News Archive

Local GP Dr Craig Wakeham passed away at the weekend having been admitted to Dorset County Hospital. He had been fighting coronavirus for many days according to a statement on the Cerne Abbas Surgery website. He was part of the team at Cerne Abbas Surgery for more than 30 years and a leading light within the ...

The Government have launched a new tool to help businesses find coronavirus financial support. Steve Bulley from Dorset Chamber told KeeP106, “There has been lots of information and misinformation online and this Government tool is a straightforward way to see what help is available” The support finder will show which loans, tax relief and cash grants a ...

The campaign, Wellbeing @ Home, seeks to support those following the social distancing and government lockdown guidelines, with the option of also supporting Dorset’s disability charity, Diverse Abilities. Taking place over three weeks, content provided is suitable for the whole family, including magic shows, yoga workshops, sign-and-sign-along songs, and story time. Those who use and enjoy the ...

A new campaign has been launched by Dorset Council to find more foster carers for Dorset children. The campaign’s message is that most people can foster, all you need is a spare room, love and energy. It will also highlight that fostering is a paid career. New eye-catching images, capturing funny parenting moments, will be promoted on ...

All 147 pharmacies in Dorset have access to an army of volunteers to help them get through the Coronavirus pandemic. Public Health Dorset is working with the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, Volunteer Centre Dorset and Community Action Network to help find volunteers who can help collect medicines from local pharmacies and deliver them to residents who are ...

As is commonly known businesses throughout the country are going through a very hard time at the moment. Many Dorchester businesses are in a position to take card orders over the phone and arrange for delivery of goods to local addresses for those who cannot get out of their houses. By using their services we ...

A coronavirus patient is on the road to recovery after spending a week in intensive care at Dorset County Hospital. Malcolm Cumber, 60, from Dorchester, was admitted to DCH via the Emergency Department at the end of March after suffering from intense fatigue and shortness of breath. After not responding to initial treatment, Malcolm was transferred to ...

Garden Waste customers have reason to be pleased as Dorset Council will be resuming its garden waste kerbside collections from Monday 27 April. To ensure that regular food waste, rubbish, recycling and glass collections continue with minimal disruption, the Garden Waste service was suspended shortly after Public Health England coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance was introduced. This was done to free ...

As new evidence comes to light which suggests that smokers are at greater risk from COVID-19, Public Health Dorset is joining health professionals in calling on smokers to #QuitforCovid and offering free stop-smoking support through LiveWell Dorset. Last week the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said that “it is abundantly clear from the research into previous coronaviruses ...

Dorchester based Goldcrest Jewellers have been spreading true community spirit during the coronavirus crisis. They have been helping boost moral by delivering cakes and biscuits to care workers in the town. They have delivered the joy bringing goods to Weldmar, Dorset County Hospital Research team and Castle View Care Home. Neil and Donna from Goldcrest Jeweller, pictured below, ...

Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, became ‘white van man’ over the Easter weekend as he got hands-on delivering Dorset-made hand sanitiser to care homes and surgeries across the constituency who had asked for his help. From Bridport and Portesham to Beaminster and Sherborne, the MP delivered 120 litres of sanitiser on a mission to top ...

Families in Dorset will find out today (16/4) which school their children will be joining in September. Most pupils, nearly 95 per cent, have been offered their preferred choice of infant, first, primary, junior or middle school. Dorset Council School Admissions Team received 4,547 infant, first and primary and middle school applications. They were able to offer ...

Emergency services and other partner agencies across Dorset are working together to highlight the #Unacceptable trend in the number of verbal abuse, assaults or attacks their staff face and the rising number involving threats of COVID-19 infection. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, police, the ambulance service, the fire service, council, healthcare staff and other key workers ...

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Larmer Tree Festival has announced this year’s event will be cancelled. The full statement from the Larmer Tree Team is below: Dear Larmers, It is with a heavy heart that we have reached the difficult decision to cancel Larmer Tree Festival’s 30th Anniversary. We were so looking forward to welcoming you all back ...

Firefighters from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service are playing a key role in relieving pressure on paramedics during the coronavirus outbreak. The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has invested in additional ambulances for the region, two of which will be coming to Dorset and two to Wiltshire. The ambulances will be driven by ...

‘Let’s Keep Dorset Beautiful – Bin The Beast!’ is a new campaign to remind members of the public to act responsibly, ‘Stop The Drop’ and bin their disposable gloves. Litter Free Dorset have announced the launch of the campaign ‘Let’s Keep Dorset Beautiful – Bin The Beast!’ to address the increase in potentially Covid-contaminated disposable gloves ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is again asking local people to avoid having bonfires and to be extra careful if taking exercise on heath land over the coming Easter weekend. The Service is keen to reduce the number of calls it has to attend, in order to minimise potential exposure of firefighters to coronavirus. Area ...

Residents from across Dorset are being urged by BCP Council, Dorset Council and Dorset Police to stay at home over the Easter break, with any exercise taken directly from their front doors. Leader of Dorset Council, Councillor Spencer Flower, said, “We know how fortunate we are to live in a beautiful part of the country but ...

Small businesses in Dorset are being reminded to provide their details online to get access to coronavirus cash grants, with the council having already handed out £9.1m this week. To help lessen the impacts of the shutdown, firms which already receive small business rate relief or rural rate relief may be eligible for a £10,000 grant, ...

With less than ten percent of regular income coming into the charity, Weldmar Hospicecare has launched an urgent fundraising appeal today. 26 charity shop sites remain closed during the Covid-19 lockdown, and fundraising events have been cancelled until at least the end of May, but frontline services continue at Weldmar’s Inpatient Unit in Dorchester, and in ...

The family of a man who very sadly died in a collision near Weymouth has issued a tribute to their loved one. Officers were called at 11.41am on Sunday 22 March 2020 to reports of a collision on the A354 Weymouth Relief Road involving a white Nissan Micra and a white Mercedes. Sadly, the driver of the ...

The NHS has launched a mental health hotline as part of a package of measures to support the NHS’ 1.4 million staff as they help people deal with the coronavirus. NHS staff in Dorset will be able to call or text a free number staffed by thousands of specially trained volunteers, to receive support and advice ...

West Dorset’s MP, Chris Loder, has today launched the ‘West Dorset Scrub Hub’ calling for fabric, funds or fans of sewing to support our doctors, nurses and carers with getting more of the personal protective equipment that they need. The MP says: “We are experiencing unprecedented times which is putting resources under strain. We have a ...

On the night of April 1st/2nd, a large polytunnel belonging to Transition Town Dorchester (TTD), standing on the Community Farm off Middle Farm Way in Poundbury, Dorchester was seriously damaged. The plastic from the polytunnel, measuring 30 x 54 feet, was cut off and left draped over the now exposed hoops. The poly tunnel was ...

Kirsty and Martin ran to success on Sunday to raise money for the Dorset County Hospital Charity. They have told Keep 106 their story. “We both indeed had a rest day yesterday. I think the garden is winning on recovery time! “For those that swim, bike, run or all of the above, they will understand that training ...

Hundreds of NHS Volunteer Responders in Dorset will be able to report for duty today and start helping the NHS in its fight against coronavirus. Over 750,000 people, nationally, signed up to the NHS’ call for volunteers in just four days when the scheme launched, three times the original target. Royal Voluntary Service, the charity delivering the ...

A fire broke out in the Grade II listed Chalmington Manor between Dorchester and Yeovil this morning (Monday 6th April). At the height of the blaze there were 12 fire engines, 1 aerial ladder platform, 2 water carriers, 2 support units and numerous DWFRS officers. As well as this the fire service was backed up by ...

Detectives investigating the death of a man in Weymouth have charged two men with murder. At 4.13pm on Saturday 4 April 2020 Dorset Police was called to a report of a possible assault at an address on Dorchester Road. Officers attended, along with the ambulance service, and found a 32-year-old local man with a serious head injury. ...

A couple from Portland have tied the knot at Dorset County Hospital to celebrate their love amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Tina and Mick Hickton exchanged their vows in the hospital’s Chapel on Friday (3) after they received a special licence to marry because of exceptional circumstances. The couple, who have been together for ten years, said it ...

Detectives have launched a murder investigation after a man died following an alleged assault in Weymouth. At 4.13pm on Saturday 4 April 2020 Dorset Police was called to a report of a possible assault at an address on Dorchester Road. Officers attended, along with the ambulance service, and found a 32-year-old man with a serious head injury. ...

A man has been charged for allegedly contaminating goods at a supermarket in Bridport. At around 2pm on Friday 3 April 2020 a man entered Lidl on St Andrews Road wearing a face mask and gloves. He allegedly lowered the face mask and licked his fingers, before purposefully rubbing them onto a product in the store. Following ...

The Bonjour Cafe Poundbury has teamed up with The Embroidery Barn and Dorchester Town Council to provide volunteers and key workers with homemade face masks to help protect them when they’re working to help those in need. Emma from the Bonjour Cafe says “If you’re in need of a face mask, you know someone who needs ...

For some, the guidance isn’t clear enough… Keep 106 has received reports that some people, with second homes in Dorset, have been traveling to the county to ‘isolate’. Its claimed that village stores have seen second homeowners attend to stock up, whilst they are in Dorset, and a key holder for another second home, near Bridport, ...

Martin and Kirsty Smithleigh were intending to run the Manchester Marathon on 5th April but of course it has been cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis. It would be a great shame to let all their hard work training for the event go to waste so they are still going to run a marathon – ...

The single most important action you can take is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Have a big weekend in! The weather is set to be good this weekend, but to help save lives please stay at home. Coronavirus is life threatening for people, of all ages, everywhere.  Don’t be ...

As part of the efforts to help people get out of hospital when they are fit to do so, a new model is being launched in South Dorset. The Best Western Hotel Rembrandt on Dorchester Road in Weymouth will be repurposed during the coronavirus crisis and will be set up as a base for people who ...

Many of the Dorchester clubs have come together to offer you assistance during this unprecedented time. The Dorchester Community Support Group volunteers can help you with; Putting you in contact with useful Dorchester Groups Shopping Collection of prescriptions If you are lonely and would like to speak to someone we have volunteers who can call you for a chat. The ...

With uncertainty over revenues and a looming cash flow crisis for many businesses, innovation tax incentives consultant, Rob Sowden, reminds business owners that they may be eligible for a welcome cash injection from HMRC if they have been innovating in the past two years. Rob informs: “Many businesses are clearly concerned about the impact the COVID-19 ...

Help Dorset History Centre to create an archive telling the story of the coronavirus and its impact on the people of Dorset. Dorset History Centre, in partnership with Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, is looking for local people to help make history. A county-wide diary project is being launched to make sure that our experiences ...

The Brace of Butchers in Poundbury, Dorset has today been named the UK’s Best Butcher in the 2020 Farm Shop & Deli Awards. Spanning 11 categories, as well as a coveted ‘Newcomer of the Year’ gong, (won by the Brace of Butchers in 2017) the awards, held in partnership with respected trade magazine, The Grocer, were ...

Dorset has almost 3,000 miles of rights of way criss-crossing the county, giving access to the countryside via footpaths, bridleways, trailways and cycleways. These provide a very useful resource for people under the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions to complete their one form of daily exercise, while social distancing. Maintained by Dorset Council and landowners, these paths ...

Households across the west are being reminded not to flush items that could be used as an alternative to loo roll during shortages brought about by the coronavirus panic buying. Wessex Water is urging its customers to bin alternatives such as kitchen roll and wet wipes, even if they are branded “flushable”. The company advises that only ...

Find out what Dorset Council is doing to help homeless people who are unable to self-isolate during the coronavirus outbreak. Our housing officers have teamed up with partners including The Lantern Trust and Julian House to find accommodation for 24 people that we have identified as sleeping rough in the Dorset Council area. Of these 24 people, ...

Public Health Dorset and LiveWell Dorset are inviting the county to join a wellbeing challenge to take care of our health and wellbeing at this difficult time. Based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, LiveWell’s Five Ways Challenge will guide participants through five steps to greater self-care. The challenge will encourage participants to find new ways ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) is warning the public to stay safe and stay vigilant when outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. The Fire Service needs the help of the public to ensure their resources can be used for the vital support of all communities. With the current dry weather being experienced, people are ...

As Dorset Council’s waste services begin to feel the pressure from coronavirus (COVID-19) employee absence and the need to introduce new safety measures to protect our workforce, we are asking residents to help us by changing the way they deal with their bins, litter and recycling. Lower priority services such as bin deliveries and garden waste ...

Sick crooks are using the Coronavirus crisis to target people online, playing on their health fears, a leading cyber-security company has warned. C3IA Solutions said emails purporting to offer COVID-19 test results and cures and selling protective equipment have been circulating. Many domain names featuring ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19’ have recently been registered and some are likely to ...

Dorset Council has taken the decision to suspend parking charges in its car parks across the county during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Following calls from the general public and Dorset’s elected members, the Council will no longer require payment for the use of any of its car parks that remain open at this time while public ...

Dorset Police and Dorset Council are asking people not to drive to a beach, park or local beauty spot this weekend to stop people congregating and not observing social distancing. Last weekend saw record numbers at beaches and parks around the country and the agencies are keen for there not to be a repeat this weekend. Cllr ...

Traffic officers, from Dorset Police, have been carrying out road checks across the County. “It was nice to see that members of the public welcomed the work we were doing, although it inconvenienced motorists for a few short minutes, they were all very supportive of what we are all trying to achieve.” As well as setting up ...

If you’re feeling a bit lost in this new digital-only world, help is on hand from the Dorset Digital Hotline. You may have a computer but are struggling to use the myriad of technology available. Do you need help to use eConsult to reach your doctor’s surgery, or wonder whether video conferencing, like Skype, could keep you ...

Dorset County Hospital would like to say a big Thank You for the generous support received for our DCH COVID-19 Appeal so far. Our community are rallying behind our wonderful NHS staff as they work tirelessly caring for patients during the coronavirus crisis – as demonstrated by the massive show of appreciation from ‘Clap for ...

Parliament has passed emergency powers for the police to enforce restrictions on public movement to reduce the spread of COVID-19, help the NHS and save lives. Under these rules, you should not leave your home unless strictly necessary for one of the following purposes: • Shopping for basic household necessities, as infrequently as possible • One form of ...

The managing director of leading Dorset-based manufacturer Superior took part in an intense outdoor workout alongside Cherries manager Eddie Howe to raise £30,000 for Julia’s House. Tim Brown, MD of the family-owned manufacturer of high integrity o-rings and seals based on Ferndown Industrial Estate, completed two hours of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) alongside Eddie Howe, Martin ...

The following is a message from Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill, regarding delays to the forthcoming PCC elections caused by the current pandemic. The Coronavirus crisis has had an impact on every element of British life and I know that many people are finding it difficult. However, one impact of the emergency that has quite ...

With the Government’s recommendations for social distancing and isolation, support from Age UK North, South & West Dorset (NSWD) for older vulnerable people in our communities has never been more needed. CEO, Dave Thorp, said: “Over the past week we have seen calls for help into the office increase by nearly 400 per cent. At ...

Dorset Council has closed all its household recycling centres (HRCs, or ‘the tip’) until further notice in order to comply with the latest central government guidance on staying at home and away from others. However, your normal kerbside bin collections will continue to take place for the time being. We have already issued information on how ...

NHS services in Dorset are gearing up for changes help minimise the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and deal with any upturn in patient numbers caused by the outbreak. This will involve reducing or closing some non-essential services to protect the most essential services and, ultimately, save lives. The NHS regularly plans for such events, so its ...

Dorset Council has received enquiries about food businesses which are continuing to operate and want to clarify the following: All restaurants, pubs and cafés should now be closed. But businesses can, and are, looking to diversify into take away and delivery services, and this is being supported by central government. We’ve produced guidance for Dorset’s food businesses ...

Our amazing staff at Dorset County Hospital are going above and beyond the call of duty, to care for the most vulnerable members of society.   The NHS is at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 (coronavirus) and our dedicated staff from domestics to doctors, nurses to porters at Dorset County Hospital are doing all ...