A great opportunity has arisen for a young, keen and hardworking individual to join a team of three grooms on a prestigious family hunting and international competition yard in Dorset. The family regularly hunt with Portman, BV and SWW, as well as compete in British Eventing and British Show jumping nationally and internationally.
The candidate must be capable of all usual yard duties, with meticulous attention to detail and a good can-do approach to everything.
This is an excellent chance for someone to gain great experience and knowledge on a professionally run family yard.
The Details
Start date: 1st December 2022 | Holidays: Statutory
No. of Horses: 15 horses/ponies
Accommodation: One bedroom flat on the Estate
Days per week: 6 | Driver: Yes | Own car: Yes
HGV: Not necessary, but a bonus
Pets: Dog | Horse: No
SALARY: Dependant on Experience
FACILITIES: Excellent equine facilities, hacking and horse walker
The stigma surrounding suicide may be slowly decreasing, but we have a long way to go, says Izzy Anwell of Dorset Mind
TRIGGER WARNING: References to suicide and self-injurious behaviours which some people might find disturbing. If you need support, contact your GP or talk to The Samaritans on 116 123 or Dorset’s Connection on 0800 652 0190. For crisis help call 999 – or get to A&E if you can do so safely.
The stigma surrounding suicide is entrenched and globally recognised. Up until the early 1960s suicide was a crime, and anyone who ‘attempted’ and ‘failed’ could be arrested and prosecuted. Although suicide is no longer illegal, the topic is still shrouded in shame and tarred with a similar brush. Even the phrase ‘to commit suicide’ perpetuates the narrative; the word ‘commit’ itself implies illegality. According to the Office of National Statistics there were 5,691 suicides registered in England and Wales in 2019, three quarters of whom were men. Three years on, this statistic has changed very slightly – the social stigma is reducing, people are reaching for help and the conversation surrounding mental health is finally becoming more normalised. Simply starting a conversation can begin to interrupt the cycle of suicidal thought and help a person see that taking their own life is not the only option. It is important to remember that some people do not necessarily want to die. It is rather that they feel that suicide is the only option, in order to free themselves from their circumstances.
How to begin Sometimes those struggling just do not want to talk or be open about how they feel. If you fear they cannot keep themselves safe, it might be necessary to bring in trained support such as crisis teams and safeguarding professionals. If you can start a conversation, first choose an environment that is familiar and quiet – mutual comfort is important, as is talking openly without fear of interruption or others overhearing.
Also choose your timing. Trying to get someone to talk about their feelings when they are stressed or upset is not going to work. Make sure they feel safe and calm before you begin. The most important thing to remember is just to listen. Active listening can be difficult, especially when you may be able to offer help. However, there is power in letting the person in distress feel heard, in giving them permission to talk through what is going on in their head. It is also important to consider your non-verbal communication. If you as the listener are stressed, distracted or physically closed off, it may cause the speaker to feel that you are not interested. Open body language begins with the face – try to start with a raised brow and open eyes, giving good eye contact. This will signal that you are focused and listening. Make sure your body is facing towards the person with an open chest and palms, and with your feet flat on the floor. If this positioning feels too intense, try sitting beside the person instead.
No advice thanks Next, try not to give unsolicited advice. When someone is struggling, what they often want is someone to listen, not someone to tell them that they are doing the wrong thing. It is important for you to simply listen. Then, if appropriate, validate their feelings and give support. Finally, remember to look after yourself too – we all have a tendency to throw ourselves into the fray in order to relieve some of the weight. But we cannot anticipate what effect that will have on our own mental health. If you do struggle as a result, reach out in your turn and share your feelings with someone else.
Dorset Mind has 1-2-1 and group support that you can access via their website:
We are very excited to be rolling out the Dorset Mind #Triage services across Primary Care Network (PCN) settings in #Dorset, so we are looking for a team of Triage practitioners who are supportive, caring, resilient, solution focussed, and confident.
The successful candidate will be offering the triage appointments daily via remote working. These appointments will be delivered over the phone, unless the patient has special requirements, and on a 1:1 basis.
Finding sugar substitutions that aren’t even worse for you than the original can be tricky, says nutritional therapist Karen Geary
The message about reducing our intake of sugar is finally getting through: a high dietary sugar load is frequently one of the drivers behind obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, worsened menopause symptoms and cognitive decline. Going cold turkey is the straightforward way to quit sugar but for some that is not an option. So how do we navigate the increasingly complex world of alternative sweeteners? Here is your guide:
Fix cravings It’s not a sugar substitute, but cinnamon is a fantastic sweet spice that may help to manage blood sugar highs and lows. Various studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of the spice on glucose, insulin, lipids, blood pressure and lean body mass. It needs to be used liberally for benefit; try a whole teaspoon (my favourite is on stewed apples with Greek yogurt). Making sure you’re getting enough sleep, lots of fibre from veggies and plenty of protein in your diet are also all essential in fighting those sugar cravings.
Good PR sugar Honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, rice syrup, date syrup and molasses are all popular with the healthy eating brigade. The truth is, though, that the body still just sees and treats these as if they are sugar. They may have slightly less fructose and some nice minerals – but you would have to eat a lot to get any actual benefit. If you are reducing sugar for health reasons, avoid these for now. Molasses is slightly lower on the glycemic index than the others and is probably the best of the bunch. It also has a huge amount of iron, among other things, so it’s great for those who need to increase their intake. Oh, and demerara, turbinado, cane and dark brown sugar are still sugar. They just look fancy.
Possible substitutes I say ‘possible’ because in studies, while lower in calories, nearly all alternative sweeteners have resulted in an increase in insulin and glucose levels. Additionally, a number of them contain FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols). These are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly. Some people experience digestive distress after eating them – bloating, gas and diarrhoea. Choose wisely.
Stevia – normally used in drops, it is touted as the best natural low-calorie sweetener. Studies have noted that stevia does not significantly contribute to increased glucose and insulin levels. The downside is that it can have a bitter aftertaste so shop around for a good one. Low FODMAP.
Yacon syrup – a favourite with people who stick to a keto diet, it is harvested from the yacon plant and it tastes like molasses. It is high in fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) which feed good bacteria in the gut and helps with constipation. Likely high FODMAP.
Inulin – another FOS, a prebiotic fibre. Pretty good in tea and coffee but not as sweet as normal sugar. High FODMAP.
Monk fruit – quite hard to get in the UK but, like cinnamon, there is some research suggesting it may help blood sugar management. It has a caramel taste and is safe to use. Just check it hasn’t been combined with other sweeteners. Low FODMAP.
Erythritol (produced by fermentation from dextrose) and xylitol (wood sugar from birch). Both are sugar alcohols, and are about 70 per cent as sweet as sugar but without the big insulin spike. Both are fabulous in low carb baking. Avoid, or take particular care with, xylitol if you have dogs at home as it is highly toxic. Erythritol is a low FODMAP, xylitol a high FODMAP.
Allulose (watch this space) – not yet available in the UK, and relatively new to the market in the US. It’s known as a ‘rare sugar’ and has the same chemical formula as fructose, but it is arranged differently, so it’s not processed in the body in the same way. It does not ferment in the gut so does not lead to digestive issues.
Avoid Agave syrup. Diabetic friendly, this is a ‘natural’ sweetener but when processed it becomes 85 per cent fructose so it’s actually worse than sugar – it overloads the liver causing raised blood trigylcerides, bad (LDL) cholesterol and increased belly fat.
High Fructose Corn syrup. Used mostly in processed foods but thankfully not in the same quantities here compared with other countries. It is known as the key driver of obesity, poor metabolic health and non-alcoholic fatty liver damage.
Sorbitol and malitol. The sugar alcohols known for the most severe digestive distress and very high
This is an exciting opportunity to join the strong team at Milborne Port Primary School.
We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Higher Level Teaching Assistant who will be an essential part our team and provide support where needed across the school.
As a school which is still growing, we are able to offer excellent opportunities for continued professional development.
This is a fixed term post until 21/07/2023.
Please contact the School Business Manager Claire Brown on: [email protected]for an application form and job description.
Closing date: Friday 7th October 2022
Interviews: Week beginning 10th October 2022
All completed applications should be returned to the school email address above.
Milborne Port Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share in this commitment.
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and medical clearance.
“We will all be familiar with the words from the hymn Abide With Me: ‘Change and decay in all around I see, O Thou who changest not abide with me’. Well, we are marking and mourning a huge change in our country with the death of our Sovereign and the start of a new reign. A new chapter in our national story. Some often find it easy, perhaps too easy, to knock or belittle our country. It is worth us all reflecting that in a week when the Prime Minister changed based on the votes of a very small electorate and the position of Head of State passed via dynastic, primogeniture succession there was not a riot, demonstration or brick thrown. Not many countries, perhaps none, could say or expect the same.
“Let’s go back to that hymn line quoted above. I am totally convinced that the depth of shock and sadness felt by the country is because the length of our late Queen’s reign led us, falsely and unfortunately, to believe that she would always be there. A constant. Unchanging. She would ‘changest not’. As the Speaker of the House of Lords said last week, ‘we closed our eyes’ to the prospect of change necessitated by mortality. The vast majority of our fellow subjects knew only The Queen. The Queen was known simply by that title across the world. Not a Queen but The Queen. Indeed, the German dictionary has two entries – a queen and The Queen – the latter being our late Monarch. It is sobering to think that, if life spans continue to extend, no one alive today will see, in their own right, a Queen of England. We shall neither sing or proclaim God Save the Queen for many a long year.
“While She ‘changest not’, the world around Her did and at a pace seen neither before or – I’d hazard a guess – will again. From travel and technology to medical advances and social change. In 1957 She spoke of the advent of widespread TV ownership as changing the relationship between Queen and Country. No idea then of smartphones, the web etc. Lifespans were shorter. Something like 72% of occupations available now did not exist in 1952. The role of women in society, commerce and politics has changed (I would argue in some part because The Queen provided a clear and demonstrable example that ‘women could’). The Winds of Change were not yet even a breeze. The Commonwealth a handful of countries. Everest had yet to be conquered and Space travel was the stuff of fantasy. Powdered wigs were still worn by Buckingham Palace Servants and divorced people could not be received at Court or attend the Ascot Royal Enclosure.
“The sheer unrelenting pace and scale of change might have made The Queen seem of the past. A relic of a bygone era. Out of date and out of touch. She never was. Through often invisible or imperceptible evolutions she kept Herself and the Monarchy responsive to, and relevant for, each and every of the seventy years we were blessed to call Her our Sovereign Lady. How fortunate we were to live in this second Elizabethan Age. We of course declaim God Save the King, but not before we pray for the repose of the soul of Elizabeth our Late Queen. May she Rest in Peace and rise in glory. If anyone deserves to, She most certainly does.”
With heroic successes and higher viewing figures, 2022 might just be the turning point for equality in sport, says expert Mel Mitchell
With the success of the UEFA Women’s European Championships, it seems that women’s sport is finally heading in the right direction. A record-breaking Wembley stadium crowd of 87,192 witnessed England win their very first major women’s tournament. I don’t normally like watching football, but even I was gripped! Women’s sport hasn’t always been so well received though. Sport has been a male domain, mostly because vigorous activity was seen as inappropriate; women were sidelined and banned from participating.
The 50 year ban Women’s football actually became popular during the First World War but, due to its increasing popularity, in 1921, the Football Association (FA) banned women from playing on FA-affiliated pitches. You can read the fascinating story here – it wasn’t until 1971, 50 years later, that the ban was overturned. This year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was also a massive success in terms of women’s sport, with more medals being awarded to women than men. The Games also saw the debut of the women’s T20 cricket. I for one enjoyed sitting down with a cup of tea to watch everything the Games had to offer. Regular readers will know I love lifting weights, so the Olympic weightlifting was a personal highlight. Being inspired It is fair to say that equality in sport still has a way to go, but it is great to see how quickly it is progressing, with so many women’s sports like football, rugby and cricket getting ever more coverage and recognition. This will hopefully inspire more women to try a sport, nurturing the next generation into believing they can achieve whatever they wish to. It is also a pleasure to see women participating not necessarily in the sport itself, but getting involved in other ways such as refereeing and coaching. I enjoy being part of a thriving senior ladies rugby team – a team that didn’t even exist five years ago. This season we are entering our very first league. We aren’t at elite level yet, but watch this space. In fact, most towns and villages now have at least one sports club open to women. So come on ladies, get yourselves involved!
A new defibrillator on Cheap Street continues the trend for repurposing the UK’s iconic but unused phone boxesinto community-funded local resources
Sherborne Defibrillator Launch L-R Jane Wood, Andrew Maddock, Nicola Girling, Juliet Pentolfe, David Hayes
A new community public access defibrillator (cPAD) has been officially opened by the Sherborne businesses and organisations who have supported the £3,000 project. Following a cardiac arrest the chances of survival drop dramatically every minute. The UK Resuscitation Council recommends that a defibrillator should be available when medical treatment is more than five minutes away, which includes most rural locations in the UK. The defibrillator is located in Cheap Street outside Sherborne Post Office, in an iconic K6 telephone kiosk. It is designed specifically to give confidence to those attending a casualty and it provides real-time voice instruction, helping even inexperienced rescuers deliver effective CPR. Inside the phone box, where the telephone once was, the defibrillator is housed in a heated cabinet to protect it from the elements. The unit is registered with South Western Ambulance Service so that when someone calls 999, they will be directed to the box (if it is the closest defibrillator to the casualty). No code will be required to access the device.
A community effort A year ago, following a Sherborne Chamber of Trade appeal, local business Girlings Complete Hearing kickstarted the campaign with a £500 funding pledge along with a commitment to manage the project. Midwest the Stationers raised a further £360 through a charity raffle. Nicola Girling said: ‘As hearing healthcare providers, we didn’t think twice about supporting a new health resource for the town. Naturally, we hope the defibrillator isn’t needed, but it’s reassuring to know it’s available round the clock for a cardiac emergency’. Following months of negotiation with BT and Royal Mail, the telephone box was formally adopted by Sherborne Town Council through BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme. Town Clerk Steve Shield said: ‘The installation of more potentially life-saving equipment, in such a prominent location in the town, is invaluable for residents, local businesses and visitors alike.’
A significant contribution However this new defibrillator would not have been possible without the support of The Friends of the Yeatman Hospital (FoYH), which committed £1,740 to the project as part of its community outreach. David Hayes CBE, chairman of the FoYH, said: ‘At the forefront of our priorities is emergency and long-term care for the Sherborne community. The defibrillator project is an excellent example of our contributions, and we are delighted to collaborate to ensure the equipment’s introduction and sustainability’. BT continues to support the cost of electricity to the box, so the equipment will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. BT’s Mark Johnson said: “We launched the Adopt a Kiosk scheme because the red telephone box is a significant part of our national heritage. We’re pleased to support a project which not only helps continue the legacy of the red kiosk, but crucially provides communities with such a beneficial and life-saving function.’
‘The NHS has lost its way’ – Patricia Miller, CEO for Dorset’s Integrated Care Board, oversees complex health services and health improvement programmes. Her thoughts on Dorset’s poverty and its inextricable link to the population’s health are eye-opening as she shares her fascinating life’s story through her Dorset Island Discs
In politics, light-touch government is an excellent theory, says North Dorset Green Party’s Ken Huggins, but in practice it just doesn’t hold water. Or sewage. Labour’s Pat Osborne says the New Green Deal is already planned, and though a summer of local fairs can lift a community, there’s no hiding from the anxious mood that grips the Vale’s residents, says North Dorset Lib Dems’ Mike Chapman
This month Roger Guttridge tells the story of an 18th cenury rector of Lydlinch who was obsessed with hunting – but his first quarry was an unfortunate old woman
Farmer Martin Green is claimed to be the most profesisonal of amateur archaelogists. A visit to his remarkable Down Farm Museum is highly recommended, says Rupert Hardy, chair of North Dorset CPRE
Baden Powell was the Boy Scout who never wanted to grow up. In her open-minded new biography, Dorset journalist Lorraine Gibson unearths fascinating insights into this complex character.
