Dorset Chamber’s annual event returned in May, recognising apprentices’ dedication, achievements and value to the whole business community
Winners with dignitaries at the 2023 Dorset Apprenticeship Awards. Pictured left to right are Rod Davis from DSTPN, Superior Seals MD Tim Brown, Dorset Chamber president Caron Khan, Nicky Sayers of Avon Magnetics, Katie Smith of BBD Boom, Dorset Chamber chief executive Ian Girling, Florence Hudson of JPP and HM Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset Angus Campbell
The county’s top apprentices were hailed at the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards for their dedication, adaptability, and exceptional performance. The awards ceremony, sponsored by Superior Seals and hosted by Dorset Chamber in collaboration with the Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network (DSTPN), marked its second annual celebration of apprentice excellence.
The winners were: Nicky Sayers from Avon Magnetics Ltd in Christchurch, who won Intermediate Apprentice of the Year. Her training was undertaken at Bournemouth & Poole College. Katie Smith from BBD Boom in Bournemouth, named Advanced Apprentice of the Year, trained by Intequal. Florence Hudson from the Poole office of JPP, who claimed the Higher and Degree Apprentice of the Year title, with her training provider being the University of Portsmouth.
Ian Girling, CEO of Dorset Chamber, expressed admiration for the remarkable stories shared by individuals from such diverse sectors throughout Dorset. ‘Judging was very difficult and we read some inspirational stories from people of all ages from many different sectors across the whole of Dorset. ‘The success of the winners is testament to just how important and valuable apprenticeships are to Dorset businesses, the local economy and professional development,’ he said. The awards, launched last year to highlight apprenticeships, acknowledge apprentice contributions to businesses, and celebrate their workplace accomplishments, has seen increasing participation and positive feedback from the business sector. The winners were declared at Superior Seals in Ferndown from a shortlist of 12 outstanding finalists. Among the distinguished guests present were HM Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset Angus Campbell, who handed out the trophies alongside judges Tim Brown, Ian Girling, and Rod Davis from DSTPN. Attendees included finalists, their families, employers, training providers, and Dorset Chamber president Caron Khan. As the celebration concluded, plans for next year’s competition were already in the works, indicating a thriving future for apprenticeships in the region.
Employ My Ability offers vocational training for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Maddie Walters worked on her journalism with the aim of writing a column for us – Ed
This month Maddie is looking at local disability-friendly gardens to visit over the summer, and also at ways you might get involved
It’s summer at last – I hope everyone is enjoying the warm and sunny days! For this month’s article I’ve been thinking about my favourite gardens to visit at this time of year and whether they are disability-friendly. I have also looked at volunteering information for those who might be interested. There are lots of beautiful gardens that all, including disabled people, can enjoy in the summer. It’s really important for your physical and mental health to enjoy the beautiful nature all around you. The National Gardens Scheme (NGS), which give visitors unique access to over 3,500 private gardens, has a very good article about this, written by a neuroscientist.
Kingston Lacy (shutterstock)
Moors Valley Moors Valley is a fantastic place to visit, with many activities that young kids can enjoy enjoy like cycling, fishing, and even seeing the Gruffalo. There are many accessible walks and paths and a really good visitor centre to help.
Kingston Lacy Kingston Lacy is another fantastic place to visit – the grounds of the house are stunning, I love the beautiful Japanese garden. The house is great to visit too. The Companion Card from the National Trust is accepted, so up to two carers can come with you for free.
Sherborne Castle Vistors can enjoy both the castle itself and the gardens. Though the upstairs exhibits aren’t accessible, there is a slide show on the ground floor to see them that way.
Gardens at Larmer Tree The Larmer Tree gardens are a wonderful place to visit in the summertime – book your tickets via the visual calendar on the website. They are very accessible and have a wheelchair on site available to use.
More information You can get an access guide for National Trust and English Heritage sites. I also recommend you check the volunteer pages on the National Trust or English Heritage websites, to find out wha’s available. Options include working at the till, making bookings or giving a tour with knowledge about the history of English gardens. Another excellent place to look at for more volunteering options is the NGS site. Although NGS events are held in private gardens, there is a need for some specific help. And mark your calendar for Gardens & Health Week in May 2024!
Fairmead Community Special School transforms the lives of pupils aged between
4-19 years with additional learning needs (MLD and ASD). The school works in partnership with parents/carers and other stakeholders to develop our pupils in becoming positive individuals who make a valuable contribution to their community.
LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANT (LSA) 34.50 Hours per week, Term Time only (39 weeks)
Grade 15-14 – £16,919 – £17,540 (gross annual salary). Subject to an annual increase
Working hours Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Fri 8.30am-3.45pm and Tues 8.30pm-4.30pm – 34.50 working hours
We are seeking to appoint outstanding Learning Support practitioners who are compassionate, dynamic and resourceful individuals to join our dedicated and hardworking team of skilful support staff to work across the whole school. A desired element to this role would be experience of supporting young people with Autism and moderate learning needs.
Prospective candidates are warmly invited to visit our school; this can be arranged by contacting [email protected]
Closing/Shortlisting Date: Tuesday 11th July Interviews: Thursday 13th July
Fairmead School is committed to safeguarding the school community. All job applications must contain the disclosure of any spent convictions and cautions. The school will carry out pre-employment vetting procedures, which include an online search for shortlisted candidates and the successful outcome of an enhanced DBS
When Thomas Hardy described the Blackmore Vale as the ‘Vale of the Little Dairies’, I doubt that he envisaged a dairy cow photobombing the scene. But many readers will be familiar with Lucy Tidbury’s ‘Moo Selfie’ range of paintings and designs, inspired by Dorset’s scenery. Curious cows are not her only models, however – she also paints alpacas, sheep and even camels in her usual vibrant style, as well as pet portrait commissions. ‘The only thing I don’t paint is people!’ she told me on my visit to her shop and gallery. Lucy’s farm is in one of Swanage’s quirky side streets, which are full of similarly independent shops. The gallery showcases Lucy’s original oil paintings and prints – alongside a wide range of items including greetings cards, tea towels, coasters, aprons, mugs and cheese boards.
Lucy lives near Wareham, with the scenery of the Purbecks as constant inspiration. She studied Fine Art at the Bournemouth Arts Institute and went on to complete a BA Degree in Fine Art at the University of Chichester, graduating in 2007 and becoming a full-time artist in 2014. She enjoyed art at school and was encouraged by some great teachers and a parent who wanted her “to work in a subject she loved.” Her passion for art has developed into an expanding business, helped by the fact that Business Studies was a minor part of her degree course – ‘it helped me understand accounting and tax returns. If you do a degree in a creative subject, it is important that you understand what goes on in the real world. So I have the business head as well as a bit of a scatty artist’s head!’ The Moo Portraits were a turning point in Lucy’s career. ‘I was painting a lot of pet portraits and farm animals but when I first wanted to exhibit during Purbeck Art Weeks I realised I needed something different from all the other artists. They were nearly all painting Old Harry, Durdle Door, Corfe Castle… so I decided to combine the animals I was already painting with iconic Dorset scenes. It was really successful and I realised I had hit on something a little bit different. I do like artwork which makes you smile.’
Lucy Tidbury Image: Edwina Baines
Too commercial? As the business expanded, it became hard to juggle the various commitments and still fit in the time to actually paint. Lucy has two assistants, Jenny and Julie, who have helped in the shop from day one, and also the now-indispensable general factotum Patrick, who handles all the incoming orders and liaises with stockists.
Lucy carefully balances her time now – either going for a run or taking her dogs Ned and Nelly for walks in the Purbeck hills in the morning, often painting in the evenings. ‘Painting never feels like work! I will work on two or three oil paintings at a time. There is a degree of pressure when I have a commission and I have to get a good likeness, but I like the challenge. Sometimes I paint vintage tractors, too – which I love – and even Land Rovers. These have to be really accurate, as there is sure to be someone who notices!’
It can be easy to dismiss a successful artist as overly commercial but Lucy doesn’t worry about it. ‘I like that my art is accessible to everyone. If nothing else, a customer can always buy a greeting card and have it framed. I love it when a child can buy a coaster of a pony with her pocket money and keep it in her bedroom.’ The steady flow of customers into the shop includes as many holidaymakers as loyal local shoppers. Many are familiar with Lucy’s work and making return visits. One lady purchases items for her daughter in Canada to remind her of Dorset, others call in to see new work – or simply come across the shop while exploring Swanage.
Forward thinking Lucy also sells her work online and shows her designs at craft and agricultural shows around the country. When travelling to shows, Lucy has a towable shepherd’s hut. It’s a mini version of her shop inside and doubles up as accommodation. This year’s local bookings include Sherborne Castle Country Fair, Dorset County Show and the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival.
In the future, Lucy hopes to develop the wholesale side of the business – she feels it is important that all the items for sale are made by small British suppliers. A family-run business in Stoke on Trent supplies all of Lucy’s pottery ranges, printers in Weymouth produce the cards (of which there are 120 different designs) and the canvas prints are made in Swanage. The cow theme is popular for kitchen art and the canvases can be wiped clean, with the added advantage of no glare from the glass. During Purbeck Art Weeks Lucy will be exhibiting some new original work as well as framed prints at Rollington Barn near Corfe Castle. ‘They’re just happy pictures!’ said Lucy. lucysfarm.co.uk
What a lively few weeks of mixed emotions we’ve had. Jubilation and joy, tempered with disappointment and dismay. The coronation brought joy to some, and disappointment to those who believe in the democratic right to peaceful protest. The police waded in to stamp out any hint of dissent, using the new powers given to them by the Tories’ Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act that became law last year. Their Public Order Act was given royal assent just days before the coronation. Such was their enthusiasm that the police even detained several Westminster Council volunteers who were simply handing out rape alarms! The government claims that the legislation is necessary to stop protesters from disrupting the lives of ‘ordinary hard-working people’, but it’s more like an authoritarian means of silencing opposition to government policies. Nothing is going to disrupt all of our lives more than the increasing depletion and pollution of our environment and the changing climate which is steadily growing ever more extreme. We risk a time coming when all of us – environmental activists and protesters included – will regret not having done more to force the government to take the urgent actions needed to protect our collective future.
A Green surge Disappointed as he was by the local council election results, Rishi Sunak nevertheless vowed to plough on with what he claims are the peoples’ priorities. The election results suggest he would do well to reconsider those priorities. The Green Party’s surge in popularity doubtless reflects the growing environmental concerns of most people. The Office for National Statistics reports that climate change is now the second biggest concern for 75 per cent of UK adults, demonstrating how out of touch the government is. A record number of Green councillors were elected last month, up from 281 to 481. The total included 33 new councillors here in the South West. While we look forward to the next general election, the lack of proportional representation will inevitably mean that the result will continue to reflect the wishes of vested financial interests, media barons and wealthy donors, rather than those of the general populace. We deserve better, do we not? Ken Huggins, North Dorset Green Party
His own acting career may have peaked with Up Pompeii!, but as a theatrical agent Kerry Gardner went on to shape the careers of some of our best-loved British actors. Now living in Dorset, Kerry has written Not Another Waltz (I, Nausius) – a hilarious book about his life – and he will be doing a reading and Q&A at The Exchange on Sunday 9th July:
‘As an actor I worked and mingled with (and bumped up against) the likes of Alastair Sim, David Hockney, Judi Dench, Tom Hanks, Frankie Howerd, Rudolph Nureyev, the late Queen, her mother, Prince Philip (I took Prince Edward to lunch), Princess Di, Ian McKellen, Vanessa Redgrave, Morecambe and Wise, Harvey Weinstein, Jane Fonda … And as an actors’ agent I represented the likes of Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Pam Ferris, Bill Paterson et al.
‘I’m going to make the reading adult audience friendly, but I’ll not be reading the … franker … bits – you’ll just have to buy the book for the full unexpurgated tale ( https://amzn.to/44ayunY )!
‘If you’ve ever wanted to be an actor, then this book will be useful. If you are already a performer, it’ll be fun. If you’ve ever wanted to acquire wisdom, reading this might get you going. If you’re happy to be daft you’ll recognise yourself in here. All in all, you’re in for a good time.
‘But how best to snare your interest? I can’t really do better than quote Dame Eileen Atkins (‘I absolutely loved it…a terrific book’), and some of the other five star reviews on Amazon:
“fascinating, warm, funny, and sexy”
“an acute observer he shares many chokingly funny and naughty stories from his career as an actor, director, agent and impresario.”
“An astonishingly honest and frequently hilarious search for identity”
“to spend time in Kerry Gardner’s world is an absolute joy”.
Kerry will be on at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton at 7pm on Sunday 9th July. Tickets (£10) are available online here https://bit.ly/BVKerryGardner
Thanks to a recent grant, AGE UK North, South & West Dorset is now actively seeking volunteers to join their befriending service in the Shaftesbury region.
The Dorset Community Foundation’s Corton Hill Fund has given the charity a financial boost to help the project combat loneliness and seclusion within local communities. An array of support will be made available, including home visits from the Independent Living advisor, who will offer crucial guidance and refer individuals to services that encourage self-reliance and overall wellbeing. Recognising the significant toll that loneliness and seclusion can have on physical and mental health, the charity hopes the project wall pave the way for people to access the support they need. Community Engagement Manager, Rachel Weiss, said: ‘We are hopeful that this project can support those in the Shaftesbury area who are experiencing loneliness and isolation. We can ensure that those who need support know where to go, as well as supporting people with befriending and social opportunities. We are incredibly thankful to the Corton Hill Fund and Dorset Community Foundation for the opportunity.’ Presently, the charity has more than 100 befrienders spread across North, South, and West Dorset, but a mere three in the Shaftesbury area. The charity is now looking for more to support their efforts to tackle loneliness in communities: ‘We have lots of requests for befriending support,’ says Rachel. ‘But we are always looking for more volunteers who may have some spare time each week to make a difference to the life of a local older person. It might be a simple chat over a cuppa, or a walk around the local park. These seemingly-small social opportunities can make all the difference.’ For further details about the project, or to inquire about volunteer opportunities in Shaftesbury, call 01305 269444 Monday to Friday 10 til 3. If you live in Sturminster Newton or its surrounding villages, Age Concern North Dorset provides the befriending service there. Please contact them on 01258 475582.
Labour’s plans to “back the builders, not the blockers” took further shape this week with the announcement that the next Labour government would allow local authorities, including Dorset Council, to buy land at a lower price through Compulsory Purchase Orders, where justified and in the public interest. The idea is a simple one; because land without planning permission is worth more than land with planning permission (land with the “hope factor”), councils would be able to buy up land at a lower rate. As one of the most expensive places in Britain to rent or buy a home, local Dorset people struggle to afford to live in the area, even as housing costs continue to rise. The new policy would not only open the door to councils providing good quality local authority homes for rent at affordable prices, but also have a deflationary impact on a bloated housing market that increasingly prevents first time buyers from buying their first home. The new policy is good news – not only for the 30 per cent of us who simply want reasonable rents in good quality homes with secure tenancies; or for those who aspire to own their homes and enjoy decreasing housing costs as their mortgage is paid back over the years – but for all of us who benefit from the stable, sustainable and vibrant communities that affordable housing helps to deliver. However, it will need a creative and aspirational Labour council as well as a creative and aspirational Labour government to really deliver the benefits to people here in Dorset. So, as the preparation starts for both the local elections in Dorset next year and a General Election nationally, it’s time to start reflecting on how well-served we currently are by the stale, Tory-led council that has delivered increased Council Tax while winding down our local services and failing to deliver on housing, and an exhausted shambles of a Tory government that is fresh out of ideas despite appointing 15 Housing Ministers in 13 years. Pat Osborne, North Dorset Labour Party
Completely different yet utterly the same, let me explain…
Cor Y Taran
A full month of being back at my family base in Somerset. Wow what a lucky girl I am. Such a beautiful yard and the horses seem to love it! It’s taken a couple of weeks for us all to find a Rhythm and a routine that works well for horses and humans! Whilst we have tried to maintain the same ridden program for all horses, we have been working out the best morning yard and afternoon yard routine and I think we are nearly there! Having everything running smoothly again. We know where things go, everything has its place! The horses are absolutely loving being able to be back out in a field! I have also noticed a different from a riding point of view from their increased amount of turn out! They seem to be more relaxed and supple in their work! Still a few too many builders around trying to finish the beautiful yard but we are slowly saying goodbye to more and more!
With the move been all successful unfortunately the British weather has been quite the opposite! With three big international planned for May. Chatsworth, Rockingham and Bicton. Unfortunately having previously never been to either Chatsworth or Rockingham and very excited to go, the weather has stop play and both events have been abandoned due to the ground conditions being too wet. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Bicton will run and we have a successful and dry event next week!
With all the weekend suddenly freed up from events being cancelled, this has allowed us to train harder and wiser and so I am very much looking forward to being able to try but all our recent practice into play at Bicton!
