researchers will be working at the Dorset History Centre, learning how to make the best use of the collections to discover more about Dorset women through history. The launch will be followed by five workshops, at Dorchester (17th March), Bridport (18th), Poole (19th), Weymouth (20th) and at Shaftesbury Arts Centre on Friday 21st March. The workshops will explore previously untold stories of women, both historical and personal. Booking is essential. If you would like to take part, telephone 01305 261538 and leave a message.
A Shaftesbury bookshop has once again been recognised among the UK and Ireland’s best independent booksellers, making the shortlist for The British Book Awards for the second consecutive year.
Amber Harrison (right) and Karen Brazier, co-founders of FOLDE – Image Rachael Rowe
FOLDE Dorset, the nature-focused bookshop perched on Shaftesbury’s iconic Gold Hill, has been named a Regional and Country Finalist in the Independent Bookshop of the Year category—just a year after winning the South West regional title in 2024 (see the BV April 2024).
Affectionately known as the ‘Nibbies’, The British Book Awards, run by The Bookseller magazine, are judged by an esteemed panel of industry professionals, authors, journalists, and celebrities. The Independent Bookshop of the Year category “celebrates stores that reach beyond the literary landscape and bring books to the heart of local communities.”
With a record number of entries this year, 72 finalists across nine regions and nations were selected for their ingenuity and resilience in a challenging retail climate. Organisers praised how independent bookshops “continue to thrive with imagination and innovation boosting sales, amid rising challenges on the high street.” Among the ten South West finalists, FOLDE is the only Dorset-based bookshop to make the list.
“We are delighted to have made it to the South West Regional and Country finals for the second year in a row,” said Karen Brazier, co-founder of FOLDE. “It’s no less exciting than winning the regional prize last year and reflects that we are now established as a placemaker within our community, where we play an active part in the success of our high street and provide a welcoming space for all.”
FOLDE Dorset is in the running for Independent Bookshop of the Year for the second year in a row.
Co-founder Amber Harrison added, “For us, as a niche bookshop with a nature writing focus and the first bricks-and-mortar bookshop in Europe to be BCorp certified, the awards give us an opportunity to share our vision and purpose in celebrating and championing the natural world.”
Tom Tivnan, managing editor of The Bookseller, said: “I have been judging this award for a decade and a half and I have never seen such depth of quality and energy in the submissions, from the newcomers to most venerable stores. British and Irish indies continue to thrive, despite the overall climate, with entrepreneurship and creativity. These finalists are wonderfully unique and idiosyncratic, but there is a link in that all of them are not confined by the four walls of their shops – they are out in their communities organising festivals, visiting schools, bringing authors to town. Sure, they sell a lot of books but that is just the start: independent bookshops are Britain and Ireland’s local cultural linchpins.”
FOLDE Dorset will now compete to retain its title as South West regional winner and secure a place in the running for the national prize, which will be announced at The British Book Awards ceremony in London on 12 May 2025.
Howard Phipps, the distinguished wood engraver, who lives near Salisbury, is the featured artist in the 87th annual exhibition of the Society of Wood Engravers, at Bankside Gallery, on Thames Riverside, London, on until 23rd February. Much of Howard’s work is rooted in the downs of Wiltshire and Dorset, with their deep coombes and beech clumps, around the area where he lives. He works from drawings and watercolours made on location, using light to reveal the underlying sculptural form of the landscape. Ancient trackways and striking hill forms draw his eye – timeless places on which earlier generations have left their mark. His subsequent wood engravings are profoundly imbued with a sense of place. Pictured is Catherine’s Barn.
This month Barry Cuff has chosen two postcards sent from Fontmell Magna, by the same person and to the same person, sent just a few weeks apart in 1958
Sent on 1st September to Mrs Hobday in Four Marks, just outside Alton, Hampshire. The tone of these cards suggests this might be a young mother writing to her newly-moved-away best friend? With no names, and a now non-existent address (‘Whareora’ is a place in New Zealand, and there’s no record of it in Four Marks now), it’s hard to narrow these down further: ‘Mon. I hope you had a good trip back to Four Marks on Fri. Saw Stephen & party on Sunday. It was nice & warm yest. and so it is today, bet E busy working. Charles & Katie have not yet left Maresfield as the car is not yet ready. We miss you very much, esp. Pauly & me. Don’t go working too hard & eat! Time to go to ‘the shop’ – Aloha nui ake ake ake, L’
Note the presence of the Gossip Tree in Fontmell Magna in 1958 – the ancient elm was a victim to the 1970s Dutch Em Disease epidemic, and was replaced by the current lime tree in 1977 (see Roger Guttridge’s story of it in The BV, Aug 2021). The above card is instantly recognisable, even today, showing the familiar Crown Inn and the A350. It was sent on 3rd October, once again to Mrs Hobday: Tuesday Some nice ‘Bright Intervals’ today, very welcome. After a heavy shower last evening there was a good rainbow arching over this Fontmell Down. The children were thrilled to see it, even Pipi & Pauly too, who is growing fast & is very active indeed! No letters from anyone today. Have you heard from Sunnywood at all? How is Mr Pateman? And how are YOU? Aloha nui from us all, especially L
The Government has a problem – and it’s of its own making. It joined in with almost all the pundits in their minute-by-minute commentary on government borrowing costs along the path to the Truss regime’s downfall. Labour has no right, then, to expect different treatment when markets last month reacted similarly to its own approach. There is a significant difference though, between the Truss escapade and the current government’s issues. The former was clear about her mad plan – even though in carrying out the madness, our mortgages rose and the PM fell. Labour’s problem sits in the gap between what was said and what has been done, creating uncertainty for businesses and citizens alike. Different organisations demand different types of decision. Simple businesses need agility, taking decisions quickly on the hoof. Safety-critical organisations like nuclear energy decide slowly, with many checks and balances. Success depends on understanding the organisation you have and acting accordingly: but governments are pulled in both directions. Their survival depends on fleetness of foot and reacting well to events, while success rests on critical thinking, deliberation and determined action. The antidote to this conflict is a clear and consistent strategy for government that soars above the knocks and crises below. Unfortunately, we don’t have that clear or consistent strategy yet. Growth is just a slogan if you’re not creating the conditions for it. For example, NI contribution increases obviously do something different from what the Government says it wants. They are a drag on investment and employment across the land, costing more than £2,300 per year, per staff member. Challenging for every business, and for charities providing community services – like those being faced by Riversmeet Leisure Centre in Gillingham – these costs are calamitous. So many things depend on growth: a social care solution, investment in health and stronger defence in Trumpian times. Making it easier to build through planning reform is a good start, but choosing Heathrow expansion seems more like picking a fight than a serious economic move. Our trading position is crucial, and our relationship with the EU is back on the agenda for its importance to growth. Countries make trade deals to lower barriers and increase trade: we left the EU and raised barriers, reducing trade. Liberal Democrats want a UK customs union with the EU to increase our trade in goods, help farmers and encourage smaller businesses to re-start exports to the EU. There are trade-offs for this, such as on youth mobility and fishing, but it would not stop us from negotiating independent deals on services, which are among our main competitive advantages. Decisions like this are more strategic and would do more for us – but would need courage to lead. We need and expect the government to make more consistent and less contradictory decisions that will deliver much-needed growth. Really tough decisions include questions like relationships with the EU … and it’s time to get serious again. Gary Jackson North Dorset Liberal Democrats
A chance to see classic films on the big screen is proving to be a real lifeline for many, offering a warm and welcoming space where people can relive favourite movies, enjoy a singalong, and share the experience with others. Held at Lighthouse on the third Thursday of every month, these special screenings bring together film lovers of all ages, from those reminiscing about seeing the classics on their first release to families introducing younger generations to timeless musicals. The relaxed format – lower volume, soft lighting, and an interval for a comfort break – makes the screenings particularly accessible for those living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. But these events aren’t just about nostalgia – they’re about community. ‘This is such a wonderful resource for all sorts of people to get together and enjoy a film – and the tea and biscuits, of course!’ says Julie, who regularly attends with her 93-year-old mother, Joy Salt. ‘There’s a real sense of belonging here.’ Joy, a veteran of 50 years in local musical theatre, loves reliving old favourites: ‘I remember seeing so many of these films when they first came out! They showed Calamity Jane recently – I once played Adelaide Adams, so it was great fun to watch again.’ Alongside classic musicals, the programme has featured more modern favourites like Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers, Back to the Future and Mamma Mia – all chosen for their ability to bring joy and spark conversation long after the credits roll.
A social lifeline Anna Shiels, who facilitates the screenings, explains: ‘We have regulars who come on their own, with grandchildren, with friends or carers – it’s a chance to enjoy a film in a setting where everyone feels comfortable. And when people start singing along, it’s magic!’ For Derek Woodruff, who attends with his wife Maureen, these afternoons are a highlight of the month: ‘We love the old musicals, and the daytime screenings make it easier to get out. We can have a bite to eat first, and it saves me cooking when we get home. They’re a bit of a lifeline.’ With a carefully curated selection of films, a welcoming atmosphere, and a loyal audience, Lighthouse’s big screen nostalgia is keeping the magic of cinema alive for everyone.
All screenings start at 2pm, and tickets start at £5.50. For more details and to book online see: lighthousepoole.co.uk
North Dorset CPRE’s Rupert Hardy sees a fight coming as Labour’s rural policies begin to spell trouble for Dorset’s countryside
Sunset in North Dorset, looking out over the Dorsetshire Gap from the top of Rawlsbury Camp
Since Labour entered government it has brought in a multiplicity of measures, some financial but others administrative and planning-related, which suggest it is determined to bring in changes to promote its growth and clean energy agendas at the expense of the countryside. The fact that most constituencies in the South West, outside the cities, voted for Tory or Liberal MPs is, of course, purely coincidental. The October budget brought in inheritance tax on farmers, resulting in massive protests. It also hiked the minimum wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions, affecting small businesses particularly: there are more of these proportionally in the rural parts of the country. Labour even increased rural bus fares, hurting those who have no car.
Unrealistic targets Changes to the New National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) were brought in last December. The Government is imposing ridiculously high housing targets on Dorset Council (DC), requiring the number of new homes to rise from 1,310 to 3,230 a year. This is much higher than the 1,793 homes proposed in the 2021 draft Local Plan, which was much criticised at the time. DC have said they are ‘unrealistic’ targets too – but we won’t know whether they defy the Government until the new draft Local Plan is published, later this year. All towns and large villages in Dorset will be earmarked for new development, but it will be worse in North Dorset, where less than half is covered by National Landscape designation, which gives some degree of protection.Those flawed housing targets will also be difficult to achieve, given the supply of available building materials and labour. Planners would be forced to approve unsustainable developments on Green Belt and greenfield sites, adversely impacting the environment and worsening climate change. There will inevitably be increased traffic congestion and more pressure on already inadequate infrastructure. There is no evidence that planning constraints are the main barrier to house building in Dorset. Last autumn there were more than 11,000 approved building plots awaiting development. Overall, we would prefer achievable housing targets to be used – ones based on local data, detailing household growth, affordability and current house completions. The Government may have recognised there is a crying need for more affordable housing, as well as social rented accommodation, but there is scant funding for it. We need a national land use framework – there could be other solutions. Why did Angela Rayner cut housebuilding targets for our cities? Why has there been no attempt to revise council tax bands or encouraging the sale of large houses in other ways, such as reducing stamp duty for ‘last time buyers’?
Local democracy threatened The Government is now set on reducing the role of planning committees, with greater reliance on Local Plans for deciding where houses will be built. It also wants more planning to be regionalised, with local authorities being forced to link up. Dorset is talking actively to Wiltshire and Somerset. All this will result in much less local democracy.
Clean Power 2030 Action Plan In December, Ed Miliband published his Clean Power 2030 Action Plan to switch to 95 per cent clean energy by that date. Much of his plan is based on heroically optimistic assumptions. The mountain of grid upgrades looks insuperable. The countryside will bear the brunt, of course, as more solar farms on greenfield sites are rushed through and new pylons built. Dorset may be spared the mega solar farms and pylons that East Anglia is facing, and is lucky that the only offshore wind farm being proposed for Dorset, Portwind, can be connected relatively easily to the substation at Chickerell. However, we believe the onshore focus should be on rooftop solar, which the Government has been slow to act on. CPRE has been actively supporting a private member’s bill in Parliament, the Sunshine Bill, which seeks to make it mandatory for all new housing to be fitted with solar panels. We hope it makes faster progress than it has done so far – after its second reading in January, the bill was adjourned until July. The next few years are going to be difficult, and it will take time for realism to permeate government thinking. A Trump presidency will put pressure on the need for more defence spending and so some of Labour’s other ambitious programmes may get diverted. In the meantime, talk to your local Dorset councillor and protest to your local MP. Those in marginal seats with a significant rural population should be most concerned. We may have an affordable housing crisis – which we addressed in our Affordable Housing Crisis conference last year – but it will not be solved by concreting over our beautiful countryside. Dorset is worth protecting!
