“Let nature be your teacher”

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14 May 2021

William Wordsworth

Clayesmore from the lake
image: Courtenay Hitchcock

Tucked away past verdant rugby and hockey pitches, in the shadow of Hambledon Hill, is Clayesmore School’s magical lake.

Originally built in the 1920s, it is a corner of calm, tranquility and reflection in the bustling school. The lake is home to many animal species including badgers, otters, ducks and a famous pair of swans. A little known fact is that the lake was built in the shape of a swan; maybe that’s why the resident swans feel so drawn to it!

The lake has been enjoyed by pupils for many years, from ‘Lake Warfare’ in the 1940s and 1950s to raft building, pond dipping, kayaking and sailing.

With ‘outdoor learning’ being so fundamental at Clayesmore, the team have been working hard to enhance the space, and with grand plans afoot, it’s set to be even more glorious than ever. The first job for the hardy grounds team was to clear the scrub and vegetation that had built up around the lake over the last few decades, and also undertake some essential woodland management.

Prep pupils were engaged in planting trees as part of Environment Day, earning them a Woodland Trust Gold Award last year. They have also been busy building bird boxes in DT lessons too, and had great fun putting them up in the last week.

Jo Thomson, Head of Clayesmore says, ‘Our commitment to developing outdoor learning experiences is clearly evident; we want all of our pupils to nurture an appreciation and respect for nature and all that is living. We want them to look after our environment and understand that we are guardians of the planet for just one generation, and we must hand it on to the next in good health’.

The ‘Lake Project’ commenced with a pontoon in 2019, funded by the Old Clayesmorian Society, a legacy for the next generation. Pupils are able to pond dip and study new life, and ooh at the layer of frogspawn in spring.

The new pontoon
image: Courtenay Hitchcock

Since we emerged from this latest lockdown, the outdoor classroom has been built lakeside. This really will be a huge enhancement to the way pupils are taught about the environment.

So what’s next for this space? Clayesmore’s Development Manager, Sarah Kerr explains:
‘We have huge plans for the future; installing a ‘reflection bench’ that will snake through the trees, where students can enjoy moments of mindfulness and calm; and for exhilaration, the development of the mountain bike track, along with a bushcraft area, bringing fun and extended learning opportunities. A nature trail is in the works too.’

Clayesmore is keen to share the space when work is finished and restrictions are lifted. They will be inviting local school children in to enjoy the lake, and will also be holding musical events there for the local community to enjoy. What a joy that will be, so watch this space!

Workflow and Admin Co-Ordinator 37.5 hours per week |Blackmore Vale Partnership

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Editorial team

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14 May 2021

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Workflow and Admin Co-Ordinator 37.5 hours per week **Closing date 28.05.21**

We are looking for an enthusiastic Clinical workflow and administrative coordinator to join our diverse team to help us manage the clinical flow of correspondence.

This is a key role within the practice and will free up clinicians to see patients and provide the care required.

You will be located at The Blackmore Vale Partnership surgeries in North Dorset.

For information about the role and to apply, please follow the link to our website.

https://www.blackmorevalesurgery.co.uk/vacancies

If you have any further questions about the role, please email: [email protected] Tel: 01747 856706

St Mary’s Approved to Become a New SEND School and a Leading National Centre of Excellence

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Editorial team

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13 May 2021

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A new school with fantastic facilities will improve the lives of Dorset children with SEND and reduce future costs, after ambitious plans were last week given the go-ahead.

Plans to convert St Marys into a new school for around 280 pupils with SEND, (special educational needs and or disabilities) and a leading national centre of excellence have been approved by councillors.

Local people overwhelmingly voted for the site to continue to be used for education. Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio holder for Children, Education and Early Help, said: “We have seized a unique opportunity to create something amazing for Dorset.
“The good news is that creating a new SEND school with fantastic facilities will not only improve the lives of Dorset children and young people, but will also save money in the future.

“We will reduce spending in the longer term because it costs almost three times as much to send a child away for private educational provision. We currently have to do this because our own excellent special schools are over-subscribed. This site has wonderful facilities, it would have cost a great deal more and taken several years, to build such an amazing school.”

Currently more than 250 Dorset children have to be sent away to independent special schools – at a cost of around £14 million a year.

It costs around £60,000 per child, per year for independent provision, compared to around £22,000 for high quality provision at one of Dorset’s own excellent special schools.

St Mary’s will be at the heart of a new centre of excellence, with facilities for vulnerable children, young people and adults. The centre will also be used to provide short breaks and respite care for vulnerable children and adults, as well as great facilities for Dorset children in care.

Plans are also being drawn-up to try and create opportunities for local ‘people in need’ to benefit from the site’s amazing facilities. Nothing has been comfirmed, but it is hoped that people who have been prescribed activities by the NHS to boost their mental and physical health will be able to access some of the leisure facilities, though public access will have to be carefully managed in order to safeguard the vulnerable children and adults who will be at the site.

Full speed ahead with community sites set to receive gigabit broadband thanks to Dorset LEP

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Editorial team

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12 May 2021

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Dozens of community buildings across rural north Dorset are to be connected to next generation gigabit-capable broadband.

It’s thanks to a Getting Building Fund allocation from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Left to right: Cllr Peter Wharf, Dorset Council’s Deputy Leader; Cecilia Bufton, Chair of Dorset LEP; Hector Gibson Fleming, Wessex Internet MD, and Nicola Brooke, Headteacher of Durweston School. The school has recently been connected to the latest broadband technology.

Sixty community sites, from Blandford to Sherborne and including schools, community centres, a health centre, council depots, farms and adult social care residential homes, will be connected to gigabit broadband by March 2022.

Following a competitive tender process, Blandford-based Wessex Internet has been awarded the contract to deliver full-fibre to the community buildings.

Lorna Carver, Dorset LEP Director, said: “Digital connectivity has been instrumental in helping our communities during the Covid-19 pandemic and will be vital in our recovery.

“Our Local Industrial Strategy for Dorset states that by 2030 we will lead a digital and cultural transformation across all communities.

“Projects such as this will help fulfil that ambition.

“This investment will bring much-needed improvement to broadband speeds in some of Dorset’s most rural areas, greatly benefitting the local economy.”

Cllr Peter Wharf, Dorset Council’s Deputy Leader, said: “This is fantastic news for the communities in this area.

“It will mean some of our most rural areas, that would never be covered commercially, will be able to access the next generation of gigabit capable broadband.

“This is not only good news for the community organisations, all of which provide vital services, but also to the surrounding residents and business who will now have greater access to full-fibre infrastructure.”

Building the network to the sites will bring many thousands of homes and businesses within reach of the new Wessex Internet network.

Residents and businesses in these areas will be eligible for further subsidy through gigabit vouchers funded by the government, Dorset Council and the Dorset LEP to offset the costs of installing full-fibre.

Hector Gibson Fleming, Managing Director of Wessex Internet, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this contract from Dorset Council and Dorset LEP.

“Not only to connect these important community sites, but to enable us to rapidly expand our network to the rural communities between Blandford and Sherborne, and connect more homes and businesses.

“We’re passionate about upgrading connectivity in the countryside and have already connected dozens of Dorset villages and hamlets to full fibre broadband.

“This will accelerate our work in this area and continue to expand our rapidly growing workforce in north Dorset.”

By: Andrew Diprose Dorset Biz News

14yr old Stalbridge girl, Ruby ‘The Pocket Rocket’ Else-White, named one of ‘Europe’s top boxing prospects’.

By

Laura

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12 May 2021

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Ruby Else-White has been recognised as one of Europe’s top talents at just 14 years old.

“It was mad!” Ruby said of the competition in Sweden early last year. Now aged 14, Ruby was just 12 when she won “I’d competed all weekend, and won all my bouts to get the gold for my weight. It was actually really tough because it was all judged on technical ability. There was no power allowed so I had to just focus on my skills. But I didn’t even think about the overall award. I was so shocked.”

Ruby Else-White, the Pocket Rocket female boxer from north Dorset

“There were 300 girls fighting that weekend” explained her coach, Shaun Weeks of Sturminster Newton ABC “It’s the biggest female amateur championship in Europe. The Indian national team were competing, as were some of the Italians. Ruby was one of the youngest competitors. We were watching the final presentation, and didn’t even think about the top ‘Best Prospect’ award – it’s never left Norway or Sweden before.

There were some great fighters there – but y’know, Ruby’s up there with them. She’s amazing”
Shaun Weeks

Ruby White also defeated the reigning European champion last March, just before the Covid-19 pandemic stalled her attempt to represent England.

For Heidi Else, Ruby’s Mum, it’s been almost an inevitable journey.

“She’s always been a strong, independent person. A ‘free bird’ I call her.
I recently found an old drawing of hers from Primary School – the class had had to colour a rainbow and write their wish underneath. Ruby had written ‘I want to go to the Olympics and win a Gold medal for Boxing’ as her biggest wish. I should have known right then!”

7yr old Ruby Else-White's Olympic Dream Rainbow — Heidi kept Ruby’s 7yr old Olympics dream Rainbow.

Shaun says he knew too, from Ruby’s very first training session.

“She got in the ring as a seven year old, never having worn a pair of gloves before, and I told another coach that night that she’d be a champion by the time she was 12.”

Talking to Ruby over a weekend of a sporting social media boycott raising awareness of online abuse, I wondered if as a young teen girl she had received any nastiness herself.

“It’s something that worries me” said Heidi “It’s bad enough that her sport makes her obsess around her weight – we keep the focus on fitness and health, and never on her looks, but teen girls are vulnerable. It’s a tricky line to walk.
“And then Ruby’s had some issues with unpleasantness on social media – particularly when the article was published on Sky Sports about her. It did upset her for a bit.”

Ruby appeared less concerned than her mum, expressing what I’m quickly learning is her usual dismissive attitude to things she doesn’t like.

“I just tell them if they’ve got a problem with me, they’re welcome to bring it in the ring to settle it.”

Surprisingly, it’s not male commenters that give Ruby a hard time online

“No, whenever I train or spar with boys, it’s always really respectful, and it’s the same online. But other girls can be pretty horrible sometimes. Not all, obviously – I have a lovely group of female boxers I talk to a lot, we support and encourage each other, it’s lovely.

“But others can be a bit much – I don’t know if it’s because that’s how they think they’re expected to be, but Shaun’s really strong on being respectful at all times.

“It’s mad. Especially as girls are starting to break through to mainstream now – it’s a tough sport, and I just feel like we’d all be better if we didn’t knock each other. Outside the ring, obviously…”
Ruby peeled off into reassuringly familiar 14 year old old teen sniggers.

“It’s been a swift learning curve” said Shaun “Social media’s not really my thing, and I didn’t really expect it from other young female fighters. Though I didn’t expect I’d get personal messages from their coaches either!
“But we all sat down together and decided how we would handle any issues online – Ruby’s only going to get more attention, so it was definitely something Ruby, her family and I needed to discuss. Ruby’s close to Heidi, and they talked it through too.”

Does Heidi watch her daughter fight, I wondered?

“I do.” Heidi said “and I’ll admit it’s worrying for a mum. It’s hard to watch. The hardest thing. But I want to be there for her every step of the way.”

So what’s next for the local Pocket Rocket? The world’s best amateur boxers will compete in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics – and Ruby has set herself a target of the 2028 Games (she’ll still be too young in 2024). She has already been training with the best national hopefuls in the GB Pathways Squad in Sheffield, and intends to resume the qualification process later this year.

“Nationals in September, hopefully, then the Box Cup, which I have to win for the third year running to retain my title.”

Unknowingly echoing the story Heidi told me earlier, Ruby finished “I really want to win an Olympic title,” she said.

“I’ve always wanted to get gold at the Olympics.”

Claiming against an uninsured or untraced Driver

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Editorial team

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12 May 2021

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Other driver uninsured or driven off but left you injured? You may still have a claim.

It’s the road user’s worst nightmare – you’re involved in an accident that isn’t your fault, only to find that the other driver isn’t insured or, worse, has driven off without providing their details.

This doesn’t however need to be the problem it may initially appear to be as it is in these circumstances that the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (‘MIB’) may step in. The MIB is a non-profit-making company set up by motor insurers. It enters into agreements with the UK Government in order to compensate victims

of motor accidents in such circumstances. It is funded by contributions from every insurer that underwrites compulsory motor insurance; with The Road Traffic Act 1988 requiring these insurers be a member of the MIB and contribute to the funding.

The MIB also works with the police to identify uninsured drivers for prosecution, thereby working towards all our safety on the road, that being all victims of road traffic accidents who are not at fault, including pedestrians and cyclists.

Eligibility – If your claim is eligible and you follow the correct process (outlined below), compensation can be available for pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by injuries sustained, financial losses suffered (for example a loss of earnings) and for the loss of or damage to any property involved in the accident, including a vehicle.

One of the most important things to remember in relation to eligibility is that a claim must be brought for personal injury, assuming that in most cases like this some sort of injury will have been caused, within 3 years of the date of accident. After this time it becomes “statute barred” and you will not be able to bring the claim.

Process – In order to make a claim to the MIB, important steps need to be taken early on and without delay.

Firstly, if you are driving, always report the accident to the police. If another vehicle is involved and they do not provide their insurance details, this must be reported to the police within 24 hours. It is advisable to report the matter to the police within 24 hours in any event. You should also inform your own insurance company.

If you were not driving a vehicle, but were a pedestrian or cyclist, you should report the accident to the police immediately; any delay in these respects could affect your eligibility to make a claim.

Once eligibility has been established, a Claim Form can then be submitted
to the MIB, setting out full details of the damage and injury suffered. It is important that this document is complete and accurate in order to ensure that the MIB gives your claim the careful consideration it deserves. Again, there are deadlines so it is important to act quickly.

The process will be different depending on whether the claim is against an uninsured driver or an untraced driver (i.e. a driver who has “hit and run”)- it is important that you follow the right process and understand how it all works so as to give yourself the best possible chance of having your claim accepted, accessing appropriate treatment or rehabilitation that might assist in your recovery and, ultimately, ending up with a fair sum of compensation for the experience that you have had to go through.

Battens personal injury team are able to assist you with the process, leaving you to just concentrate on getting better. For more information contact kate Golding on 01935 846072 or email [email protected]

8yr old Patrick Raises £345 for Blandford Primary School Field

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Editorial team

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12 May 2021

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When 8yr old Patrick Doyle, a pupil at Archbishop Wake Primary School in Blandford
heard the school were trying to raise money for an all-winter playing field, he immediately told his grandmother he wanted to help.Archbishop Wake Primary School in Blandford are very lucky to have a huge playing field. However it is mostly unusable during the Autumn and Winter months as the ground is too wet. The school are trying to raise money for a ‘Multi Use Games Area’ (MUGA) – an all-weather sports surface which is suitable for multiple different activities. so that they can use their outdoor space all year round. However, a MUGA is not cheap – and the school naturally has a limited budget, and many demands upon it.Patrick’s grandparents are his main carers. Carol Doyle, Patrick’s grandmother, said“when Patrick heard what the school wanted to do, he asked if perhaps he could do asponsored walk for them.He’s not a huge sports fan, though he does enjoy kicking a ball around the garden. We think it’s just that he wanted to help the school. “Naturally we encouraged him, telling him that it was a great idea. We suggested walking around the Milldown, and Patrick decided that he would walk one lap of the Milldown once a day for five days.Patrick achieved his target – he walked a mile around the Milldown every day for 5 daysand he has raised £345 for the school! A spokesperson from Archbishop Wake said “We are all so proud of him. Such kindness touches us all!”Carol said “myself and his grandad are very proud of his achievement, as is his mum and the rest of our family and friends.”

Deco Artist’s Poignant Masterpiece Tells Tragic Tale of Loss in Stur

By

Laura

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12 May 2021

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The jewelled colours of St Elizabeth of Hungary sparkle in the late afternoon sunlight. Her flaming red hair and the sight of the Madonna flanked by two women in the stained glass window would have been a dramatic sight for the Sturminster Newton parishioners in 1921.

A century later, elements of the story behind this rare Art Deco memorial window resonate with the current pandemic and the sacrifice made by people across the world.

The Spencer-Smith family lived in Sturminster Newton. Drummond Cospatric Spencer-Smith was an officer in the Royal Artillery, posted to New Zealand as Aide De Camp to the Governor-General. It was in New Zealand that he met Roma Hope, a beautiful red-headed girl from Timaru on South Island. They became engaged, married in London in 1915 and moved to Sturminster Newton.

During the First World War, Roma worked as a nurse at St Thomas Hospital in London. Tragically, she died on 12 November 1918 during the flu pandemic, aged 28, and the day after the armistice.

The couple had been married just three years, of which Drummond spent most of the time serving in World War One. Roma left an eleven-month-old son.

A devastated Sir Drummond Spencer-Smith commissioned a memorial stained glass window for Sturminster Newton.

Harry Clarke was an award-winning stained glass artist and book illustrator from Ireland and a strict catholic. He had studied in Chartres, and the rich colours used in his work are a result of the influence the cathedral windows had on him. His work was considered bizarre by many but was strongly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.

We don’t know why Harry Clarke accepted the commission for Sir Drummond Spencer Smith.

Was it a shared sense of compassion for the prolific global loss in the 1918 Flu Pandemic?

Or, was he an admirer of the suffragette and first woman stained glass artist, Mary Lowndes from Sturminster Newton, whose work also features in St Mary’s Church?

Clarke had rented a studio from the Lowndes & Drury’s workshop in Chelsea, so it is highly likely the two artists were acquainted.

Harry Clarke used an art deco design for the window which featured three female saints of equal height. It was unusual as the Madonna is usually alone, or placed above other characters.

Harry worked on the glass himself and completed it in May 1921, signing the panel. Apart from being a masterpiece, the more you look at the window, the more there is to see.

The Madonna and child in the central panel represent the Virgin Mary and the memorial to Roma Spencer Smith. The baby is a portrait of Roma’s child. The red-haired woman in Art Deco clothing on the left is Saint Elizabeth of Hungary who is the patron saint of nurses and represents Roma’s profession.

The portrait in the glass was taken from one of Roma herself. On the right is Saint Barbara, the patron saint of artillerymen, representative of Drummond Spencer-Smith. Saint Barbara is based on a portrait of Harry Clarke’s wife. Clarke signed the window in the bottom right-hand corner.

This window in St Mary’s is the only window Harry Clarke made for an Anglican church.

It is the detail that makes this window so compelling and poignant. The Fortuny style robes and Art Deco shoes, the vibrant rich colours reflecting the light, and the Celtic chevrons on Madonna’s robe. The scene below the central figure is of shepherds watching their flocks but the location is on Purbeck.

When Harry Clarke finished it he wrote to a friend, Thomas Bodkin, saying:

“It’s good I think.”

It’s more than just good.

It is a masterpiece that is all the more poignant in its centenary year as we live through the impact of the global pandemic.

St Mary’s Church, Sturminster Newton has limited visiting due to COVID restrictions. The website gives details of opening.

Primary Care Network Business Administrator | Blackmore Vale Partnership

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Editorial team

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11 May 2021

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The Blackmore Vale Partnership, part of the Vale PCN is recruiting a dynamic business administrator to support us with the continued development of our PCN and successful roll out of our Covid Vaccination Programme.

Our PCN is a fast paced with lots of ambition and drive and we now need an energetic PCN Business administrator to support us.

The PCN team is growing and includes social prescribers, health coaches, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mental health practitioners, etc

The main duties of this role will be to support the Clinical Director and Practice Manager with the day to day administration of the PCN and support the coordination of projects that we are implementing.

You will be located at The Blackmore Vale Partnership surgeries in North Dorset.

If you have any further questions about the role, please contact Sara Froud on 01258 474517 or email[email protected]

For more information about the role and to apply, please follow the link to our website.

Vacancies (blackmorevalesurgery.co.uk)