Ringwood-based HR consultancy View HR is marking its tenth year in business with a move to larger premises in the town centre and a growing team of 13. The independent firm, which provides HR and employment law support to businesses across the UK, says the expansion reflects steady growth over the past decade. The new offices offer improved space for both staff and visiting clients.
View HR
Managing Director Gemma Murphy said the milestone reflected the strength of the team behind the business. ‘I’m incredibly proud of our team. Growing from our early roots to where we are today, with 13 talented professionals and a fantastic new workspace, shows what is possible when you stay true to your values and put relationships first.’ View HR works with organisations seeking external HR support, advising on employment law, workplace policies and people management. As it enters its second decade, the company says it plans to continue building relationships with clients locally and across the UK. viewhr.co.uk
The Love Local Trust Local (LLTL) Awards are officially open for 2026, marking the fifth year of celebrating the outstanding farmers, producers, makers, retailers and hospitality businesses helping Dorset thrive. Founded in 2018 by Barbara Cossins, Love Local Trust Local was created to champion independent local businesses and reconnect communities with the story behind their food — from provenance and sustainability to skills, craftsmanship and passion.
Entries for the LLTL Awards 2026 open on 15 January, with a closing date of 31 May.
The awards recognise excellence across a wide range of categories, including:
Retailer
Food Producer
Food Product
New Food Product
Drinks Producer
Drink Product
New Drink Product
Non-Food Producer
Hospitality
Business Growth / Rising Star
Farming, Conservation & Sustainability
Mentor of the Year (Nominated)
Young Star (Nominated)
Lifetime Achievement (Nominated)
The 2026 Awards Evening will take place on Wednesday 24 September at Down Farm Barns (DT11 8SH) — the home of where Love Local Trust Local was first created — making it a fitting venue to celebrate the local community and everything the movement stands for. The 2024 awards evening was held at the Members Pavilion at The Dorset County Show, welcoming over 150 attendees for an inspiring night celebrating Dorset’s thriving independent businesses and producers.
Barbara Cossins, Founder of Love Local Trust Local, said: “The LLTL Awards were created to shine a light on the people behind local businesses — the growers, makers, producers and champions of our community. Every year we’re blown away by the passion and quality across Dorset, and we’re so excited to open entries for our fifth year. If you’re proud of what you do, we’d love to hear your story.”
How to enter:
Entries can be submitted online via the official entry form:
Hundreds of women will take to the sea at Sandbanks on Saturday 14th March as part of a large-scale cold-water swim marking International Women’s Day. The Poole dip forms one half of The Big Swim, an event that will see 1,000 swimmers enter the water on the same day, split between Sandbanks and Brighton. The Poole swim, scheduled for 9.30am, will bring around 500 participants to the shoreline.
The Big Swim
Organisers say the event sold out within three weeks, reflecting the growing popularity of cold-water swimming and the appetite for collective outdoor challenges. The swim has been organised by adventurer Nicky Chisholm, known as ‘Pink Nicky’, working alongside Dorset outdoor company Land & Wave, led by Rosie Tanner: ‘Land & Wave has long been campaigning to get more women working and playing in the outdoors, so we’re delighted to be welcoming a huge Dorset contingent to The Big Swim,’ said Rosie. While the swim celebrates women and community, it also carries an environmental message. The event is raising funds for Surfers Against Sewage, the national campaign group pushing for improvements to water quality. The Poole event will also include RNLI crews and welcomes participants of all abilities, including the first adaptive and wheelchair swimmers taking part in the challenge. Swimmers are encouraged to arrive in ‘warm and sparkly’ outfits, adding a splash of colour to what is expected to be a lively morning on the Sandbanks shore. The Brighton swim takes place later the same day at Sea Lanes, bringing the total number of swimmers across both locations to 1,000.
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In a Yetminster farmhouse, Benjamin Jesty pioneered vaccination decades before Edward Jenner claimed the breakthrough
Yetminster at the turn of the last century. Image: Barry Cuff Collection
Stand in Yetminster today and it is hard to imagine that one of the most important breakthroughs in medical history began here, in a farmhouse called Upbury. Edward Jenner is usually credited as the pioneer of vaccination. But more than 20 years before Jenner’s famous experiment – and almost 250 years before COVID vaccines – a North Dorset farmer named Benjamin Jesty carried out a bold medical trial on his own family. In the late 18th century, smallpox was sweeping through the county. It was a brutal disease, leaving survivors scarred and often blind, and claiming many lives. Inoculation already existed, but it involved deliberately infecting someone with smallpox itself – a practice known as variolation. It could offer protection … but it also carried real risk.
In 2026, the only obvious remnant of the first postcard is the corner of the old school with its angled drainpipe on the right. It has its own blue plaque to its founder, scientist Robert Boyle of Stalbridge, who founded a village school for poor boys here in 1711. Image: Courtenay Hitchcock
As a farmer, Jesty knew of the rural belief that people who’d had contact with cows that had cowpox were immune to the virus’s more serious cousin smallpox. Dairy workers who had caught cowpox – a much milder disease contracted from infected cows – seemed immune to smallpox. His own dairymaids, Anne Notley and Mary Reade, had both suffered cowpox through milking infected cows and later nursed relatives with smallpox without falling ill themselves. When the smallpox epidemic broke out in North Dorset in 1774, Jesty was faced with the threat to his wife Elizabeth and their young children. He made a decision that was as simple as it was radical: use cowpox instead of smallpox. He travelled to Chetnole, where he knew William Elford had some cows with the marks of cowpox on their udders. Jesty then used a stocking needle to take a tiny sample of pus from an udder and insert it into the arm of his wife, Elizabeth. He then repeated the procedure with sons Robert and Benjamin, then aged three and two respectively, but omitted baby Betty. The children experienced only mild symptoms. Elizabeth developed a fever and was treated by Dr Trowbridge of Cerne Abbas – who viewed the whole business with some scepticism. She recovered fully. None of the three ever contracted smallpox, even when later exposed to it through inoculation. Jesty’s fellow villagers proved seriously unsympathetic. Suspicious of anything that challenged their existing beliefs, and mindful of biblical warnings against contaminating the body with animal matter, villagers subjected him to physical and verbal abuse.
Jesty’s gravestone at Worth Matravers
Despite this, the Jestys continued living in their Yetminster farmhouse until 1796, when they moved to Downshay Manor, Harmans Cross, near Swanage, which offered more land and more space for a family that now included seven children. Coincidentally, 1796 was also the year that Jenner administered his first experimental cowpox vaccination on eight-year-old James Phipps at Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Because he was a village doctor, Jenner was better placed than Jesty to put the method on the medical map. He also coined the phrase variolae vaccinae – meaning ‘vaccine of the cow’ – the origin of the word ‘vaccine’ that we use today. Jesty, meanwhile, continued vaccinating people in his new parish, where his method was better received than at Yetminster. Jesty’s earlier experiment might have slipped into obscurity had it not been for a Swanage clergyman, the Rev Andrew Bell, who campaigned for some recognition for a man ‘so often forgotten by those who have heard of Dr Jenner’. In 1805 Jesty was invited to London to appear before the Vaccine Pock Institution. He and his son Robert were tested with live smallpox and proved immune. The Institution praised his ‘superior strength of mind’ in the face of ‘prevailing popular prejudices’ and presented him with a testimonial, gold-mounted lancets and a portrait by Michael Sharp. Even Jenner later acknowledged Jesty’s work as ‘corroborative evidence’. Benjamin Jesty died in 1816 aged 79. His gravestone at Worth Matravers describes him as the ‘first person (known) that introduced the cowpox by inoculation’. Elizabeth lived to 84. Their sons died in their sixties. Today, Yetminster marks its most famous resident with a blue plaque. The village looks much as it always has, but from this corner of North Dorset came an idea that would go on to transform global medicine: that immunity could be achieved not by courting the full force of a deadly disease, but by harnessing its gentler cousin. History tends to remember the man whose science was published. But the experiment that helped change the world began here in a Dorset farmhouse – with a stocking needle, a cow and a farmer prepared to trust his own reasoning.
Adapted from Farmer Jesty’s Quantum Leap by Roger Guttridge, Feb 2021, The BV.
Lighthouse Poole has marked 25 consecutive years of Investors in People accreditation, placing the arts centre among just 12 organisations in the UK to have maintained the standard for that length of time. The nationally-recognised accreditation assesses how organisations lead, support and develop their staff. In its latest review, assessors highlighted how Lighthouse’s values are embedded across the workforce and noted the strong sense of pride among staff working in a creative organisation with a visible impact on the local community.
Lighthouse Investors In People
Chief Executive Elspeth McBain said the milestone reflected the organisation’s long-term commitment to staff development and wellbeing. ‘This recognition is a real honour and something everyone who works, or has worked, for Lighthouse can be extremely proud of,’ she said. ‘Investors In People is an invaluable, independent assessment of all things that are important to us as an employer – particularly in terms of training, development and wellbeing. ‘For 25 years, the accreditation of Lighthouse has confirmed our commitment, not only to investing in our people, but also to the values that underpin everything we do – here’s to the next 25 years.’ Assessors also praised the range of benefits offered to staff and the organisation’s supportive culture. Employees reported feeling encouraged to contribute ideas and take decisions, with positive feedback across the team about leadership and recognition for their work. Lighthouse is one of the UK’s largest regional arts centres, hosting theatre, music, dance, comedy and community events throughout the year. Maintaining long-term accreditation for workforce development reflects a focus not only on cultural programming, but also on sustaining the people and teams behind the venue’s operations.
Four years after fleeing Kyiv, Olena Andrusenko has built a fragile new life for her family in Dorset, now shadowed by uncertainty
‘We live in Sherborne, we rent a house I like so much. I had this vision of England as a very rainy, grey country, and then I came here and saw Dorset. You have these beautiful hills and so many animals. And so many flowers, even in winter.’ Today, as signs of spring appear all over Dorset, those early days when war was declared in Ukraine seem distant. But four years ago, Dorset families cleared annexes, community groups organised collections of clothing and essential items, and the county started welcoming refugees from Ukraine. Olena Andrusenko was one of the hundreds of families who escaped the war with her two children.
Olena, Lilia and Markiian Andrusenko sightseeing in London
The outbreak of war ‘I couldn’t believe that the war would start in the civilized world, in the 21st century. I was working in a bank in Kyev, leading a team of twelve colleagues and moving up the career ladder. On October 2021, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. It was so painful and scary. But we fought, gritting our teeth, going through chemotherapy and its side effects. Watching your loved one fading away, not just your mother, but also your best friend, is incredibly painful. ‘The beginning of the war found us in bed in the darkness of a very early February morning. Through my sleep I heard several explosions outside, car alarms went off. A thought flashed through my sleepy mind – THAT IS IT. It has been started.’ Very sadly, Olena’s mother died shortly after the Russians invaded. She was forced to bury her in Russian occupied territory. ‘I clearly remember my pain, grief, I couldn’t breathe, there was something heavy in my chest, rage, hatred for Russian soldiers, Russia, hatred for these invaders and the war in general. ‘And I remember my dad, he was very quiet, with tears on his face, breathing heavily, he went out to the village, found a coffin in the ruins of a ritual shop and brought it home. The Russian soldiers saw him dragging the coffin and turned away … I hope at least they had something resembling guilt.’ Coming to England An opportunity arose to come to Britain on one of the organised Ukraine refugee schemes for Olena, her 14 year old daughter Lilia and six-year-old son Markiian. When Olena spoke to her daughter, they thought they would like to stay with an older man with dogs. By coincidence, Allan Peters (owner of three labradors) was looking to take in some refugees to his home in Sherborne. When the two spoke on WhatsApp they were more than happy with the dogs, and Olena explained how much they helped Markiian. ‘When he first arrived in England he was quite traumatised and couldn’t sleep. The dogs stayed with him and helped him. Some of his first words in English were “Sit” and “get down!” Three weeks after Olena arrived, Allan was diagnosed with what was thought to be terminal cancer. He offered to get them rehoused as he could not expect them to care for him, but Olena didn’t hesitate to stay, supporting him when he needed her.
Olena (left), Allan Peters, Markiian and Lilia have created a new family unit together in Sherborne
The Visa Challenge The fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine brings a further challenge for Ukrainians in the United Kingdom over their visas. Unlike other countries, there is no automatic extension, leaving hundreds of people unable to make plans for the future. According to Dorset Council, since 2022, Dorset has welcomed 1,143 Ukrainians seeking safety. Of these, 712 guests remain in the county, with: •175 currently living in hosted accommodation •537 now settled in their own rented homes •26 more expected to arrive in the near future Unlike many other refugee programmes, which tend to focus on urban areas, lots of Ukrainians opted to come to rural areas like Dorset and Somerset because they are used to countryside settings. Allan is frustrated about the government stance on visas: ‘I offered to help these people. They ended up helping me … now we’re a little family. A lot of other European countries were a lot more open and welcoming than the UK. Olena had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get to me. At one time they couldn’t find the childrens’ applications and they asked Olena if she wanted to leave them behind! Well that’s ridiculous. ‘Imagine you don’t know where you are going to be living after October this year and you have children. My personal view is the government won’t send anyone back to a war zone. Even if the war finished today, I don’t think anyone is going anywhere for two years because they have to rebuild Ukraine. Olena’s flat is a shell – there’s nothing there. France has allowed refugeees from Ukraine another four or five years because they understand the war will not be over.’ MP for West Dorset, Edward Morello, has already helped Ukrainian families in Dorset with their visa problems: ‘The main problem is processing times, the lack of updates and replies to queries, and time taken for a decision. In West Dorset, one host family is supporting two Ukrainian children whose visa extension applications were submitted well within the recommended timeframe but have been delayed for months. In contrast, their mother’s later application was processed and approved quickly. The absence of clear communication or explanation has caused significant uncertainty for the family, despite their full compliance with Home Office guidance.
Olena, Lilia and Markiian Andrusenko
‘In another case, a Ukrainian child in West Dorset almost missed an overseas school trip – which had been awarded in recognition of his academic progress – because his visa had not been processed. His mother received no updates, and his younger sister was left questioning whether she was even permitted to remain in the UK. Although the case has now been resolved, and the family can stay, it required direct parliamentary intervention to reach a conclusion. ‘The problems are all down to a massive immigration/asylum backlog – not with Ukrainian refugees specifically, but more generally at a Home Office that is struggling to cope. ‘The obvious answer is to create an immigration and asylum department separate from the Home Office, which is properly funded and staffed to deal with the number of applications. And to prioritise applications from people who have the right to be here, like Ukrainians. However, politically this is very difficult for the Government to do as immigration as a subject is so politically toxic at the moment.’ Olena is hoping to stay. She has a job here, her daughter is at university now, and her son is progressing well at school. ‘If I have to go back, that’s fair enough, but I want to be sure it is safe.’
Ten teenage drummers from across the country took to the stage at Lighthouse, Poole on Sunday for the final of the Zildjian Young Drummer of the Year competition. Now in its 24th year, the contest brings together some of the most talented young percussionists aged 16 and under. The finalists each faced three challenges on the day: performing a two-minute solo, playing along to a pre-recorded track, and joining a live band to perform a piece they heard for the first time that day. The judging panel featured some of the UK’s leading session and touring drummers, including Ash Soan (Taylor Swift, Rod Stewart and Snow Patrol), Ben Thomas (Rag ‘N’ Bone Man), Rob Rolfe (Enter Shikari) and former winner JJ Wallace, who has since played with Jorja Smith and Celeste.
The title was won by 16-year-old Ellis Gates from London, who returned to the competition after narrowly missing out last year. ‘The competition was an amazing experience, just as it was last year,’ he said. ‘This year I felt more prepared, and when I performed my solo I felt calm and focused.’ Ellis, who began playing drums as a toddler after receiving a toy drum kit from his grandmother, now studies at the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy and hopes to continue his music education in New York. Founder Mike Dolbear praised the standard of this year’s finalists. ‘Huge congratulations to all of them – they were incredible,’ he said. The competition has been hosted at Lighthouse since 2023 and continues to grow internationally, with finals now being staged in the United States and across parts of Europe.
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When the Chancellor delivered her Spring Forecast, few in the business community expected major policy changes. What many had hoped for, however, was a clearer recognition of the pressures employers are currently navigating.
Ian Girling, CEO of Dorset Chamber
Across Dorset, businesses are preparing for new obligations under the Employment Rights Act, alongside increases to the national living and minimum wages. These changes come at a time when operating costs remain high and confidence, while improving in some sectors, is still fragile. Recent research from the British Chambers of Commerce shows that one in four businesses are struggling to pay their energy bills. Dorset firms are not immune from those pressures. While inflation has eased, many costs have not returned to pre-crisis levels, and for smaller employers in particular, margins remain tight. It is right for government to speak positively about economic progress and the importance of stability. Businesses value certainty. But confidence cannot be declared into existence. It is built through consistent policy, manageable regulation and realistic support for growth. The coming months will test that confidence. The potential for renewed volatility in global energy markets, coupled with geopolitical tensions, adds further uncertainty. Dorset businesses are resilient, but resilience should not be mistaken for limitless capacity to absorb additional cost. If growth is the objective, then employers need the conditions to invest – in people, in innovation and in expansion. Skills remain a crucial part of that picture, and apprenticeships continue to offer a practical route for businesses to develop talent locally while creating meaningful opportunities. That is why the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards matter. Now in their fifth year, they highlight not only the contribution apprentices make to organisations across the county, but also the personal transformation that comes with the structured training and support. We regularly hear apprentices say the programme has changed their lives. That is growth in its most tangible form. While national economic debates continue, there is important work happening here in Dorset. Business will play its part in driving growth – but it needs the right environment to do so.
The not-for-profit Somerset Care Group is kickstarting its 35th year with a UK care award based on customer reviews. Established in 1991, Somerset Care has been recognised as a Top 20 Mid-Size Large Care Home Group in the Carehome.co.uk awards. They celebrate excellence in care by recognising the Top 20 highest-rated Care Home Groups, honouring care homes that have received outstanding reviews from residents, service users and their families and friends.
Eve Mitchell, Somerset Care’s Chief Operating Officer, explains what the accolade means to colleagues across the Somerset Care Group: ‘To receive an award for the care we provide is wonderful, but to know that this stems from independently-verified reviews from our customers and their families means so much more! ‘We are incredibly proud of the high-quality, specialist care which our care home teams provide, and the difference this makes to our residents and their loved ones. This award recognises their dedication to supporting people to live the life they choose. ‘I would like to say thank you to every single customer, resident and family member who has shared their valued feedback on carehome.co.uk. This award means so much because it reflects your experiences of the care we provide.’
Recent praise for Somerset Care on carehome.co.uk: ‘Came to Cooksons Court after being discharged from hospital. Booked originally a 2-week stay but have added an extra week. Medical staff, carers etc fantastic. Caring service. No one can do enough for me. Food delicious. Very impressed. Admin staff also so helpful.’ – Respite resident (Cooksons Court residential and nursing care home, Yeovil)
‘I am exceptionally pleased with the care and compassion all the staff at Calway House have shown in helping my Mum settle in. The staff are friendly, caring & patient. As my Mum has dementia it is such a relief to know she is safe, well fed and cared for. The activities provided every day are a real bonus and have played a massive part in settling my Mum in. Calway House is spotlessly clean every time I visit. All the staff are most welcoming and available to chat to no matter what time of day you arrive. I have no hesitation in recommending Calway House.’ – Daughter of resident (Calway House residential, dementia and nursing care home, Taunton)
‘A lovely welcoming home with the most amazing staff. There’s always something going on for the residents. Every one’s happy there. Mum is receiving the best care and we know she is being well looked after. As she told us, ‘you can’t look after me as well as they do!’ The food is excellent and a good choice. Visitors are made so welcome – home from home.’ – Daughter of resident (Wyndham House day care, respite and residential care home, Minehead) To find out more about the specialist day care, respite breaks, residential care, dementia support, and nursing care offered across Somerset Care’s 22 care homes, please visit somersetcare.co.uk or call 0800 8174 925.
