This December, take the opportunity to wander along the iconic Park Walk in Shaftesbury – you’ll be feeling fabulously festive as you browse stalls packed with artisan gifts, from handmade willow baskets and unique jewellery to fine teas, cheeses and festive food and drink.Pause for lunch at one of the street food stalls while you listen to music from local performers and take in the stunning views across the Blackmore Vale – then get back to browsing and picking up those last-minute gifts while you warm yourself with a cup of mulled wine.
When the previous organisers had to withdraw, a small group of residents decided they couldn’t let the town’s Christmas market disappear. Run entirely by volunteers, all profits generated through the market will be shared between the Mayor of Shaftesbury’s Charity (this year, the Shaftesbury Youth Club) and the Vale Pantry. Previous Christmas markets have been one of the biggest events in the town’s winter calendar, bringing a vital boost to Shaftesbury businesses as well as the stallholders, who all come from the local area. You’ll find Shaftesbury’s Christmas Market filling Park Walk on Sunday 14th December from 10am – and don’t forget to grab a ticket for the raffle!
Work to preserve and open up the William Barnes Archive will begin this November, following a major fundraising success by the William Barnes Society. The campaign has reached its £35,000 target, allowing conservation and cataloguing of the poet’s extensive papers to get underway at the Dorset History Centre.
The archive – 65 boxes of letters, manuscripts and personal papers belonging to the Dorset-born poet and scholar – was deposited at the History Centre in 2018 by the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, which retains ownership of the collection.
The announcement was made at the Society’s recent AGM, where Sam Johnston, Manager of the Dorset History Centre, confirmed that archivist Ruth Burton will lead the project. “This project will make the Barnes Archive more accessible than ever before,” Mr Johnston said. “By the summer of 2026, we’ll have a fully searchable online catalogue that anyone can explore and enjoy.”
Claire Dixon, Executive Director of the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, added: “We are thrilled that this project will make our collection more accessible. We are looking forward to being able to inform new displays and stories both in our galleries and online, made possible by this new online archive. This is a great demonstration of the value of our partnership with the Dorset History Centre, that enables more people to access and learn from our collections and archives.”
Running from November 2025 to July 2026, the work will involve close collaboration between the Dorset History Centre, the William Barnes Society and local volunteers.
Brian Caddy, Chair of the William Barnes Society, said: “We are thrilled that the ‘Barnes for All appeal’ has achieved its goal. The enthusiasm and generosity of our supporters have been extraordinary. Thanks to this effort, the William Barnes Archive will be preserved and opened up for everyone to discover. We are deeply grateful to the Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, the Dorset History Centre, the Dorset Archives Trust, Dorchester Town Council, and all the generous individuals who contributed to this campaign.”
Updates will be shared through the Dorset History Centre’s newsletter and its monthly lunchtime series From the Stacks, which highlights treasures from the county’s collections.
The William Barnes Society says the achievement marks “a major step forward” in preserving Dorset’s literary heritage and ensuring the poet’s legacy continues to inspire future generations.
From clearing beds to sowing seeds and preparing dahlias for the cold months, Pete Harcom has plenty of jobs to get your patch winter-ready
Once there is a frost, you need to think about how to overwinter your dahlias. Image (and dahlia) by Courtenay Hitchcock
It’s time to clear up for the winter! Gardeners can make use of those odd dry days to allow the clear-up to be done before the harshest winter weather sets in. Clear faded and dying annual climbers such as sweet peas from their supports. Clear up fallen leaves and put them in plastic bags or in a heap to rot down as leaf mould (this may take a year or so) which can then be used as a mulch. Sowing seeds in a cold greenhouse is a nice job to do at this time of year. Some good picks are sweet peas, ajuga reptans (really good for ground cover), cornflowers, astrantias, corydalis solida and allium sphaerocephalon to name just a few! When clearing up flowerbeds, try to keep off wet soil to avoid compacting it. If you must get in there, use wooden boards to spread your weight. It is a good idea to leave plants with attractive seed heads, such as rudbeckia, sea holly (eryngium), teasels, love-in-a-mist and ornamental grasses, as these can provide valuable food for birds in the winter months. They can also be used in flower arrangements. Cut down the old seedheads in spring, when the new growth starts to appear. If you haven’t got to it yet, there is still time to plant spring bulbs and bare-rooted trees and shrubs before the colder weather. Dahlia care Dahlias are not frost hardy and will not survive severe cold, so enjoy every last bit of those dramatic flowers, which are still coming thick and fast in this mild weather. To overwinter your dahlias, you can safely wait until the first autumn frost blackens the foliage before taking action. After the frost – and once the foliage has died back – cut the stems down to about 10-15cm above the ground … and now you must decide whether to lift or mulch … Lift and store (recommended for colder areas or heavy soils): This is the most reliable method for protecting your dahlia tubers. Gently lift the tubers from the soil using a fork, being careful not to damage them. Trim off any fine or damaged roots and leave them to dry for a few days. Store them in shallow boxes, packed around with peat-free compost or dry sand, ensuring the crown is exposed. Keep them in a cool, dry, frost-free place, such as a garage or shed, until spring. Inspect the stored tubers regularly for any signs of rot and discard any that are unhealthy or damaged to prevent rot from spreading. Mulch (for milder, well-drained areas): This simpler method may work well for The BV readers, as Dorset is generally milder than much of the country. Cover the tubers – still in the soil – with a thick layer of mulch, such as bark or composted leaves or straw, to insulate them from the cold.
Barry Cuff takes a look back through his diary at what happened on his Sturminster Newton plot last month
‘Seven crown prince and eight butternut squashes’. Image: Barry Cuff
The autumn weather has been unusually mild, with few nights dropping below 10ºC and no frosts. A balanced mix of sun, cloud and rain kept temperatures frequently above 15ºC, encouraging continued growth and prolonged flowering. As a result, both plants and weeds have remained in bloom well into the season, especially on sunny days. Moth mullein, shoo fly, borage, feverfew and thornapple have all been flowering, alongside cultivated favourites like nasturtiums, dahlias, cosmos and nicotiana. Many weeds are still flowering at the end of the month too: speedwell, red dead-nettle, groundsel, dandelion and gallant soldier are all still showing colour. These blooms have attracted a steady stream of pollinators – including red admiral, peacock, cabbage white, comma and even a clouded yellow butterfly – as well as hoverflies, wasps and, on one occasion, a solitary hummingbird hawkmoth. The ivy in the hedgerow, now in full flower, has also proved especially popular with visiting insects. We’ve planted part of the flower area with wallflowers and Sweet Williams, ready to bloom in 2026.
Groundwork – As old crops have been cleared (runner and French beans, sweetcorn and squashes) the ground was left fallow and quickly produced a flush of new weed seedlings. One small area has been dug where the garlic will be planted in November. Weedy Areas – Strimmed to stop seeding, to be dug in next year. Compost – We have emptied out one of our heaps: we have four, all at different stages. This one was about three years old, and produced more than 30 wheelbarrow loads of excellent compost. Green manure – We now have about 20 per cent of the allotment sown with phacelia. Manure – There was a delay to the arrival date, should now arrive mid-November. Harvesting – We’re still picking carrots, beetroot, parsnip, leeks, celeriac, salad leaves, radish, spring onion, courgette, Chinese cabbage and radicchio. Tomatoes and peppers – Picking the last of these for the year. In store and the freezer – Potatoes, onions, sweetcorn, French beans, garlic and peas. Preserves – This month we’ve made jam from currants and strawberries, and pickled cabbage, beetroot and gherkins. Winter squashes – On 9th October we harvested seven Crown Prince and eight butterfly butternut (the largest weighed 8lbs!) Brassicas – All looking well under a protective net. Still the odd caterpillar and whitefly to remove. Red Drumhead red cabbage, cutting as required Ironman calabrese, producing small side shoots Cheesy cauliflower, last head cut on 29th October Cendis cauliflower, plants starting to produce heads, will be ready to cut late November Brendan sprouts have buttons the size of marbles – they will be ready in December Purple sprouting broccoli, strong healthy plants, will be ready late December onwards Spring cabbage and cauli, both looking well. Fruit – Thanks to the good weather we had two or three pickings of strawberries. It’s been a good year for our conference pears too: they are excellent when poached in home-made wine and spices!
Wincanton Racecourse is gearing up for a thrilling few months of top-class National Hunt action, packed with style, charity and festive racing. This year’s iconic Badger Beer Chase promises not just exhilarating racing, but also a celebration of style. Racegoers can compete for our Style Awards, with categories including Best Dressed and Best Dressed Couple. Prizes are truly spectacular, featuring a Boodles necklace worth £3,000, luxury vouchers from Fairfax & Favor, Hobbs and more.
Following the Badger Beer Chase, we’ll host Discover Racing Raceday on Thursday 20th November, a quieter November fixture perfect for learning more about the sport. If you’ve never been before it’s a great way to start – and why not take a look at editor Laura’s tips from her trip to the races. This day will also feature a charity race for the Keagan Kirkby Perpetual Trophy, rescheduled from the unfortunate abandonment of our Horatio’s Garden season opener. Supporters can donate to the riders via their JustGiving page, helping raise funds for this fantastic cause. We then move into the festive season with PricedUp Military Raceday on Thursday 4th December. This special fixture will include a military riders’ race before the main action, bringing a unique and patriotic twist to Wincanton’s December racing calendar. With top-class racing, style, and charitable events, Wincanton Racecourse continues to offer something for everyone this autumn and beyond.
Charlotte Bedford, a 17-year-old from Wimborne, has been named the nation’s top army cadet – recognised in Parliament for her kindness, grit and leadership
The prestigious Cadet Vocational College Westminster Award recognises young people aged 16 to 18 who have shown selflessness, community spirit and a commitment to going the extra mile. This year’s winner was Corporal Charlotte Bedford, a teenager from Wimborne, who received the honour at the House of Lords after a gruelling, months-long selection process.
Getting there Charlotte has been an army cadet for four and a half years. She was nominated for her selfless work with younger cadets, mentoring a student who was bullied, and volunteering with the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. She also raised more than £4,000 in order to take part in a community project in Cambodia with Camp International. ‘I aged out of girl guiding and my friend asked me to go along to cadets for a bit of fun and a laugh. The Westminster Award is very competitive. The selection process starts with more than 2,000 people and you have to be nominated by your main adult instructor. Then, if you get through, you write a paragraph explaining why you think you’d be good for the role.’ The process becomes steadily tougher. ‘At the third stage, you’re down to the final 45 people and you come together for all sorts of team-building activities. For example, we did a gun run, which was great fun. We had to take the gun apart, put it back together, run with it, take it apart, and get it back together again. Only 12 cadets are left for the final stage. We spent ten days away in Southampton, where we did sailing and velodrome cycling. Then we went to Wales and did caving and some other activities. Along the way we also met local charities such as the RNLI, and we also did a litter sweep in Southampton.’
Just a little further Throughout the selection process, the cadets are continuously observed by the judges – on camera and off – to see how they behave under pressure. Finally, after such a gruelling set of events, all 12 finalists were invited to the House of Lords – which is where Charlotte discovered she was the winner, and was presented with the award by Lord Lingfield. What impressed the judges most was that, in their words, ‘Charlotte remained authentically herself, demonstrating kindness even when the cameras were turned off and the officials weren’t around.’
‘I was so surprised,’ she says. ‘It was really exciting. Everyone was saying well done. I also did a lot of volunteering for this award, and I went to Cambodia this year to help a community build toilets and wells. Next year I’m taking part in a project in Tanzania. One of the reasons elephants get killed is that they come too close to villages, and I’ll be helping to build a metal shield that deters them from getting into danger.’ After such a demanding process, Charlotte says she came away with a new mindset: ‘Just meeting everyone … the whole experience itself was fantastic. I have made friends for life. I had never done caving before, and it was really scary. But it shows that even when you think you have pushed yourself to the limit , you can always go that little bit further.’
Nursing ambition Guy Horridge OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Cadet Vocational College, praised her achievement: ‘Charlotte is a worthy winner of this year’s Westminster Award and I’m delighted for her, her family and Dorset ACF. The competition was tough, as it always is with so many excellent candidates, but Charlotte just had that extra something that means she is our winner this year. ‘At a time when many young people are viewed less than favourably, Charlotte epitomises what is good about young people, with her selfless commitment to her cadet organisation and other community activities.’ With such a prestigious award behind her, Charlotte is already thinking ahead. ‘I have done a lot of first aid training with the army cadets and it’s made me realise I’d like to be a nurse. I’m hoping to do an adult nursing course and I am interested in mental health. I’ll either apply for university and work in civvy street with the NHS or aim for Sandhurst and do officer training.’
With fewer doctors and shrinking budgets, Dorset GPs are seeing more patients – and behind those busy surgery desks the strain is showing
Dr Andy Purbrick is a GP in Broadstone and joint chief executive of the Wessex Local Medical Committee
From the 8am scramble for appointments to receiving life-changing diagnoses, Dorset patients have mixed experiences of their GP surgeries. So what’s really happening behind those busy reception desks – and why does it seem impossible to be seen when you need to be? When most people think of healthcare, they picture hospitals – yet around 90% of consultations with a clinician happen in primary care – your local GP surgery. Does the funding reflect that workload? Not even close. Only 7% of the NHS budget goes to general practice, with the rest largely directed to hospitals. Your GP surgery receives about 31p a day for each registered patient – less than the average price of an egg. Across Dorset, there are between 38,000 and 45,000 appointment slots each month – theoretically enough for half the population to see a clinician if they need to. Despite frequent complaints about waiting times, almost 40% of Dorset patients are seen by a GP on the same day, and 61% within a week. But Dorset also ranks among the worst areas in England for long waits: 8% of patients wait more than 28 days to see a doctor, compared with a national average of 5%. The reasons are complex. Some patients prefer to wait for a specific GP, while others have conditions that require specialist input. With Dorset’s ageing population, many are likely to have a long-term condition or require specialist assessments. Hard to recruit Despite rising need, the number of fully qualified, full-time GPs in Dorset has fallen steadily – there are now 429, 29 fewer than in 2017. Dr Andy Purbrick, a GP in Broadstone and joint chief executive of the Wessex Local Medical Committee, which supports general practices across the region, says the decline is deeply worrying: ‘It really dismays me. I’ve been a GP for 25 years and I’m also a trainer. I always wanted to be a GP – but we’re seeing more colleagues leave the profession early, often due to burnout. The clinical hours don’t reflect the total hours worked. Often it’s the unseen load – results to check, admin to process, constant behind-the-scenes work.’ He says stagnant government funding is compounding the problem. ‘Our core contract hasn’t been uplifted for years, which makes it hard to recruit. A survey by the Royal College of General Practitioners found that 40% of GPs plan to leave the profession within five years. Even trainees now question whether they’ll last in the job. Burnout is real, and we’re constantly trying to maintain a safe workload. ‘We’re the part of the NHS that can’t say no.’ Training and recruitment is also under strain. Dorset has a comparatively strong record on training places – around 65% are currently filled by international medical graduates – but retention of trainers remains a problem. ‘We’re struggling to keep enough trainers,’ Dr Purbrick says. ‘We try to fit everything into an already packed day. There’s also a lack of physical space – most of the capital funding for building goes to hospitals. We even have qualified GPs looking for work, but practices simply can’t afford to employ them.’
Doctor and Patient in a consulting room at a GP surgery
Open a motorway Not everyone is convinced that the new appointment booking system is working. The government has asked practices to make online booking available throughout the working day, rather than only in the mornings. Dr Purbrick says the reality varies across Dorset: ‘It’s a mixed picture. Every practice is different – and many have offered online access for years. At the Blackmore Vale Practice, for example, introducing an online system cut average phone waits from 11 minutes to just one.’ But digital access also brings challenges. ‘Our main concern is the perception that we’re opening a motorway into general practice,’ he says. ‘Some practices worry about how to meet demand safely. Patients don’t always know what’s urgent and what isn’t. Someone might think their problem is minor but actually need urgent care – and others, especially those with complex needs, can struggle with technology.’ Missed appointments remain another frustration. In Dorset alone, there were more than 13,500 missed appointments in June 2025 – equivalent to £627,000 in lost clinical time.
A complex picture Despite a slight fall in Dorset’s population – down 0.03% – the number of requests for GP appointments rose by 11.3% in June this year alone. It’s a sharp reminder of the pressure on primary care. ‘It’s a complex picture,’ says Dr Purbrick. ‘We’re seeing more people with long-term conditions and frailty, and a significant rise in mental health problems. One in six adults in Dorset is on an antidepressant. Covid has had a big impact, particularly on younger people’s mental health. We also see patients multiple times while they wait for hospital treatment.’ He says many patients now come forward earlier or for social rather than medical reasons: ‘Some people just need support – others are anxious about taking risks with their health. We also bring people in proactively to monitor and prevent illness, which we know is the best way to manage long-term health overall.’ West Dorset MP Edward Morello agrees that the strain on general practice cannot be solved in isolation: ‘GPs are under enormous pressure,’ he says. ‘Outdated funding, ageing buildings, recruitment difficulties and an ageing local population all play a part. When residents can’t get appointments, pressure simply shifts to A&E and pharmacies. We need a proper, whole-system plan – not quick fixes that just move the problem around.’ Dr Purbrick believes the focus must return to prevention. ‘It’s mainly about workload and the growing complexity of long-term conditions,’ he says. ‘Most investment still goes into hospitals, but real progress comes from preventing illness in the first place. Most of us became GPs to help people stay well – we just want the space and support to do the job properly. We GPs are here simply to do the best for our patients: we go to work to do a good job.’
New BBC data shows Dorset’s council tax bailiff cases soaring – but the bigger story is rising debt, tighter recovery, and families caught in between
Rear View Of A Male Bailiff Standing With His Hands On Hips At House Entrance
Dorset council recorded the sharpest rise in England for households referred to bailiffs over unpaid council tax – an eye-watering increase of 5,119%, according to new BBC data. Freedom of Information figures released to the BBC, and now shared with The BV, show that in 2021/22 just 37 Dorset households were referred to enforcement agents. By 2024/25 that number had climbed to 1,931.Mathematically, that is indeed a 5,119% rise – but it tells only part of the story. Dorset Council says 2021/22 was an exceptional year: during the pandemic, court sittings were suspended and recovery activity scaled back, while the new unitary council was still in the process of merging its tax systems. ‘Like other councils, we limited our recovery actions during Covid,’ a spokesperson said. ‘Therefore, the 2021/22 starting data the BBC used is not truly representative.’
The real picture When collections resumed, the council began to work through the arrears that had built up. Dorset referred 612 households in 2022/23, 1,473 in 2023/24, and 1,931 so far this year. That’s roughly a threefold rise since recovery restarted – far short of the 5,000% headline, but bailiff referrals have roughly tripled since recovery restarted – in real terms, meaning three times as many Dorset residents are now facing bailiff action as just two years ago. Debt advisers say that the scale of the increase still raises alarm. Even allowing for pandemic backlogs, the figures suggest that more households are struggling to keep up with rising living costs while councils are moving faster to recover unpaid tax. Each referral represents a family at risk of mounting fees and potential loss of possessions – and, in some cases, their homes. The council says its enforcement and reporting processes have remained broadly consistent since 2022, though new national guidance is expected following a government consultation on modernising council tax collection. Dorset has contributed to that consultation, which aims to ‘streamline collection, reduce administrative costs and improve the experience for customers’.
Don’t ignore the bill Debt-advice charities say the national picture remains worrying. The StepChange charity and Money Wellness both told the BBC that councils’ reliance on bailiffs often makes debt problems worse. A £75 letter fee, £235 for a visit and further costs for any sale can quickly inflate a small arrear into a crisis. Citizens Advice, meanwhile, continues to stress that council tax and HMRC debts should be treated as top priority for anyone struggling financially, as both bodies are among the quickest to escalate recovery through court orders or enforcement agents. Dorset Council echoed that message: ‘Anyone struggling to pay their council tax should contact us or Citizens Advice to find a manageable solution,’ it says, pointing to the guidance on its website here: dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/problems-paying-council-tax.
The issue is part of a wider national trend: nationwide, councils referred 1.4 million accounts to bailiffs last year – up 46% in four years – even as the average recovery per case has fallen slightly. That suggests enforcement is becoming less effective, but more common. For Dorset, the headline-grabbing percentage hides a simpler truth: after two years of Covid disruption and reporting delays, enforcement has returned to more normal levels. But behind the numbers lies a harder truth: more households are sliding into arrears, and the debate over whether bailiffs remain the right tool for the job is far from over.
From heating bills to hospital trips, costs across Dorset are leaving many isolated and quiet poverty is growing, warns Jon Sloper
Many people are finding it hard to access what they need when they need it
While most of us are awaiting the forthcoming budget with some trepidation, many in Dorset will be actively dreading it: fearing anything that means more money disappearing. It certainly feels as though we’re all paying more and more for less, whether it’s the horrendously high water bill or creeping shrinkflation in shops. Older people tend to be disproportionately affected by the rising cost of living. In 2023, more than 200,000 pensioners in Dorset received a winter fuel payment and the cost of living allowance. With the Government’s new ruling on winter fuel entitlements, that number has fallen to just 20,000 people this winter. The NHS in Dorset has been using its data to identify those people at most risk of illnesses – they estimate 44,000 people could become ‘financially vulnerable’ over the coming winter months.
Challenges in the community Last year, Jon Sloper, chief executive of Help and Kindness, was part of a team reviewing data with colleagues from across health and social care. He says the work exposed major gaps in how services connect and communicate: ‘For many people, it’s hard to find what you need when you need it. There are also gaps within the public sector – individual organisations often don’t know what others are doing. When someone leaves a role, much of the local knowledge goes with them.’ Jon says there are still big gaps in communication between services. ‘The data revealed thousands at risk from the cold, especially those with health conditions and shrinking incomes. With the reduction in winter fuel allowance, we looked at who fell into that group and whether they were already receiving support.’ People with a chronic condition are vulnerable to drops in temperature: the mercury only needs to drop 4º to significantly affect their health and potentially require an emergency admission to hospital. Jon continued: ‘Having found our at-risk group, we involved local authority and health colleagues and asked whether these people were already receiving support – perhaps living in residential care. Or were they living independently, and potentially struggling with additional costs?’ As the GPs had access to the confidential patient data, they reviewed their lists to see whether potentially vulnerable people had received a check-up recently, and if their medications were up to date. Some were contacted individually and in other cases, open health and wellbeing events were held. In addition to a health check, financial advice around preparing for winter was available. Jon says: ‘We wanted them to think about how they would stay warm, and to get in touch with their GP earlier. We knew where there were small pockets of people across Dorset so we worked to reach those people via parish magazines to ask them about winter readiness. We saw a reduction in people attending GP surgeries and an increase in people applying for pension credit, which we encourage: it is the gateway for other benefits.’ Help and Kindness liaised with Age UK and the county’s library services, which helped people with applications, and also with families and carers, advising them on support. Increasingly, Jon is receiving requests for help from family members who want someone to check on a relative – the calls come in from all over the world. Last winter’s work revealed just how fragile life has become for many Dorset residents.
Group of four cheerful senior friends, two men and two women, sitting at table and enjoying talk after playing cards in assisted living home
Jon says the team’s work also exposed wider critical issues. ‘The loneliness is huge. Every week we hear from people who haven’t seen anyone for a week and just want someone to call in. We try to join those up, suggesting places people can go to, like a lunch club. We have access to more than 13,000 events and organisations across Dorset. ‘But the other issue is transport. For many, unless it is literally on their doorstep, they can’t get to it. We try to find local volunteers or community schemes, but transport is one of Dorset’s biggest challenges.’ Poverty, Jon says, is not just a vast issue, it’s a slow burn. ‘There has been a phenomenal rise in the cost of living, and many in Dorset are on fixed incomes. Their overheads are going through the roof, and their money isn’t keeping pace. On top of which, there are the challenges of a boiler that needs fixing or a fridge that breaks … For those reliant on medication, losing a fridge becomes a crisis. And there are no savings left … People don’t have savings any more. They use them for buying food and paying the electric. ‘The poverty issue is everywhere. And it’s not just older people. It’s households with double incomes, people working in care – it’s everywhere.’
Issues in rural Dorset Living in rural areas of Dorset brings extra pressures. In the middle and north of the county, Jon says, gaps in mental health support and transport leave many isolated. ‘There isn’t a single set of resources available everywhere. Wherever you go in Dorset there’s a different set of challenges and a different set of solutions. And different gaps. ‘There have been huge gaps in mental health support in North Dorset, though it’s starting to improve. Transport in North Dorset is a huge issue and it really affects access to health services – people just can’t get to them. We have many conversations about community transport: there won’t be a major change in public transport infrastructure, so we’re looking at alternatives. ‘Much of rural Dorset is a food desert. From north of Dorchester out to Yetminster and up the Piddle Valley there are a limited number of village stores with no supermarkets. And you can’t easily get to a supermarket from any of those places: if you can’t drive to a supermarket the cost of food can be more expensive.’ He believes Dorset could make better use of existing resources. ‘For example, school transport could be used to support carers in the middle of the day. We often don’t make the most of the resources we have. People struggle to get to hospital appointments in Bournemouth and Poole: it’s £50 for a taxi, one way, from Bridport to Dorchester! How are people supposed to afford that, especially when they are sick?’ Each call for help, Jon says, reveals how complex people’s lives have become. ‘One problem often turns into nine once you start listening.’ His message is simple: community awareness matters. ‘There’s so much quiet need,’ he says. Most of the time, help is out there – the challenge is making sure people know it exists.’ As winter approaches, that awareness – a neighbourly check-in, a shared lift, a simple hello – might be the smallest act that makes the biggest difference.
Help and Kindness maintain a vast directory of services and grants – if you belong to an organisation that can lend a hand or fund something, please let the team know so they can continue to join the dots on services in Dorset. helpandkindness.co.uk
