Are you Looking for a career in upholstery or fine furniture making?

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1 December 2022

Soane need enthusiastic, hard working team members to join an established upholstery workshop in Castle Cary and our own frame making workshop in Shaftesbury in 2023. A relevant qualification and/or work experience would be an advantage but is not a requirement.

You will receive training and mentorship from highly skilled craftsmen who are making fine hand made upholstered furniture using high quality and sustainable materials.

You will receive good rates of pay and benefits, including a nine-day working fortnight.

For more information, scan the QR code in the advert below or to book in for our January 2023 open days, please send your CV with a covering letter to [email protected].

The closing date for applications is 6th January 2023.

Recruit Vitamin D to help win the war against winter bugs

By

Editorial team

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27 November 2022

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Everyone in the UK should take vitamin D as a supplement – nutritional therapist Karen Geary explains what, how and why

Between October and April (when our shadow is longer than our height in the sunshine), we need to find vitamin D in food and supplements

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) suggests that around 10 million people may be deficient in vitamin D. Why is it important, how do you get it and how do you know how much to take?

Why vitamin D?
We need vitamin D for our immune system to function. Immune cells have vitamin D receptors on them – when it is absorbed into the cells it provides a protective effect against infections and suppresses the replication of some viruses. These immune cells are mostly in the gut and it is thought that vitamin D may also support the integrity of the lining of the gut. There is also a suggestion that vitamin D may provide protection against other conditions (you can read more about that here). In other studies, vitamin D deficient individuals were found to be at higher risk of COVID-19 infection as compared with vitamin D sufficient patients.

How do I get vitamin D?
Our bodies cannot make vitamin D without sunlight and food (and then only in small amounts), so we need both sources or to use supplements. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means you need to eat fat to absorb it. Foods with vitamin D include oily fish, organic dairy, beef liver, mushrooms which have been exposed to sunlight, tofu, fortified milk products, fortified cereals and eggs. But we have to eat an enormous amount to get anyway near the recommended minimum amount – like 3kg of cheese, several cans of tuna and eight eggs! In the summer, when our skin is exposed to sunlight, 90 per cent of our total vitamin D comes from sunshine and we are likely to be making enough. However, between October and April (when our shadow is longer than our height in the sunshine), we need to find it elsewhere.
In food and supplements, there are two types of vitamin D: D2 which is found in plants, and D3, found in animal products. Our body makes D3, its preferred form, so it is important that you buy supplements in D3 form. Fortified foods are usually supplemented with D2.

Ed’s Note – I thought a vitamin deficiency sounded over-dramatic and ‘doesn’t-actually-happen-to-normal-people-like-us’.
Until, that is, my then-13 year old was diagnosed as vitamin D deficient after a couple of very worrying months. Dose yourselves, and dose your teenagers. The impact of low vitamin D levels is very real and deeply unpleasant.

How much to take?
An optimum level of vitamin D is between 75nmol/L and 100nmol/L. You can get an at-home test for £29 at www.vitamindtest.org.uk/ and you can calculate how much you may need here.
Did you know that NHS and Public Health England recommends that anyone over 12 months old should take a supplement at a minimum of 400iu of vitamin D per day from October to March? This level, by the way, is barely enough to maintain current levels. Did you also know that the US – which is at a lower latitude than the UK (except Alaska) – recommends higher amounts, and with an upper tolerable limit?
It is always better to tailor the dose to suit you by testing your current levels.
However, if you are unable to take a test, a top-up dose over the winter of 2,000 to 3,000iu’s as a daily food supplement is sufficient and at this level is unlikely to lead to a too-high level unless your D3 is already too high, which is rare. Note this is much higher than the NHS recommendation. There are infant and junior supplements at a smaller dose also available. BetterYou offers good quality highly absorbable supplements. Unless you are taking blood thinners, I would always recommend taking vitamin D3 with vitamin K2. This is because the current research shows that vitamin K2 ensures that the calcium transported by the vitamin D is absorbed by your bones where it is needed.

We have to eat an enormous amount to get near the required vitamin D levels

Vitamin D from sunlight.
There is a wonderful free app for tracking this – though it is for the summer more than winter dminder.ontometrics.com/
Lack of sleep, stress, sugar, alcohol and poor diet can all deplete your immunity and no amount of supplementation can compensate for poor lifestyle. So always consider supplementation as part of a wider lifestyle approach to winter wellness.

Hares, hedgerows and down on the Hosford’s farm

By

Laura

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27 November 2022

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The final part of November’s podcast is the entire wildlife and farming sections:

Rewilding Wild Woodbury – Dorset Wildlife Trust’s project records more than 1,100 species in its first year
Wildlife writer Jane Adams goes in search of mysterious hares in Dorset churches which may have originated in Buddhist China
Hedgerows have inexplicably been left out of the climate change action plan, says Rupert Hardy, chairman of North Dorset CPRE
A recent case of animal neglect on a Dorset farm has highlighted red flags with the Red Tractor accreditation systems, says Andrew Livingston
Alarmingly, bird flu is on the rise – new laws apply to backyard poultry keepers too, says NFU county advisor Gemma Harvey
Farmer George Hosford discusses the latest news on ELMS, crosses his fingers on the new oilseed rape, and says goodbye to two old friends

Connections with community

By

Editorial team

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26 November 2022

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Feeling connected is a fundamental human need, says Dorset Mind’s Abigail Hole, and one that should be thought about as winter arrives

As the colder weather sets in, it’s worth considering the support networks and connections you have near to home. Establishing routines and people who you can turn to, especially if you’re vulnerable to mental health challenges during the winter months, can be an important exercise. We all need someone to talk to from time to time.

Human Need
You may have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – it is frequently used as an education theory which discusses a human’s basic needs for survival: food, warmth, security and safety, for example. Maslow’s theory also discusses psychological needs – our ‘motivations’ for survival including love, belonging and friendship.
Some may argue that this 1940s theory is outdated for modern day living, but the importance of human connection and acceptance remains a fundamental need, not just a desire, and is critical in prioritising your mental health this autumn and winter.

Loneliness
This year, during May’s Mental Health Awareness Week, Dorset Mind raised awareness of the impact of loneliness on mental health. Although not a mental health condition in itself, feeling lonely is extremely common across all age groups, races, and living situations. Mental health conditions also increase our chances of feeling lonely, or the risk of isolating ourselves.
Research conducted by the Office of National Statistics found that people who say they are never lonely are more likely to feel part of their community (Community Life Survey, 2018). By finding a sense of belonging within our community, we feel motivated to take care of other’s needs; this in turn boosts our own wellbeing.
It’s important to acknowledge how you’re feeling. We recommend taking note in a diary exactly when feelings of loneliness arise, as this can help detect patterns, which can be useful when finding support during the challenging times. For example, if you notice frequent feelings of loneliness during the weekend, or after work, you can plan and find support available during these periods.

Seeking Connection
Thankfully, there are numerous ways we can connect with others within our community. Although social media might not be to everyone’s cup of tea, it does provide a vast community of people to connect with, from local community groups or common interests to simply connecting with distant friends and family members.
It’s also worth checking community notice boards in cafes, gyms, libraries and even supermarkets for posters of low cost or free group activities.
If you would like to be a part of a community project and work as part of a team, volunteering can be an excellent way of connecting with others. At Dorset Mind, volunteers provide support across the charity based on their own preferences, from helping tend to our allotments to providing one-to-one phone calls with young people and adults who may be experiencing periods of loneliness themselves.

Talking to someone
If you are experiencing emotional or wellbeing challenges and need to talk with someone, Dorset Mind’s befriending service can help. It provides one-to-one support for adults through check-in phone calls, helping with goal setting, reducing social isolation and improving confidence and self-esteem.
Additionally, The Silver Line helpline is a free 24-hour telephone service for older people, offering friendship, conversation and support especially for those who may be feeling lonely or isolated. You can call it on 0800 4 70 80 90.
The Samaritans also provide a listening service through their 24 hours a day phoneline. You can talk through your concerns, worries and troubles – contact them on 116 123.

Dorset Mind wellbeing and mental health support: dorsetmind.uk
Find out more about Silverline: www.thesilverline.org.uk

Farm worker required

By

Editorial team

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25 November 2022

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Are you looking to earn some extra this winter?

Do you like being active/outdoors?

Can you work well as part of a young and motivated team?

Do you know how to work an alarm clock?

We are looking to recruit additional team member(s) to cover Fri/Sat/Sun milking and general cattle work over the winter.

We can make the role fit with your current commitments.

Full training provided and you would always be working with an experienced member of the team.

Good hourly rates of pay.

Please get in touch for an informal chat to discuss options. [email protected]

07484 732305

Electrical, Mechanical and Instrumentation (EM&I) Technician | Wessex Water

By

Editorial team

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25 November 2022

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Are you a Electrical, Mechanical and Instrumentation (EM&I) Technician who has an electrical bias? Or are you more mechanically bias and looking to further develop your skills set in electrical work? If so, we are looking for someone to join our team of Technicians who can bring a can-do attitude and a flexible approach to working.

What’s the job?

We are a close-knit team of skilled technicians who are renowned for the quality of our work. We pride ourselves on our staff development and that means you will have great opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge on the job.

The Electrical Mechanical and Instrumentation team provide 24/7, 365 days per year operations. We’re looking for a committed individual who can be flexible in their work pattern to meet the demands of the department. We ensure the operation and maintenance of water treatment works, network boosters, boreholes and reservoirs so they are compliant and meet quality standards.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will be to ensure the effective operation of plant machinery and equipment, as well as carrying out fault finding, diagnosis and resolution.

You can also expect to:

perform plan preventative maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance on electrical, mechanical and instrumentation breakdowns
carry out electrical and mechanical installations
produce condition reports on plant/assets
visually inspect and carry out condition monitoring on assets
review PLCs and Scada systems to identify trends, performance and investigate potential issues
carry out chlorine and sulphur preventative maintenance on dosing systems and breakdowns
work on chemical dosing systems
collaboratively work with site teams and contractors
understand supply assets and our design standards to provide the best possible service to customers
manage critical spares and spares lists
deliver a first-class health and safety approach to work
deliver work to a time scale under permits.

Please note, we work in a 24/7 operational team, so you will be required to cover out-of-hours call-outs as part of a standby rota.

What do I need?

We are looking for an experienced Multiskilled Technician or an electrically bias technician who is self-motivated and can work with minimal direct supervision.

If you are a mechanically bias technician, who is looking to develop their role into a multiskilled position, then we would consider for the role.

In addition, you will also have the following:

City and Guilds, Btech or NVQ level 3 or above
experience working with three phase power and control circuits
fault finding skills
computer literacy
PLC programming and fault diagnosis
experience working with chemical and gas dosing systems
mechanical repair and maintenance experience.

It is essential that you hold a valid UK driving licence, as this role will involve regular travel across the Dorset area, which is often to rural sites.

Benefits for you

Pension – up to 20% combined contribution.
25 days’ holiday rising to 28 with length of service.
Opportunity to buy and sell up to five days’ holiday.
Health benefits package.
Life assurance (up to four times your salary).
Electric vehicle salary exchange.
Flexible working.
Cashback and discounts from over 1,200 retailers.
Paid volunteering day.
Enhanced family leave.
Interactive health and wellbeing platform.
Support from mental health first aiders.
£1,000 referral fee if you recommend someone to work for us.

What will you get from us?

Our people tell us Wessex Water is a great place to work, and they stay with us! We are proud of how we support development and career progression. We have a wealth of both financial and non-financial benefits to offer our people and are committed to ensuring we provide an environment that supports health and wellbeing and flexible working.

We continue to promote diversity and inclusion. With that in mind, we welcome all applicants.

We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer. Applicants who declare they have a disability or have previously served with the Armed Forces, and meet the minimum requirements for the job, will automatically be invited for an interview.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to assist you in starting your journey with Wessex Water.

If you have what it takes to join this award-winning business and want to be part of our exciting journey and share in that success, then please get in contact with us to find out more.

Closing Date 13/12/22
Reference REQ004885
Department Operations Location Dorset
Starting Salary GBP 27,500 to 34,500 per annum, dependent on experience, plus a monthly performance bonus, a company van and tools/ PPE
Category Permanent
Package 40 hours per week, pension scheme up to 20% combined contribution, 25 days annual leave, rising to a maximum of 28 days with 5 years’ service.

Click the following link to apply – https://bit.ly/wessexwElecBV

Neighbourhood priorities

By

Editorial team

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24 November 2022

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The autumn has seen the local policing teams concentrating on the issues which the public have said are their biggest concerns, says PC Tom Harness

PC 2186 Dave Mullins on the left and his colleague PCSO 7309 Mike Sinnick

With a busy summer now behind us and much to reflect on over the last few months, policing in North Dorset continues to work at driving down our three priorities, which were decided by our neighbourhood priority surveys:

Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) and driving.
Drug Dealing and County lines.
Reducing rural crime and acquisitive crime, with particular focus on burglaries.

Back in July we saw an intensification week in Blandford. As well as effective and targeted use of stop search powers we also executed a warrant at an address which was publicised by local news and the BBC. This was as a result of Operation Viper – Dorset Police’s coordinated response to drug dealing and county line activity.

To reduce anti-social behaviour in Blandford, we have utilised Community Protection Notices (CPN’s) – these were formerly referred to as ASBO’s, a term many will be familiar with. We have identified key and persistent anti-social offenders, such as prolific drug users, shop lifters and those that have continually disrupted the peace and vibrancy of the town. In conjunction with the council ASB team, these individuals have been served with conditions designed to rehabilitate and reduce their offending.

Drop in clinic
On the last Tuesday of every month we have been joining up with Blandford Group Practice for a drop-in clinic at the Corn Exchange in Blandford. While there we aim to answer any questions the public may have and, importantly, offer an opportunity for people to fill out our neighbourhood priority surveys – these survey answers are key in deciding what the local policing teams focus on each quarter, so please do come and have a chat.

PC Mullins
Lastly we are saying goodbye to one of Dorset’s longest continually serving neighbourhood PC’s, Dave Mullins.
He has covered rural North Dorset and Blandford for nearly 18 years and has finally decided the time is right to retire.
We wish him all the best.

Can you have British flowers all year?

By

Editorial team

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24 November 2022

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Winter doesn’t have to mean resorting to supermarket flowers, says Charlotte Tombs. Perhaps we just need to think a little differently

Create an indoor spring bulb garden in the depths of winter All images: Charlotte Tombs

The answer is YES; with a little imagination, planning, organisation and determination you can have British flowers in your house all year.
Of course, the flowers might not be the same as those you would buy from the supermarket along with your weekly shop. But stick with me – there is a way which is kinder to the planet, which has little to no carbon footprint. If you’re thinking about your eco choices, why are you still buying imported flowers with who knows how many chemicals sprayed on them or fed to them? I certainly know what I’d rather have in my home.

Hellebores provide subtle but splashy winter colour

A simple twig with lichen on can be quite beautiful

‘Plant’ narcissi on gravel in a storm lantern

Dried flowers can be a wonderful investment

Thinking differently
Even in the depths of the coldest months there are winter-flowering shrubs, hellebores, berries, seed heads, winter-flowering honeysuckle … if you look hard enough you can always find a bit of colour.
I think we can be quite conservative in our approach to vases of ‘flowers’. Sometimes a simple group of twigs with lichen on can be quite beautiful. There is also the option of forcing branching by cutting twigs when you can see the first leaf/blossom buds. Bring them inside and place in water – given the indoor warmth you’ll get to watch the leaves unfurl. It is wonderful to watch.
Something else you can do is plant bulbs that have been cooled to fool them into winter dormancy. By planting these specially-treated bulbs (look for ‘pre-chilled bulbs’) you can cheat Mother Nature and have an indoor spring bulbs garden. Some bulbs, such as narcissi, don’t need to be kept in a dark cool place if they have had the cold treatment. Instead you ‘plant’ (more like ‘place’!) them on gravel in a glass storm lantern and watch them grow. The flowers will fill your home with scent. Use your forced branches for these blooms as support for the long stems.
Or perhaps you could invest in an everlasting bunch of flowers – dried ones. I say invest as these have been grown from seed, potted on, planted out, fed, watered and nurtured until they were harvested, sorted, dried and stored … before being made into a vase arrangement for you to enjoy. It seems fair that they are more costly. There is an awful lot of effort in that dried bunch.
Some brides are having all dried flowers for their weddings now. I’m not sure I could go down that route but there is always room to enjoy fresh and dried.
If you have any questions on techniques or varieties, please do send me a message on Facebook, Instagram or email me on [email protected]
and I’ll happily help.

Teacher of Business | Clayesmore School

By

Editorial team

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24 November 2022

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To commence January 2023

An opportunity has arisen for a dynamic, enterprising and inspiring person to join our Business and Enterprise department at Clayesmore School.

The ideal candidate will have an understanding of what a modern and relevant business curriculum should offer and have the ability and understanding to motivate and inspire pupils and colleagues. Experience of teaching A Level Business is essential and A Level BTEC Enterprise would be an advantage.

In addition they will be keen to contribute to the life of a busy boarding school.

This is a permanent, full time position; a competitive salary and attractive benefits are provided for the successful candidate.

For further information and an application pack, please go to:

https://clayesmore.com/work-for-us/

Closing date: 8.00am on Wednesday, 7 December 2022

The vacancy may close earlier if a suitable candidate is appointed. Early applications are therefore encouraged.

Clayesmore is committed to the safeguarding and promotion of children’s and young people’s welfare and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

www.clayesmore.com