News Archive

With worries that cancer patients are often feeling too frightened to go to their GPs and hospitals, a Dorset-based charity is offering extra advice and support for patients undergoing cancer treatment for gynaecological cancers. GO Girls have been offering weekly on-line support with ovarian cancer charity, Ovacome, since the start of the pandemic to all of ...

Just after 2pm today (Saturday 13 June), two pumps from Dorchester fire station and a further appliance from Weymouth Fire Station were mobilised to reports of a property fire in Poundbury, with persons reported. Upon arrival the crews found the occupant was no longer inside but smoke was issuing from the window at a residential property ...

Heroes to Dine on Best Produce Dorset has to Offer at Community Keyworkers Lunch. On Friday 19 June, POUNDBURY based Brace of Butchers is holding a feast to celebrate local community helpers for all their hard work during recent times. From 11:30am invited community groups will enjoy the finest local produce prepared by the region’s best ...

Dorset Council has today (11 June) reached a milestone at having paid out more than £100 million to just over 8000 small businesses in the county. The council was given around £134 million from Government to distribute to businesses from the retail, hospitality and leisure sector in the Dorset Council area, which have been adversely affected ...

Public Health Dorset have issued the following guidance: Single adult households can form ‘support bubbles’ From Saturday (13 June), single adult and single parent households can choose one other household to form a ‘support bubble’. All those in a support bubble will be able to spend time together inside each others’ homes, including overnight, without needing to stay ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue say that the new fire which flared up in Wareham Forest on Monday was connected to the previous fire which started three weeks ago. It seems that firefighters have found evidence of deep subterranean burning deep within a tree trunk which made it to the surface and then was ...

Dorset Council’s Climate Change and Ecological Emergency Executive Advisory Panel (EAP) members virtually met last Friday (5 June) to discuss the progress of the Council’s Climate Change strategy and action plan. The panel were reassured that, despite delays due to the pandemic, good progress has been made towards the first draft of the Climate Change strategy and action plan, and ...

During the lockdown, work has been progressing on the Roman Town House in Dorchester. Located next to County Hall, the Town House dates from the later Roman period and is the only house of its kind completely on display to visitors in Britain. With a £248,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this unique attraction is ...

The Dorset Marine Policing Team were called to Weymouth Harbour on Saturday (6 June) and conducted coastal patrol, following reports a male was believed to have fallen into the water on the Quayside. The Ambulance service, Air Ambulance, Coastguard Rescue Team, Harbour Staff and Weymouth and Portland Police all attended the incident. Sadly despite the best efforts ...

Representatives from Dorset Council, Dorset Police, Lulworth Estate and South West Ambulance Trust met this morning (Friday 5 June) to agree a joined up approach in managing visitor numbers to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door beaches ahead of the weekend. Following the huge numbers of visitors who flocked to this area last weekend, authorities are keen ...

Dorset residents are being asked to highlight congested walking and cycling routes to help shape ‘pop-up’ travel infrastructure in the Dorset Council area. With the increased demand for walking and cycling – as well as capacity issues on public transport – during social distancing measures, a £225m emergency active travel fund has been launched by the ...

Organisations across Dorset are yet again urging people who are visiting Dorset and those that live here to think carefully about where they are going and if it is safe to do so. If it is busy and social distancing can’t be maintained, then people should head home. The events from last weekend at Durdle Door ...

To celebrate the 180th birthday of Dorchester’s greatest literary son the people of the county town have created a video in tribute. Follow the link below to watch the video. Also, the organisers of the Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair have announced that the event will return on Sunday 6th June 2021. The organisers say: “Thomas Hardy himself would ...

Dorset Charity Diverse Abilities’ Advice Team remains open for advice and guidance offering telephone appointments for those who need assistance with disability benefit applications. MP Justin Tomlinson, minister of state at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has stated a significant reduction in the number of benefit applications during this pandemic. His belief is that ...

Have you had a clear-out at home during lockdown? Age UK North, South & West Dorset (NSWD) is open at Rowan Cottage in Dorchester to take your items off your hands. Age UK NSWD is asking for donations of clean undamaged clothing, Bric a Brac, books and DVDs to restock its charity shops in Dorset. The Charity ...

As has been widely reported in the media thousands of visitors descended on Lulworth and Durdle Door in recent days which became all the more prominent with three people sustaining serious injuries by ‘tombstoning’ from the stone arch. On social media there has been some criticism of the local landowner, Lulworth Estate, for opening their car ...

Dorset Council publishes key decisions made during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. A list of decisions made by Dorset Council as part of its COVID-19 emergency response has been published for review. The council’s Resources Scrutiny committee will consider the decisions on Tuesday 2 June. They were made by senior officers and portfolio holders using delegated powers as ...

Force celebrates Volunteers’ Week with a big thank you to its amazing Special Constables and police support volunteers. Monday 1 June 2020 marks the start of Volunteers’ Week and National Specials Weekend. Dorset Police’s 136 police support volunteers cover 42 different roles and have given up over 9,000 hours of their time since April 2019. Our volunteers ...

Jonathan Mair, Dorset Council’s Corporate Director, and Duty Gold Officer said: “Following multiple serious incidents at Durdle Door yesterday involving the emergency services, we have taken the decision to keep the roads to Lulworth and Durdle Door closed today on safety grounds. “We have also just made the decision to close the road to West Bexington in ...

Public urged to avoid the area at Durdle Door in Purbeck. Officers are appealing to the public to stay away from Durdle Door in Purbeck as emergency services are in attendance to deal with a number of casualties. Dorset Police was called at 3.43pm on Saturday 30 May 2020 to a report of concern for the safety ...

The new NHS Test and Trace system launched on Thursday 28 May across England, and Public Health Dorset is encouraging any residents with symptoms of coronavirus to use the service. NHS Test and Trace will identify those who have had close contact with people who have tested positive for coronavirus, helping to reduce the spread of ...

In their latest newsletter Dorset Council’s Family Information Service has issued the following guidance:   When will schools and childcare reopen? The government plans to bring in new guidelines from 1 June, which could mean schools and childcare settings will open to more children. The government are expected to confirm whether this is possible later today (Thursday 28 May). Dorset ...

The risk of further devastating wildfires in heath and woodland across Dorset and Wiltshire has been assessed as extreme, which is the highest it can be. More than a week after firefighters started tackling a blaze affecting over 220 hectares of Wareham Forest, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued a strong warning that ...

Officers from Weymouth Team Purple, the Neighbourhood Policing Team and colleagues from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service were called to Teddy Bear Woods today (Wed 27 May) following reports of groups creating fires. On arrival, 2 seats of smouldering embers were located and quickly extinguished. This comes after hundreds of hectares of woodland in Dorset ...

GMB, NEU and UNISON in Dorset and Dorset Trades Union Council have released a statement to KeeP 106 on the re-opening of schools in Dorset: The government has proposed to reopen schools on June 1 for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 classes. School staff, parents and carers in Dorset are concerned that this ...

Another example of how the NHS is #HereForYou Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, GPs throughout Dorset have been asking people to consider alternative ways of contacting them in order to help reduce the spread of the virus amongst local communities and minimising their own personal risk. This has included online, video and ...

A community group which supports local vulnerable families and individuals in Dorchester and the surrounding area is being aided in its vital work thanks to food donations from Tesco. Over the past three years the Food Share community group from Dorchester Community Church have been sharing food parcels to local families and individuals in need made ...

Dorset Council will be able to carry out more resurfacing and reconstruction work on its roads this year, thanks to a £9.1m injection from the Department for Transport (DfT). The Secretary of State for Transport has announced a £1.7billion Transport Infrastructure Investment Fund to be allocated to Combined Authorities and Local Highway Authorities for 2020/21. The fund ...

A number of residents in Dorchester have received a Letter from Wessex Water about the recommencement of sewer improvement works. Works were suspended in March as a consequence of COVID-19. In the letter from Bruce McAuslane: “I can confirm that we intend to recommence at the Great Field on Monday 8 June. The decision has been based ...

SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS Dorset Council has now paid out a total of £93.3m to 7,830 business in Dorset. If you think you might be entitled to a small business grant check your eligibility and apply here: tinyurl.com/yaqljwkx Dorset Council continue to ask Government about the detail around the discretionary grant fund. The Council know they will have ...

One week ago (Monday 18 May) a forest fire was started through social activity in Wareham Forest, which has led to 220 hectares (the size of over 230 football pitches) of forest and heathland being destroyed. This is believed to be one of the most devastating forest and heath fires in Dorset, in living memory. Over ...

The Bere Regis crew from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue say that they have returned to the fire in Wareham Forest multiple times, most recently for 11 hours. Twenty Five fire engines plus more specialist vehicles are again required at the incident which was started several days ago by a BBQ/camp fire. The Bere ...

Organisers of Dorchester Beerex, West Dorset Campaign for Real Ale, (CAMRA) and Casterbridge Rotary club are pleased to announce that now all accounts are complete the division of profits, a grand total of £19,932.00 has now been divided up and proceeds paid out to local worthy good causes with this year’s principle charity being Dorset ...

The four country parks managed by Dorset Council are re-opening to the public on Tuesday 26 May. Avon Heath, Durlston, Moors Valley and Thorncombe Woods will be open from 9am on Tuesday. The country parks closed in March due to Covid-19 restrictions. Following the easing of lockdown by central government, the council has made some adjustments to ...

Following new guidance, issued by Public Health England (PHE) a few days ago, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is now fully prepared and available to treat and convey patients by air, including those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 illness. Previous guidance specifically excluded the carriage of known or suspected COVID-19 patients in air ambulances across England. ...

Dorset Police will be stepping up its education and enforcement of the ‘fatal five’ with a focus on speed as part of a National Police Chiefs’ Council operation. With the gradual relaxing of lockdown restrictions, police forces throughout the UK are reminding motorists of the importance of travelling safely and within the speed limit, and will ...

Bryanston School near Blandford has become the first independent school to be recognised as a School Governor Champion by Inspiring Governance, a national and charitable organisation supported and funded by the Department for Education. The move will see Bryanston encouraging and supporting its staff to work with Inspiring Governance and make an active contribution as ...

Following an investigation into the fire at Wareham Forest, which has been ongoing since Monday, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue now believe the cause of this fire to be accidental, due to social activity in the forest. While they have said they cannot pinpoint the exact cause, they have found evidence of multiple disposable barbecues, ...

The doors may be closed but readers in Dorset are enjoying e-books and e-audio items that are available for downloads from Dorset Libraries. E-Books and e-Audio books issued peaked at almost 26,000 in April, an increase of 75 per cent on same period last year, perhaps proving that there’s nothing quite like a good book to ...

Dorset Council continues to ask people thinking of visiting Dorset’s seaside or beauty spots over the bank holiday weekend and half term to be considerate and think about the potential impact of any visit on Dorset’s communities. Dorset currently has one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates in the country thanks to residents who have followed ...

At a Full Council meeting on Monday, 18 May 2020 held online, due to the Covid -19 Pandemic, Councillor Richard Biggs was appointed Mayor of Dorchester for a successive year, the first time that this has happened in over 60 years. It was also agreed that Councillor David Taylor would continue in his role as ...

This week Extinction Rebellion protested the escalating Climate and Ecological crisis in exactly the same spot as one year ago – outside the (empty) Dorset Council Office. Maintaining the 2m social distancing regulations and wearing facemasks, 10 rebels incorporated a 2 min break in regular exercise to be “alone together” silently. Dorset Council declared a Climate ...

Detectives working with the fire service to investigate the cause of a forest fire near Wareham are appealing for anyone with information or relevant dashcam footage to come forward. Dorset Police received a report from the fire service at 1.11pm on Monday 18 May 2020 in relation to a large forest fire in the area of ...

Advice from Public Health Dorset: Still stay home During this coronavirus time, it is important that we still stay home as much as possible to control the risk of infection. • Stay home as much as possible • Keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible) • Limit physical contact with other people • Keep washing your hands ...

Plans are being made to welcome more pupils back into school across Dorset. Dorset Council is working with schools as they plan to open for more children from Reception, Year One and Year Six. The earliest possible start date for these pupils will be 1 June. This will depend on government advice and arrangements at individual schools. Secondary ...

Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from Monday 18 May 2020. This year’s theme is kindness. Approximately one in four people in the UK experience poor mental health each year. Mental Health Awareness Week aims to encourage people to share experiences and talk about mental health, which will help dispel the stigma associated with it, which ...

A new Wi-Fi network at Dorset County Hospital will enhance the experience of patients, allowing them to stay better connected to loved ones during their stay. The Trust is partnering with WiFi SPARK to launch a free NHS network for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy a faster and more reliable online connection. The network will allow ...

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is still battling to contain a fire affecting approximately 100 hectares of heath and woodland in Wareham Forest, which started shortly before 12.30pm this afternoon (18 May). With the flames being fanned by strong winds, 28 fire engines are currently in attendance from Bere Regis, Wareham (two), Wimborne, Christchurch ...

Visit Dorset report that the Government restrictions in response to COVID-19 have led to the cancellation of current events, as most of us know, and sadly there are daily reports of more local event cancellations, including: • Yeovilton Air Day • Dorset County Show • Great Dorset Steam Fair • Bath and West Show • Camp Bestival • Chesil Rocks • Jurassic ...

Weldmar Hospicecare has issued a plea for supporters to “stand by them” during the remainder of the Covid-19 pandemic, and help them “be resilient for the future”. It comes as the charity announces two key fundraising events have been cancelled this summer, with more in doubt in the coming months. The newly revamped ‘Moonlight Walk’, which men ...

VISITORS ASKED TO THINK TWICE BEFORE COMING TO DORSET Councillor Spencer Flower, leader of the council, issued a clear message earlier this week for any potential visitors or day trippers thinking of coming to Dorset as a result of the government easing of lockdown restrictions: “Thinking of visiting Dorset now? Please think twice. We really look ...

One year after Dorset Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, communities and Councillors express disappointment at lack of action. Today, 16th May, marks one year since Dorset Council declared a climate and ecological emergency. However, 12 months on XR say there is still no strategy and action plan. A Spokeperson from XR told KeeP 106: “For ...

Our Dorset, the partnership of health and social care organisations from across the county, has launched a new online health app library. The launch coincides with the #HereForYou campaign which reassures Dorset residents that their health services are still available should they need them and that they should seek help and advice despite the current COVID-19 ...

Two young swimmers from Dorchester have set themselves a daunting challenge to swim the English Channel from a small pool in their garden, to help raise funds for Age UK North, South & West Dorset. Ethan (13) and Niamh (11) will swim in their small pool measuring just 3m x 2m for the same amount of ...

During this period of lockdown many local organisations, including KeeP 106, have been trying to ‘keep going’ and supporting the local community. One prominent local group has been doing just that and are looking forward to future events. Andy Rose from Dorchester Lions said “We’re still here at Dorchester Lions trying to ‘do our bit’ for ...

The Organisers of the Dorset County Show have announced that the Show will not take place this year, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The Board of Management of the Dorset County Show Committee has made the decision after closely monitoring government guidance over the past months, recognising the health and safety of everyone involved with the ...

#Masks4All Dorchester (M4AD) is a small local not for profit group, that began at the start of April with the idea of supporting local volunteers and other frontline workers who were out in the community. It began with a conversation between Emma Scott from Dorchester Town Council, Rosie Lees from the Embroidery Barn and Emma Teasdale ...

Police in Weymouth have placed a cordon on the Esplanade and closed of a section of the beach after an unknown object was washed up. The cordon was put in place shortly after 8 this morning after the item was located. Roads were unaffected. Dorset Police received reports that a suspicious item was found on Tuesday (12th ...

Dorset Police Rural Crime Team would like you to be aware of the following suspicious vehicles to be on the lookout for across Dorset. The first vehicle is a 65 plate White Luton type van but unfortunately police don’t have the registration number of this vehicle. Please be on the lookout and if you see a ...

An estimated £7,000 has been raised for Weldmar Hospicecare over a bank holiday weekend that included everything from a virtual silent disco to a Dorset Knob eating competition. Virtual Quayfest and ‘The Big Fat Weymouth Quiz’ also featured in ‘Weldmar’s Big Weekend’. Kate Scott from Shaftesbury was crowned the Dorset Knob Eating Champion 2020, munching her way ...