the community news that matters
Dorset Museum’s Thomas Hardy Collection Receives Prestigious Arts Council Designation
Dorset Museum & Art Gallery has announced that its Thomas Hardy Collection has been awarded Arts Council England (ACE) Designation status.
This prestigious recognition acknowledges the collection’s outstanding significance and its vital importance to national cultural heritage.
The museum owns the ...
The world’s best Olympic windsurfers are heading to Weymouth & Portland for the Musto iQFOil World Championship for a high-speed showdown on one of world sailing’s most iconic stages.
Expect epic, head-to-head battles featuring Olympic medallists, World Champions and rising stars – ...
Medal Glory for Sam and Jake at the Special Olympics
Andy Senior reporting.
In June 2026 Sam Craddock visited the Keep 106 studios to tell us about how he had qualified to take part in The Special Olympics at Birmingham.
Sam and his teammate Jake have returned from the Special Olympics ...
Community invited to hospital’s Annual Members’ Meeting
Dorset County Hospital is inviting members of the local community to its Annual Members’ Meeting (Annual General Meeting) on 29 September from 5pm to 6.30pm.
The meeting is being held in the hospital’s Education Centre at the Williams Avenue site ...
Free activities across Dorchester with weekend to celebrate towns heritage
Every September thousands of venues and volunteers across England organise events to celebrate our fantastic history and culture. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore. Dorchester ...
Two of our three senior local Non-League Football teams will go into the draw for the next round of the FA Cup following victories on Saturday
Dorchester beat Brixham away, and Weymouth travelled to Twerton Park to lock horns with ...
The Marsh Sports Festival coming soon
After years of wishing to spread his passion in sport, Weymouth Town Councillor Alex Fuhrmann says he has found the time to organise the Marsh Sports Festival with a range of sporting activities planned for Sunday 20th September at ...
Recent news items
- Appeal for information and dashcam footage following report of spiking in Weymouth
- Stinsford ‘extraordinary’ omission
- Local community urged to have its say on proposed new home for Dorset Studio School
- Weekend Sports Preview
- Rowan Atkinson to headline Purbeck Film Festival’s 30th anniversary autumn season
- Stinsford parish objection
Delightfully Different, every time
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Is your organisation running an event which the community needs to know about? You can promote a charitable or non-profit event on our popular What’s On page, FREE OF CHARGE, to boost interest.
Below are the next 5 upcoming events. There’s much more in the Local Events Diary…
Fri 3 Apr to Sun 1 Nov
Fire Flood Frost exhibition
Location: Beaminster Museum, Whitcombe Road, Beaminster, DT8 3NBA rare 18th century fire engine – once the town’s frontline defence against disaster – is the star of the show of Fire Flood Frost. New for 2026, the exhibition brings to life the extraordinary story of how Beaminster and surrounding communities battled flames, floods and freezing winters long before emergency services. Admission free.
Contact: Beaminster Museum | Web | MapMon 14 Sep
An Afternoon of tabletop games
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: PIP Cafe, St John Way, Poundbury, DT1 1FGCome and join The Oddfellows for an afternoon of table top games. Come and play or learn to play: Scrabble, Upwords, Bananagrams, Rummicub, mah jong, Cribbage and much much more at PIP cafe on Poundbury. This is a free event. Refreshments including homemade cake.
Contact: The Loyal Hand in Hand Lodge of Oddfellows | 07788436797 | Email | MapTue 15 Sep
Antiques Road Show with local Auctioneers Duke's of Dorchester
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: Crossways Village Hall, Moigne Combe Road, Crossways, Dorchester, DT2 8JACome and enjoy a fun afternoon with an expert from Duke’s who will tell us amusing anecdotes from the world of auctioneering and look at and value items of interest that we have bought along.
Contact: The Loyal Hand in Hand Lodge of Oddfellows | 01305 853125 | MapThu 17 Sep
Dorset Connect: Dorchester
9:30 am to 11:30 am
Location: Volunteer Centre Dorset, The Coach House, Acland Road, Dorchester, DT1 1EFDorset Connect brings together people and organisations who are passionate about making a difference in your community. Whether you’re from a local community group, business, education, faith, arts and culture, sports and leisure, health, social care, or a town or parish council – we’d love to welcome you.
Contact: Volunteer Centre Dorset | 01305 269214 | Email | Web | MapThu 17 Sep
u3a Day
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Location: by the War Memorial, South Street/South Walks Road, Dorchester, DT1 1DDRetired or thinking of retiring? Joining u3a gives you the chance to make friends and learn something new or further an existing interest. We currently have over 90 member run groups/activities in Dorchester during the day for you to take part in ranging from Archaeology and Art to Science, Weaving, Wildlife and Conservation . Please come along to learn more about what we have to offer.
Contact: u3a Dorchester & District | 01305 757539 | Email | Web | MapOn demand, at your convenience
Portland Museum – reflecting the dramatic history of the isle
Featuring dinosaurs, fossils, shipwrecks, smugglers and much more, Portland Museum, located near Rufus Castle and Church Ope Cove, has a fascinating collection of artifacts reflecting the history of a distinctive island community. Rob Hughes and Andrea Frankham-Hughes, trustees of ...
Hold Your Horses! Piddletrenthide Gets Ready for its Panto Race Night
In the current, changing economic climate, where village amenities are disappearing all the time, the residents of Piddletrenthide are making their own fun and raising much-needed funds for the village church in the process. The Hold your Horses event ...
Countryside Matters 67, 31.08.26
Jake Shaw-Sutton of small Cornish company Robotriks and his team are perfecting a robotic device designed to locate and pull up poisonous ragwort – a wild plant that’s excellent for insect life but not for livestock – particularly horses! ...
She Belongs Here – a free confidence community for women based in Dorset
After years of shrinking herself in corporate life and standing outside rooms she was always meant to be in, Amy Miller built ‘She Belongs Here’ from scratch. A growing community of women who are done waiting to feel ready ...
Dorset Council marks Merchant Navy Day
Dorset Council marked Merchant Navy Day with a ceremony on September 3rd at the memorial area outside County Hall in Dorchester. The event began with an opening prayer led by Reverend John Yarrien, superintendent minister of the Dorset South ...
A chat about the Community Association of Poundbury
Joining Andy Senior in the studio was Zoe Bell from The Community Association of Poundbury which was launched as a volunteer-led initiative in 2025. The association was created to inform, signpost, and celebrate all about Poundbury and what’s happening ...
