Viewpoint February 2017

Established Over 35 Years

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Mid Feb 2017

Your Independent Local Magazine

VIEWPOINT

Volume 41, Issue 4

VERWOOD RINGWOOD FORDINGBRIDGE WEST MOORS WIMBORNE FERNDOWN ASHLEY HEATH ST IVES, ALDERHOLT

COMMUNITY RALLIES TO SAVE THE BARRINGTON

Find out how the Ferndown community saved The Barrington Centre. Turn to page 6

ISSN 2397-7183 (print) ISSN 2397-7191 (online)

Free

• COMPETITION S: £60 FOR MOTHE R’S DAY TICKETS TO DE SPERADO AT THE BARRIN GTON • THREE COUN CILS VOTE NO TO DORSET SU PER COUNCIL

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

VIEWPOINT Volume 41 • Issue 4 • February 2017 MAGS4DORSET Ben Pulford managing director design@mags4dorset.co.uk Nick Pulford company secretary accounts@mags4dorset.co.uk

News Desk 01202 872813 Janine Pulford editor editorial@mags4dorset.co.uk Carol Waterkeyn contributing editor

Design 01202 233441 Louis Pulford design director louispulford@brightboxdesigns.co.uk

Adam Trimby graphic designer designstudio@mags4dorset.co.uk

Advertising 01202 816140 Mark Beechey account manager DD: 01202 941465 mark@mags4dorset.co.uk Russell Harness account manager DD: 01202 941466 russell@mags4dorset.co.uk

Hello Readers Straight from the horse’s mouth…

Last month was pretty hectic in Ferndown, what with the closure of the Barrington and then its reopening a week later, the public meeting about the redevelopment of King George V Pavilion and the announcement from HSBC about the closure of its Ferndown branch. As a result, you’ll find reports on all these important issues and much more inside this Viewpoint. mags4dorset is a great supporter of the Barrington and was proud to donate £1,000 to help save the busy centre.

It really is the heart of the community and a very deserving cause. As you may be aware, we also provide the Barrington Magazine to the centre every quarter and I would like to make it clear that mags4dorset does not charge a bean for the printing or the design of the magazine. We provide this free of charge. This is only made possible by the generous support of the advertisers. So no matter what else you may have read in other publications, you’ve heard this from the horse’s mouth.

On a personal front I have lost five pounds on my cheese and soup diet and that’s with Mum feeding me up with all sorts of extras in between when I pop in and see her – you know what mums are like!

Enjoy this issue of Viewpoint and I will speak to you again next month.

How to contact useditorial

Enquiries: 01202 870270 Advertising: 01202 816140 Brightbox Designs: 01202 233441 Email: mags@mags4dorset.co.uk Web: www.mags4dorset.co.uk Twitter: @mags4dorset Facebook: mags4dorset.news King George V Pavilion, Peter Grant Way, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9EN

next copy closing date:

24 FEBRUARY 2017 The Editor reserves the right to amend or shorten contributions in order to fit in with the editorial policy and style of the magazine

Janine Pulford Editor

4Dorset is independently published and distributed free to homes and businesses in selected areas of Dorset and Hampshire. It is also available by subscription at £35 per year. Views or opinions expressed in 4Dorset are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement deemed to be unsuitable for publication. Information about a service does not imply recommendation. All purchases made through this publication are done so entirely at your own risk. The copyright on all written material, logos and advertising artwork produced by our studio remains with 4Dorset and should not be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.

Pic of the month –

Little and large at the Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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LAW SPOT

Providing the answers to your legal questions What should I do about choosing who makes decisions about my personal welfare if I am no longer able to do this?

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decisions made about your future healthcare, including end of life care and treatment is extremely important to many people.

VIEWPOINT February 2017

One way to plan for your future is to make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) specifically for Personal Welfare. (This document is separate to an LPA for your financial affairs).

The LPA for Health and Welfare enables an individual to appoint a person (known as an attorney) to speak on their behalf if they no longer have mental capacity. This can arise at any age, for a variety of reasons including a stroke, mental illness, brain injury and dementia.

The attorney will then make decisions for the individual, regarding dental treatment, immunisation, diet and nutrition, day to day care, medication, surgery, treatment, choosing where they live and so on.

The LPA for Health and Welfare also includes a specific section regarding life sustaining treatment and whether or not the attorney is permitted to make such decisions.

The benefit of choosing an attorney includes the comfort of knowing you have specifically chosen someone you trust to speak on your behalf rather than leaving these

decisions to strangers.

An LPA is a powerful legal document, it is a good idea to ask a qualified lawyer specialising in this area of work to guide and advise you through the process.

For further information please contact Harold G Walker Solicitors on 01202 881454 or email enquiries@hgwalker.co.uk

VICTORIA ELFORD

W

hilst undoubtedly a sensitive subject, the need to have control over

Help Niamh raise funds for the Little Princess Trust Inspired by her cousin in Nottingham and one of her mother’s friends, eight-year-old Niamh Bowers from Fordingbridge sacrificed her long, golden tresses for the Little Princess Trust last month.

The charity provides wigs for children with cancer to help them cope when they lose their hair and Niamh has donated all 9.5 inches of her plaited locks to the trust.

The Fordingbridge

Junior School pupil said, “I was nervous about having so much hair cut off, but my Aunty Nina is a hairdresser and this made it easier.

“I am so pleased I could do this to help boys and girls who have been ill and lost their hair because of the medicines they have to take. I hope it will make them happy.”

Niamh has a JustGiving page and has also raised over £500 for the Little Princess Trust following the haircut.

“If anyone would like to help me raise more, a pound or so would be really lovely,” said Niamh.

As you can see from the photograph, and true to the origins of her Irish name, Niamh (anglicised to Neve) was ‘bright and radiant’ when making her charitable donation to the Little Princess Trust.

https://www. justgiving.com/ fundraising/ Naomi-Bowers

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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Continued from page 1

PRAMA STEPS IN AS LOCAL COMMUNITY SAVES FERNDOWN’S BARRINGTON

The day the Barrington reopened its doors.

General Manager Andy Bryant pictured back right

Ferndown Community Association launches its public appeal: (l-r) Linda Cross, Frank Fortey and Terry Holbert, president of FCA

Within a week of the shock closure of the Barrington Centre when the Ferndown Community Association (FCA) announced its insolvency on 23 January, the facility was up and running again.

Once a crowdfunding page was set up, donations and pledges poured in from the local community and within two days of the appeal the FCA had received over £15,000.

And, it didn’t stop there. The public’s show of desire to save the heart of its community resulted in a major local charity, Prama, stepping up to offer financial support to the FCA to take the Barrington Centre forward.

Following discussions with Prama at a special meeting of the FCA on Thursday 26 January, Prama has agreed to underwrite the operating costs of the centre and retain the staff. The FCA committee voted unanimously to accept the Prama offer as it will allow the centre to maintain its identity as part of the Ferndown community and see the much-loved services continue.

Steve Robinson, Chief Executive of Prama said, “I am delighted that, as a local charity itself, Prama is able to be a part of the community of Ferndown and facilitate this wonderful centre’s future. I would like to assure everybody who has made a donation or supported the Barrington Centre through this difficult time, that all donations will be ring-fenced and used for

the purpose they were given in securing the future for the centre.”

Kathleen Taylor, Chairman of the FCA stated, “The FCA are thrilled that, with the support of Prama, we are able to reopen the Barrington Centre and Raffles Café to the public, and to enable our tenants, Ferndown Town Council, the Community Support Police and Neighbourhood Watch to continue to provide their much-needed public services.”

General Manager of the Barrington, Andy Bryant said on the day the Barrington reopened, “It was the donations that have been received from the community and the incredible support out there that attracted a major charity to offer funding. I cannot thank everybody enough.”

Generous donations were made by Ferndown businesses including £1,000 from Xerocad and £500 from Ferndown Chamber of Commerce. Mike Broad donated £2,000, an anonymous donation of £5,000 was received and David Scouse donated £500. mags4dorset, the publishers of 4Dorset and Viewpoint magazines, also donated £1,000 bringing the total to over £16,000 with more still coming in. mags4dorset also supplies the quarterly glossy Barrington Magazine to the theatre free of charge covering all the costs of design and print. The latest one is out now.

Channel swim for charity A Verwood mother of two is taking on a challenge that terrifies her.

Kirstie Foweraker is going to join a relay team with five others to swim across the Channel to France this summer.

“This isn’t just any 21 miles.

This is 21 miles in cold, deep, tidal, open water with jellyfish, dolphins,

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

seaweed and other things I would care not to think of,” says Kirstie who wants to challenge herself outside her comfort zone and raise as much money as possible for Aspire, a charity helping people to rebuild their lives following spinal cord injury.

Kirstie works in a specialist ICU in a busy trauma hospital and

as part of her role, she looks after people in the acute phase following spinal cord injury. “I know all too well how devastating an injury is and how this acute phase is only the tip of the iceberg for those affected,” she says.

Aspire is a national charity that provides practical support to people living with a spinal cord

injury in the UK so that they can lead fulfilled and independent lives in their homes, with their families, in work places and in leisure time.

“Their work really is invaluable,” says Kirstie.

If you want to sponsor this intrepid swimmer and help her raise lots of money for Aspire visit: https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ Kirstie-Fowerake

The Centre will have spaces for up to 13 people to stay, at any one time, and will offer them specially designed, accessible facilities that feel like a ‘home from home’

environment. The project has been backed with funding from the charitable foundations: The Bradbury Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation and The Talbot Village Trust.

HRH The Princess Royal opens Spinal Injury Service at Livability Holton Lee HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, opened a brand new facility in Dorset on 18 January – the Livability Spinal Injury Centre at Holton Lee. Based in the grounds of the wellbeing discovery centre, set in 350 acres of Dorset countryside, the new service is part of the national charity, Livability. The Livability Spinal Injury Centre will provide respite and rehabilitation services to people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Building on and maintaining rehabilitation skills learnt in specialist NHS SCI services, the new centre will focus

on providing visitors with a range of practical support to equip them for life beyond their cord injury. Operating on a residential basis with some drop-in services, the centre is aiming to open officially as a service by April 2017, following registration process completion.

The Princess Royal visited the site for the official venue opening and ceremony. The event was attended by local dignitaries, health and spinal injury services, supporters, donors, service users and members of the local community. In her comments about opening the Spinal Injury Centre, Her Royal Highness said,

“It makes perfect sense,” alongside the broader offering and services of the site. Referencing the value of other spinal injury services, she commented that the centre would make a valuable contribution, “adding to the knowledge and skills here and opening the doors for a very specific kind of support.

It will promote support requirements for those that have been spinally injured and I look forward to what the achievements of these facilities can bring.”

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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SIX out of NINE Dorset councils vote for change Councils have been divided over their decision about a proposal for a major shake up in Dorset.

Dorset County, Bournemouth, North Dorset, Poole, West Dorset and Weymouth & Portland councils have backed the proposed change, whereas East Dorset, Christchurch and Purbeck have voted against it. This gives the six in favour, the mandate to ask the Secretary of State to change local government structures.

THE PROPOSAL

The proposal is to create two new unitary councils based on the following existing local authority areas: Unitary A: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, including delivering the services currently provided by Dorset County Council in Christchurch.

Unitary B: East Dorset, North Dorset and West Dorset, Purbeck, Weymouth & Portland, including the services currently provided by Dorset County Council in this area.

DORSET CHIEF EXECUTIVE GROUP COMMENT After all the councils had voted, Matt Prosser, Chairman of the Dorset Chief Executive Group said, “We now have a mandate from our councils and we have the backing of the public and other stakeholders. That is clear from the consultation results. Now, we have a duty to respond to that mandate and secure a sustainable and even brighter future for Dorset. We are resolved in our commitment to a county that is healthy, prosperous, vibrant and inclusive for generations to come. We now need to determine the next steps in achieving this opportunity of a lifetime.”

Matt If the Secretary of State agrees and the change is Prosser approved by Parliament during 2017/18, decision-making bodies would be appointed to determine the structure, budget and service delivery models of each new council. These would be made up of councillors from all existing local authorities. The new councils would ‘go live’ in April 2019, with full elections in May 2019.

THREE AGAINST East Dorset District Council: 12 in favour, 17 against Cllr Spencer Flower, Leader of East Dorset District Council, said, “Members voted against the recommendations to support the case for change for local government in Dorset. Changes to the structure of local government in Dorset would present an historic opportunity to transform our services at a time when budgets are being cut and our priority must be protecting frontline services.

“Whilst the majority of members of this council may not support the case for change, if other councils in Dorset choose to make a submission to the Secretary of State, the final decision regarding local government reorganisation will not be ours to make.

“It is now vital that East Dorset continues to engage in this process to ensure we get the best possible outcome for our residents.”

Christchurch Borough Council: 8 in favour, 14 against Cllr Ray Nottage, Leader of Christchurch Borough Council echoed Cllr Flower’s statement.

Purbeck District Council: 11 in favour, 12 against Leader of Purbeck District Council, Councillor Gary Suttle, said it was clear the decision was not taken lightly, “I stated from the outset that this was to be the decision of each individual councillor. I have every respect for the outcome of the vote and will do my utmost to support the mandate that I have been given by my Council.” With 11 in favour and 11 against, the Chairman used his casting vote.

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

How museums came into being By

Julian Hewitt | Fordingbridge Museum

If you look at the Greek or Latin origins of the word ‘museum’, you will find that they were originally places of contemplation or philosophical discussion.

It was only in the 17th century that the term museum was used to describe a collection of curiosities that were owned by private individuals.

One such person was Elias Ashmole who donated his collection to Oxford University stipulating that it should be housed in a purpose-built museum. The Ashmolean Museum was opened to the public in 1683 and is generally acknowledged to be the first museum in the sense we know it today. It was intended, ‘not only for the inspection and entertainment of the learned and curious but for the general use of and benefit of the public.’

Many aristocrats had private collections of curiosities which they

kept in cabinets and which they showed only to their most intimate friends.

Incidentally, this was the origin of the present use of the word, ‘cabinet’ for the advisors and confidants of the prime minister.

The core collection of the British Museum, founded in 1759, was the cabinet of William Courten, which had been purchased by Sir Hans Sloane in 1701.

There was a rapid expansion in museums in the 19th century. This reflected the increase in civic pride and, later in the century, the promotion of free education. Public access was increased by the development of gas and electric lighting, which enabled the working classes to visit in the evenings.

During the 20th century, museums were increasingly seen as not just centres of excellence, but also as something that could make a positive

contribution the local economy - making a good return on any public money invested in them.

Specialist museums like the Imperial War Museum and museums such as The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum near Chichester spawned many similar smaller local museums.

Fordingbridge Museum had its origins in the private collection of local builder and undertaker John Shering. John’s 12-yearold daughter Mary had asked him what a gin trap was and, horrified by her lack of knowledge about such things, he started to collect items to teach her about her heritage. The collection soon outgrew his home and he had to house it in a special building in his builder’s yard off Church Street. In 2000 he and his brother Richard donated the collection to the town and so Fordingbridge Museum as we know it

today was born.

Housed in an old granary, Fordingbridge Museum is a major tourist attraction for the town and a valuable resource for local people.

It is run entirely by

volunteers and financed by visitor donations and fundraising.

If you would like to join the Friends of the Museum or are willing to give some time as a volunteer please call 01425 657 850.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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Do you know a

Knit a

WORTHY WINNER? The Chairman of East Dorset District Council, Cllr David Shortell has launched a search for this year’s community champions from the district. The awards, which showcase and celebrate the wonderful community spirit found in our communities, comprise of four categories: Adult Volunteer of the Year, Young Achiever (under 21 years), Best Community Project/Community Group,

Best Business Supporting the Community.

If you would like to propose someone for an award you can find the nomination form at www.dorsetforyou.gov. uk/chairmans-awards.

Nominations should be made for community champions who have carried out work in the East Dorset area, which has been a direct benefit to people within East Dorset.

Applications need to be received by 31 March 2017 at 5pm. Nomination forms should be completed and returned to The Chairman, East Dorset District Council, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Christchurch, BH23 1AZ. Alternatively, forms can also be emailed for the attention of Cllr David Shortell at kmills@ christchurchandeastdorset. gov.uk These acclaimed awards will be presented to the winners at a special reception in April 2017.

Will you help Moors Valley’s rangers make the Gruffalo’s Child a scarf to keep her warm this winter?

woolly armer wfor the

Rangers at Moors Valley Country Park and Forest near Ringwood are asking for help to keep the Gruffalo’s child snug when the snow falls fast and the wind blows wild. They want everyone to join them in knitting a huge scarf to keep her warm on her winter adventure.

The giant wooden sculptures of the Gruffalo’s Child and the Gruffalo have proved hugely popular with young families since they arrived at Moors Valley. This year the park is planning lots more Gruffalo surprises but the Gruffalo’s child needs to stay warm until they happen.

“Families across the country love Julia Donaldson’s ever-popular storybooks. They all know that the Gruffalo’s child ignores her father’s warning and bravely tiptoes out into the snow in search

Gruffalo’s Child

of the big bad mouse,” said countryside interpretation ranger Katie Davies. “It can get very cold in our woods.

We all have scarves to keep us warm so we thought we should create a giant scarf to keep her warm too – but we really need everyone’s help to get it finished.

“We’ve put knitting needles and wool in the Visitor Centre and we’d love as many visitors as possible to knit us a square or two, or you could knit one at home and bring it in. Just add your section to the end of her scarf and between us we will make sure the Gruffalo’s child stays safe and warm this winter.”

Ideally your contributions should be around 10cm wide. Any squares that cannot be used in the scarf will be donated for dog blankets to Battersea Dogs Home.

2017 driving you round the bend already?

Then maybe it’s time to drive someone else there instead.

Community First, the New Forest’s community transport team is really keen to recruit volunteer minibus drivers.

Could you help by being part of the invaluable Call & Go team of drivers who provide regular shopping trips for passengers who are unable to use public transport? Like the idea but don’t have the time? Why not sign up to drive occasionally for one of the community groups hiring the buses. It’s completely up to you and can fit in with how much time you have available.

For further information contact Lorraine Lambert, Volunteer Centre Coordinator, Community First New Forest on 01425 482773. Work days are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

9th

SHORT STORY COMPETITION

Creative Writing Awards – £150 top prize

T

he mags4dorset Creative Writing Competition started in 2008 and has run every year apart from 2016, although there was a winner announced in 2016, Viv Gough from Verwood (who won the 2015 competition).

Editor, publisher and author, Janine Pulford, started the competition following years of publishing a fiction slot in 4Dorset’s predecessor magazine, Town and Village. She said, “Our fiction page was so popular with our readers – especially with many of the short stories being penned by local best-selling author Della Galton – that I decided to run a fiction competition.

The first one received over 60 local entries, which really took me by surprise.” As the years passed, entries flooded in from as far away as the USA, Japan and South Africa and the magss4dorset competition grew in stature.

The Rules

• Length: roughly 1,000 words.

• The inspiration for each story must be taken from one of the photographs on this page.

• You must give your story a title.

• All entries must be typed and double line spaced.

• The title of the story, your name, address, email address and phone number must be on its own page.

• The title of the story or identity of the author must not appear on any other pages.

In June 2014 the theme was, ‘Lacey Lightfoot goes to...’ and with great determination, Janine pulled the winning stories together and published them as an anthology in ebook format, giving the authors great kudos in the writing world.

Since 2008 the top prize has doubled with the winner scooping £150 in 2016.

There is another chance to win this top prize with the launch of the 9th Creative Writing Awards.

This year the inspiration is to be drawn from one of these photographs. If you are a prolific writer you could take inspiration from all three because multiple submissions are acceptable.

As in previous years, the shortlist will be chosen by Janine and the judges will be announced at a later date. We look forward to reading you entries.

Prizes winner: £150 runner up: £25 Entry fee: £4 for the first story, £3 per story thereafter.

The closing date is 31 August 2017. Entries can be submitted and paid for online at www.mags4dorset.co.uk or sent by post with a cheque for full payment to mags4dorset, CWA2017, First Floor King George V Pavilion, Peter Grant Way, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9EN. Entries can also be emailed direct to CWA2017@mags4dorset.co.uk but will not be considered until payment of the entry fee is received.

mags4dorset reserves the right to publish the winning story and runner-up story in 4Dorset and/or Viewpoint Magazine and online on the mags4dorset website. The author retains copyright.

Brass band helps Katie get her wheels

V

erwood Concert Brass has donated some of the money raised at the band’s Christmas carol events to help buy an all-terrain wheelchair for 10-year-old Katie, a member of the band’s new starter group.

Helen Dunnings, Chairman of Verwood Concert Brass explained that some of the money from carolling is used to support the band and some is donated to a charity. This year members

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chose to support ‘Katie’s New Wheels’ via The Tree of Hope charity.

“Choosing this charity was easy as Katie recently joined the band’s Acorns new starters group to learn to play the trumpet,” said Helen, adding that as well as her love for music, Katie wanted to get out and about more in the countryside with Vinnie, her assistance dog. “That’s not so easy for Katie as she has cerebral palsy, but an all-terrain wheelchair would help resolve that, so hence

VIEWPOINT February 2017

Katie in her new all-terrain wheelchair with members of the winning Verwood Youth Band

the ‘Katie’s New Wheels’ charity to help fund the purchase of one.

“We were delighted that the donation from Verwood Concert Brass, combined with that of The Sarah Kinsley Fund, meant Katie’s wish came true

and were thrilled when she turned up at band rehearsal to show off her brand-new wheels,” said Helen.

But that wasn’t all the band had to celebrate.

The Verwood Youth Band had just competed in the Wessex Brass Band

Association Youth and Training Band Festival (on 28 January) and celebrated being awarded the cup for the Best Youth Band, plus principal cornet player, Naomi Selby Grace, won the trophy for best instrumentalist.

in health and fitness

Young mum backs brain tumour campaign

Lorna-Rose Samson from Wimborne knows the importance an early diagnosis can have for brain tumour patients. She was diagnosed in 2005 with a pilocytic astrocytoma and underwent surgery after experiencing persistent headaches, balance and coordination problems before the correct diagnosis.

“It took me two-and-ahalf years to be diagnosed.

I do remember the earaches, the hearing loss, the headaches, the blurred vision and the worried look on my mum’s face each

time I told her about these symptoms.

“My parents knew something wasn’t right.

Every time we went back to the doctors they would tell me I had an ear infection and put me on some antibiotics. When I realised I was losing my hearing, they had my ears syringed more times than I care to recall. It took a locum doctor to look through my notes and pick up on symptoms that had been there for years.”

The HeadSmart campaign lists the warning signs of a brain tumour in babies, children and teenagers. Being aware of symptoms such as those experienced by Lorna-Rose is vital to improve early diagnosis times.

The campaign aims to reduce diagnosis times and improve accuracy of diagnosis, so that brain tumours are treated earlier, with the best possible treatment at the right time.

Symptoms to look out for include: • Persistent/ recurrent headache • Persistent/ recurrent vomiting • Balance/coordination/walking problems • Abnormal eye movements • Blurred or double vision • Behaviour change • Fits or seizures • Abnormal head position such as wry neck, head tilt or stiff neck • Increasing head circumference (crossing centiles) • Delayed or arrested puberty.

Lorna and her family

Symptoms vary across age groups. For more information, visit headsmart.org.uk HeadSmart is a partnership between The Brain Tumour Charity, The Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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in health & fitness - advertising feature -

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Making a Move!

Are you struggling with your New Year’s resolution to get more active?

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Don’t worry, help is on the way at Ferndown Leisure Centre. With great facilities and loads of activities to try, there really is something for

VIEWPOINT February 2017

help with low back pain, neck pain, headaches and shoulder pain, just to name a few. You don’t have to be in pain to visit Total Therapy as they also look to provide guidance on good posture and tips on how to prevent back pain. the whole family to enjoy.

Plus, from 22 - 28 February, the centre is offering you its fitness (all inclusive), gym only and swim only memberships for £14, and March at half price to try the facilities and help you stay on track.

The fitness membership gives you full membership benefits including unlimited use of the gym, swimming pool, workout classes, and SWIMTAG. To help each member make the most of their visits, you will get three personal training sessions with a qualified fitness instructor, who will explain how to use the pieces of equipment correctly and safely, discuss fitness goals, and devise a personalised programme to follow.

Book yourself in today for your FREE spinal assessment; start your year with a ‘body MOT’.

Visit Total Therapy in their new clinic, situated down

Lynes Lane, which is opposite Framptons on the High Street, Ringwood. Call today on 01425 475020 and quote SPINAL ASSESSMENT VIEWPOINT.

Join now and get all of this: • • • • • •

Relax in the pools or get your heart pumping in one of the lane swim sessions.

Rule the pool with free use of the centre’s own fitness tracker.

Meet the gym instructors who will be able to help build your confidence and keep you motivated!

Master the treadmill with unlimited access to the gym for a great workout.

Get your groove on with friends by trying group exercise classes.

Personalised workout programmes with the Ferndown Leisure Centre’s Places Locker app.

To find out more about the offer running during February, or for details about the centre and other activities available, call Ferndown Leisure Centre on 01202 877468, email: deanadudman@pfpleisure. org or visit www.ferndownleisurecentre.co.uk.

February Half Term

Bookings are now being taken on the centre’s exciting holiday programme.

Swim Lessons

Contact the swim admin team if you would like to be a swimmer or a better swimmer on 01202 877468.

in health and fitness

DEADLINE LOOMING The Clinical Services Review deadline is at the end of February. This is the public consultation on changes to healthcare in Dorset. Among proposals locally is the threat of closure of St Leonards Hospital.

To find out more about the proposals, visit www.dorsetvision.nhs.uk or to fill out the questionnaire go to: www.csr.dorsetvision.nhs.uk/have-yoursay or call 01202 541946 and leave your name and postal address so one can be sent out to you.

The drop-in events have now finished. However, Improving Dorset’s Healthcare – the Southern Poole Chairmens’ Group is requesting a major meeting in Poole to brief people there on the proposals for reorganisation of Dorset NHS in time for the consultation deadline of 28 February.

Meanwhile, Healthwatch Dorset is carrying out a public consultation on their proposals for the future of health services in the county. You can find our more on their website www.healthwatchdorset.co.uk/CSR. Commenting on the Consultation so far, Healthwatch Dorset manager Martyn Webster said, “We’ve been asking local people what they think of the public consultation. While many people have told us that they understand the financial issues facing the NHS and the reasoning behind Dorset CCG’s proposals for health services across Dorset, there’s a lot of scepticism locally that the new-look ‘integrated community services’ will have the resources or capacity to be able to provide high-quality care outside acute hospitals. People are really worried, too, about the reorganisation of A&E departments, concerned that it will result in some people finding it harder to get the care they need when they need it.”

“

Healthwatch added,

We urge local people to find out more about what’s being proposed. As well as the information the NHS is putting out, we’ve produced our own short guides which are on our website, including one about what the NHS legal responsibilities are to involve the public in changes to services.

”

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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education & classes

Aspiring football manger receives Jean Ware Award

Callum Crockard has received the newly named Jean Ware Award presented by West Moors Parish Council.

Formerly know as the Legacy Award, the winning applicant is recognised as an exemplary young person who needs extra help to reach their ambition.

Sixteen-year-old Callum wants to become the world’s most successful professional football manager.

“It seems like a big dream,” he admits, but he believes that the discipline, drive, determination and dedication he applies will take him there.

Currently studying for his GCSEs and on course for achieving A-A*, his

passion is devoting time to coaching football to young children locally. He was recognised at the early age of 7 by Southampton, AFC Bournemouth and Portsmouth football clubs, but took roots with AFCB for six years where he gained an invaluable understanding of the game. He transferred this knowledge to Brockenhurst FC before focusing on his studies. He has been volunteering with Grange Athletic FC for two years, progressing from coaching U10s to managing all football aspects from training, to match-day working with U12s and younger.

The award will support Callum with a grant of up to £1,000 to help him obtain the necessary qualification and equipment to further his career.

Applications for the next Jean Ware Award will be invited from May 2017. Visit www.westmoors-pc.gov.uk for more details.

Callum receives his award from Cllr Penny Yeo, Chairman

Vocational training grants available In recognition of the difficulties often experienced by young people when entering into apprenticeships or vocational training schemes, particularly in terms of costs incurred, West Moors Parish Council has introduced vocational

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

training grants. Each grant will support a local person, aged between 16–20 years, by assisting them with the purchase of related tools and equipment essential to their training.

Two grants were awarded in July 2016 to West Moors residents Ben

Watts and Charlie Hewitt.

Applications for grants are considered three times a year in January, July and September.

For more details visit the parish office at 4 Park Way, West Moors or download an application form from www.westmoors-pc.gov.uk

RINGWOOD NEWS

Are you an enthusiastic walker?

New mayor for Ringwood Would you like to develop your fitness through walking?

Following Cllr Michael Thierry’s announcement that he is standing down from his role as mayor due to other work pressures, his deputy, Cllr Tim Ward, has been unanimously elected as the town mayor. Cllr Philip Day was appointed as deputy mayor. Both will serve until the annual meeting in May. Cllr Thierry continues as a councillor.

Then Walk Fit sessions will be perfect for you

Walk Fit at Moors Valley Led by a qualified instructor, Walk Fit will gradually build up your overall fitness levels using a range of weight-bearing exercise, inclines and speed challenges. Bookable in four-week blocks, the sessions are suitable for people who are able to walk at a brisk pace for 45 minutes to an hour and want to get more out of their walk.

Book on 01425 480811 or online www.moors-valley.co.uk/events The cost is £18 for all four weeks. Moors Valley Country Park and Forest is on the Dorset and Hampshire border at Ashley Heath, Ringwood BH24 2ET.

Ringwood U18s do football proud After a gritty away 0-1 win at Winchester, it was another Sunday in January that welcomed Sarisbury Sparks from the Southampton leagues to Ringwood Town FC’s main pitch at Long Lane.

The U18s – some have been at Ringwood since they were seven – are driving to the top of the table in Division 1 and are in the top four of Division 2. They work together, training every week as one squad and splitting resources to ensure both teams field a full side.

Chris Till, assistant manager of both divisions says, “We are proud of

how the lads react to this and how it is all about their chemistry and working hard for each other regardless.

“This is a difficult age group to keep lads playing football – there are so many distractions: girls and Bud seems more attractive than a hard cold training session – but this is a special crop of talented players we have worked with for years.

“We have a process and a clear understanding of 4-2-3-1 formation and the responsibilities within that – we feel as long as the lads follow that through on the day then we are hard to beat.

“We did this last month and simply blew Sparks away. It was great to see the many supporters see the lads in action – including the first team management.

“This is the first time that a Ringwood youth team has made it this far in the competition.”

cowboy,

The the revolutionary and the novelist Guest speaker at the next meeting of the Ringwood Group of the Hampshire Genealogical Society will be Graham Spiller on the subject of ‘The cowboy, the revolutionary and the novelist’. Members and visitors are welcome to the meeting at Greyfriars

Community Centre in Ringwood on Wednesday 15 February starting at 7.30pm.

For further information on the HGS please contact Paul Pinhorne on 07982 257510 or email ringwood@hgs-online. org.uk

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 17

RINGWOOD NEWS

Naomi House and Jacksplace, the Hampshirebased hospice charity for children, has received a donation of £7,500 from the Freemasons.

The money was raised by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge.

Naomi House and Jacksplace provide expert care to more than 340 life-limited and life-threatened children, young people and their extended families from Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire, West Sussex, Surrey and the Isle of Wight.

Later this year the charity will open the world’s first hospice Long Term Ventilation (LTV) Unit. It will comprise two fullyequipped children’s bedrooms, an emergency care room, high quality accommodation for families and communal spaces.

Paul Morgan, head of fundraising for Naomi House and Jacksplace, said, “The support

“

As an illustration, £7,500 could fund ongoing counselling and bereavement support for two families who have lost a child at our hospices.

“

Freemasons support Hampshire hospice charity

Mike Wilks, Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Freemasons

we receive from Masonic lodges locally is hugely important to our charity. As an illustration, £7,500 could fund ongoing counselling and bereavement support for two families who have lost a child at our hospices.”

The Provincial Grand Master for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Mike Wilks, said, “The Freemasons have been supporting the charity since it was started at Naomi House 22 years ago and I know they will continue to do so.”

Good start to the year for blind club It was a good start to the year for the members of the Ringwood and Fordingbridge Club for the Blind.

Their first meeting was the annual post Christmas lunch held at a local hotel.

Later in January, the ladies from the local Tangent Group excelled themselves by providing sandwiches, cream

scones, and cakes and Tony Perry from Ashley Heath entertained with songs of the 50s and 60s.

The club is recruiting new members. You do not have to be registered blind to join. Volunteers are also required to help out.

Please contact Mary on 01425 470008 or Kate on 476568 for more details.

- advertising feature -

Wedding Fayre

AT THE FURLONG The Furlong shopping centre in Ringwood is holding an exclusive wedding event in the courtyard on 18 March from 11am–3pm.

The free event promises to be a fun day out whether you’re a lucky bride-to-be, a guest or simply have a special event to prepare for.

The Furlong courtyard will be packed with a hand-picked selection of exhibitors promoting local wedding services and products. Get inspiration for your big day for everything from wedding dresses to vintage crockery, VW campervans to cupcakes and more.

As well as all this there will be complimentary refreshments, cake and fizz tastings, store promotions and live music from popular local bands.

For more details and a full list of exhibitors visit thefurlong.co.uk

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

RINGWOOD NEWS

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 19

RINGWOOD NEWS

T

he item had been raised

by Ringwood School students at a meeting in December last year when student Evie Karkera asked the council to reconsider its 2015 decision to take no further action at that time.

It was hoped the council would reverse the decision.

Instead it was added to the January 2017 agenda.

A large number of the public attended the January meeting when sixth form student Oscar Jenkinson addressed the committee. He commented that he understood the difficulties faced in resettling a Syrian family in Ringwood, however he hoped that the barriers could be overcome by working together as a community, indicating that there were members present from many Ringwood groups. He reiterated the unimaginable conditions that the refugees are facing and said places like Ringwood should open their arms and offer sanctuary.

Adam Skirton from

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WILL RINGWOOD REHOME SYRIAN REFUGEES? At a meeting of the Policy and Finance Committee of Ringwood Town Council on 18 January, the subject of resettling a Syrian family in Ringwood was included on the agenda Poulner Baptist Church spoke about the links with the other churches in Ringwood. He said the churches would support having a Syrian family in Ringwood, a town which he said has the ability and desire to help. He outlined how the churches help homeless people and could help refugees with furnishings, white goods, food and friendship.

Geoff Ridgeway from Ringwood Rotary confirmed that the club supported Ringwood School and was impressed with their enthusiasm.

The deputy churchwarden at Ringwood

VIEWPOINT February 2017

Church and representative for the Parish of Ringwood, Kevin Jones, said he wished to place on record the churches support to Ringwood School and requested that the council reverse the decision taken in October 2015.

After referring to documents outlining the requirements to be in place for the resettlement of refugees, Cllr Day said that he was 100% in support and wished the students the best of luck in their endeavours, but wanted to realistic, in that it was a monumental task.

He suggested that the campaign is taken to New

Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council and the best Ringwood Town Council could do, would be to support those local authorities in resettling refugees and try to identify housing.

The chairman agreed that the students had his support in taking the project forward, but thought it difficult, but not unachievable.

Cllr Thierry was aware of the difficulties but also the aspirations of the speakers and believed that they expected a positive response from the council.

Wanting the council to be further involved with the

project he suggested that a local working party be formed to take the role of facilitator, bringing all interested parties together, in order to see what was possible. If the members did not agree to this, he said he wished be involved outside of the council, as a councillor and as an individual.

In conclusion, the council’s committee members decided that the district and county councils were the authorities responsible for the services necessary to achieve the requirements of the resettlement programme, such as housing, education and social services, and they had the resources and procedures in place, and the campaign should therefore be taken to those higher authorities.

Members commended the students on their exemplary humanity.

It was resolved that the town council support Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council in their efforts to house and support Syrian refugees.

CELEBRATES first year of business!

This newly opened private dental practice has nearly completed a year of trading and the dentists Chris and Caroline Gollings would like to thank the town of Ringwood for its warm reception.

M

onths before even opening in 2016, the practice had received dozens of requests for registration.

The practice is located on the south side of Ringwood, and has off-road parking. It benefits from easy level access and has full facilities for the disabled. The team are welcoming and very knowledgeable, all having over 20 years of dental experience. The practice has modern, state-of-the-art dental equipment and has been newly refurbished providing a clean, comfortable and relaxed feel for patients to enjoy.

Christian Gollings is a qualified implant surgeon and coordinates the Implant Centre at the practice. He is trained to offer a wide range of simple and complex rehabilitation options for patients missing one, several or all of their teeth. He is taking bookings from the general public and also referrals from other dentist(s) in the area. Chris will always discuss in detail the range of dental options available, which may include implants, bridges, crowns and dentures.

Caroline Gollings works alongside her husband Chris and their hygienist Leainne. She takes care of the family dentistry including treatment for children, a range of white filling options and professional teeth whitening. She is also qualified in facial aesthetics and oversees Rejuvenate at the practice. She offers cosmetic skin treatments - facial injections (Botox), and is an independent consultant for Arbonne.

The team at Southfield are very experienced with treating patients who are nervous and suffer from dental anxiety. They have

a philosophy of empathy, and aim to tailor dental treatment to each patients individual needs. This may mean more time, more anesthetic, a type of sedation (either oral or IV), or simply adjusting treatment methods. The practice works closely with a team of anaesthetists from Southampton hospital who regularly visit to administer IV sedation.

Here are the options for prospective patients who would like to join the practice: Practice visit

Meet and Greet

New Patient Consultation

Patients are welcome to visit the practice and have a look around at the facilities before making a decision to join. One of the staff will guide you around and answer any questions.

Another option is to meet one of the dentists when you are visiting and allow them to introduce themselves and again answer any questions.

Patients can reserve their initial appointment with the reception team. At this visit they can discuss their individual aims and requirements.

01425 489283 | 115 Christchurch Road, Ringwood, BH24 3AQ

Southfields 1

Southfields 2

BUSINESS | COMMUNITY | UNITY

£60 MotDaheyr’s COM P ETITION

Don’t forget your mum this Mother’s Day. You’ve got a bit more time to organise yourselves as it falls later this year - on 26 March to be precise.

It’s also the date that British Summer time begins so it’s a double reason to celebrate.

Our advertisers are here to help you. Whether you feel like treating your significant ‘mother’ to lunch, a pampering, flowers, chocolates, or a special piece of jewellery, gift or card, there’s a lot here to give you ideas. Enter our competition and you could win a voucher worth £60 for your mum, too!

To have a chance to win £60 in vouchers to spend at one of these advertisers, answer this question:

Traditionally what day of the week does Mother’s Day fall upon?

Enter online at www.mags4dorset, 1st Floor, King George V Pavilion, Peter Grant Way, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9EN. The closing date is 3 March 2017. When entering you must specify where you want to spend your voucher should you win.

The first correct entry drawn will be the winner. Employees of Pulford Publicity Ltd and the advertisers are not permitted to enter. There is no cash alternative. The editor’s decision is final. The voucher will be valid for 30 days from the date of issue.

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

BUSINESS | COMMUNITY | UNITY

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 23

vacancies

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

view from VERWOOD

Council Matters

By Cllr Simon Gibson Following months of meetings and debate about the future of Local Government Reorganisation in Dorset, finally, Cllr Simon Gibson the opportunity for councillors to vote arrived last month.

In East Dorset, after a long and passionate debate, councillors voted to reject the recommendations to reorganise. Personally, I voted in favour of reorganisation as I believed that it offered the best way to meet the financial challenges that are facing our councils. However, I fully accept the well-made and sincere views that were expressed by the majority of my colleagues.

The overall picture in Dorset is mixed. Out of the nine councils, six voted in favour of reorganisation and three voted against. A submission will be made to the Secretary of State, who will consider this matter further. I will continue to keep you updated with any developments in the future.

Such decisions have a huge impact on how we deliver services and what services we are able to deliver. As we continue to deal with the financial pressures, these services and the needs of our residents continue to be our key priority. I know that this view is shared by colleagues from both sides of the debate.

Away from Local Government Reorganisation, the work of the council goes on and I am pleased that East Dorset District Council has ambitious plans to support community projects across our area. I will focus more on this next month.

Cranborne archers shoot high Cranborne-based Bracken Company of Archers has donated £1,300 to Macmillan Caring Locally raised from their Amanda Shoot.

Set up in 2014 in memory of the current club chairman’s daughter, who received wonderful care and support from the charity, the annual event now draws archers from across the south.

Arthur Budd, former chairman of the club, said, “We’re really pleased to be supporting Macmillan Caring Locally and delighted that we have been able to give this donation from the Amanda Shoot.”

Plans for next year’s event are underway but, at the wishes of her father, it will be known as the Macmillan Local Shoot.

Crane Valley Raises a Smile!

Members at Crane Valley Golf Club recently presented a cheque of over £10,000 to Chris Read of A Smile for a Child.

Raised by the club captain’s charity during 2016, it will help disabled and disadvantaged children in the UK participate and progress in sport. This year the Crane Valley captains will be raising funds for Nystagmus Network, Multiple Sclerosis Society UK and Assistance Dogs.

Chris Read (centre left) of A Smile for a Child receives the cheque from club captain Derek Baynes, ladies’ captain Sue Baynes and seniors captain Stewart Rennie

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 27

view from VERWOOD

New bus service for Verwood and surrounding area YELLOW BUSES IS NOW OPERATING A BUS SERVICE IN VERWOOD AND RINGWOOD AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THE NEW BOURNE LINE ROUTE B4 SERVICE GOES FROM BOURNEMOUTH TO RINGWOOD VIA FERNDOWN, WEST MOORS AND VERWOOD

T

he company has changed its bus network by introducing eight colour coded lines – Bourne, Priory, Uni, Royal, Village, Coast, Dolphin and Heath.

Routes operating on each line will be denoted by the first letter of the name eg ‘R’ (for Royal) followed by the service number such as 1, 2, 3 or 4. All of the current 22 service numbers

have changed with the exception of four routes, which are subsidised by Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole.

The network will apparently focus on key hubs, including the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Bournemouth University, while offering new off-peak connections to destinations such as Mudeford, Verwood and Ringwood.

Yellow Buses says the new network, which took effect from 15 January, reflects the changing life and work patterns of its customers as well as simplifying the network and addressing congestion.

They are introducing extra services on some routes to help shift-workers at locations such as Bournemouth town centre, Poole town centre and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Journey times are also being revised on several routes with the aim of improving punctuality and reliability.

Leader of Bournemouth Council, Cllr John Beesley, and Bournemouth Borough Council’s executive director for Environment and Economy said, “The new network and colour-coded system will make it easier and more convenient for passengers. And the map is instantly recognisable because it’s based on that of the London Underground so it will help visitors and tourists.”

Meanwhile the mayor of Ringwood, Cllr Thierry has welcomed Yellow Buses’ first-ever service to the town. He stated that

the town’s new B4 service would help boost local business and gives people the opportunity to visit Ringwood and see what the town has to offer.

While the introduction of more buses will be welcomed by some in these car-congested times, if the services are not used, they will be lost.

One Verwood resident Marilyn Warburton who is keen for Viewpoint to publicise the new service in the town said, “The now much-missed 302 bus to glorious Salisbury with its Tuesday and Saturday market days is now sadly no more.” She believed every pensioner using it would have been happy to pay a fare just to keep the service. “It was always full, sometimes over-full,

but it is gone and we have Edmondsham, Cranborne and Alderholt with no service.”

Another Verwood resident who wishes to remain anonymous said, “There is concern that the new service could impact on existing services run

by Morebus. In fact, when comparing the new B4 timetable with the existing X6 service, after 9am, buses are being run almost simultaneously. Before 9am, Morebus operates a service but Yellow Buses do not, and Morebus operate a Sunday service which Yellow Buses do not seem to do.”

For more details on both bus services visit www.bybus.co.uk and www.morebus.co.uk.

Staff from Yellow Buses displaying signs showing the new route lines

Verwood Afternoon TG

T

he first meeting of the new year was the guild’s 36th birthday meeting, with a splendid cake made and iced by two talented members. Sadly, a prominent member and former producer of the guild’s Entertainers group,

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

Gloria Stephenson, had passed away in December.

A minute’s silence was held in remembrance.

Alan Pearce amused everyone with his talk ‘The Magic of Poetry’, in which he attempted to explain what poetry actually is, and best described it as

‘painting pictures with words’, reciting several entertaining pieces.

A Mulled Wine & Nibbles coffee morning held in December proved to be very successful with the proceeds going to Verwood First Responders, the guild’s present charity.

view from VERWOOD

A record £10,000 smile for a child

A Hillside visit to see mayor and council offices

T

he Mayor of Verwood Mrs Susan Shaw hosted the School Council from Hillside Community School on Monday 23 January in Verwood Town Council Offices.

The children proved very inquisitive and many question were asked regarding the workings of

the council.

Afterwards, the pupils’ teacher Mrs Nannette Craven and the children thanked the mayor and the town clerk for their time. Mayor Shaw stated that these events are always enjoyable and a real pleasure, and the invitation is always open.

n East Dorset-based golf club has pulled out all the stops in its efforts to return its highest ever charity donation.

All three sections of the Verwood-based Crane Valley Golf Club; men’s, ladies’ and seniors’, pooled their resources which, including support from the Carpet Barn, combined to raise just over £10,000 for ‘A Smile for a Child’ On collecting the cheque from the club, Chris Read, the founder of ‘A Smile for a Child’ underlined that the charity was focused on helping disabled children in the UK to participate and progress in sport

and mobility. He said, “The charity prefers to equal match – up to the tune of £5,000 – monies already raised for any deserving project.

Also, wherever possible, the charity will aim to support causes from within the area any donation may have come from.”

Club captain, Derek Baynes said, “A joint club effort: various events throughout 2016, including golf competitions, raffles and Christmas fairs plus support from Carpet Barn has produced a fantastic result for a very worthy cause. All involved should be congratulated for a very good job well done.”

Verwood Local Action Group Verwood Local Action Group meets at the Hub, Verwood on a Monday evening, usually once a month. The meetings for 2017 are on 13 February, 10 April, 12 June, 11 September, 13 November and 4 December, at 7pm.

At the meeting in December, PC Andy Roberts gave an update on how the police are now operating under tighter

financial controls but stressed the importance he saw in neighbourhood policing.

Crime figures reported for November were: anti-social behaviour 9, violence/sexual assault 4, criminal damage 4, burglary 3, other theft 3, shoplifting 2, vehicle crime 1, public order 1, other crime 1.

(l-r) David Ironside, Carpet Barn; Derek Baynes, club captain; Chris Read, A Smile for a Child; Susan Baynes, ladies’ captain; Stewart Rennie, seniors’ captain

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 29

charity of the year

RNLI Poole Lifeboat Station embraces

2017 Poole Lifeboat Station has started the new year with new day-to-day workings following the decommissioning of the all-weather lifeboat, or ‘big orange’ as locals called her.

She has been replaced with a relief inshore boat D-798 which will work alongside the other Poole inshore lifeboat B-826 and all-weather lifeboats from flanking stations. A new D-class has been commissioned and will arrive after the ongoing lifting bridge works are finished in late summer.

The floating boathouse has been removed due to the bridge works, but there are plans for a new one. The lifeboats are currently situated on a floating pontoon and the station is now manned entirely by volunteers, as and when.

In preparing for this major change, the lifeboat station has been taking on new recruits as some of the all-weather lifeboat crew stood down or moved onto other volunteering roles within the station.

Trainees have been busy working alongside current crew, exercising and preparing for the change of vessels and acquainting themselves with the new systems on the different boats.

The volunteer ethos and spirit, ‘to save lives at sea’ is still as strong and unwavering as ever as Poole Lifeboat Station continues to be one of the busiest coastal RNLI lifeboat stations in the country. Values at the station remain the same: to provide a lifesaving service using volunteers with voluntary donations supplying the funds needed to do so.

Last year saw the crew busy on the water responding to ‘shouts’ and training, as well

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

as visiting the station and going into the wider community to share key sea safety messages with youth groups, liaising with yacht clubs, holding life jacket clinics and training with kayak clubs. Whether demonstrating knot-tying skills with Cubs or reminding people of all ages to respect the water, the emphasis is always firmly on community lifesaving.

The crews and lifeboat family were also very involved with ‘Quay life’, supported the annual bath tub race and joined in with the pirate fun day, as well as giving thanks during the ‘Service of the Sea’.

Volunteer recruitment open morning The lifeboat family extends to the Poole and District fundraisers. For a station to thrive, it needs the support of the community and there are lots of volunteering opportunities available from joining the crew, to helping maintain the smooth running of the station, or being a shore helper.

The Old Lifeboat Station museum will reopen at Easter – a lovely building with history and a real flavour of the past. If you feel you can give a couple of hours a week and like to meet people, (over 30,000 people visited in 2016), you could assist with selling the souvenirs that help raise the vital funds that keep the boats afloat.

Or how about helping with the collection boxes? You can ‘adopt a box’ or join in with group collections. Fundraisers also stage lots of events throughout the year.

A volunteer recruitment open morning will be held on Saturday 28 February from 10am until 2.30pm at the lifeboat station on the quay next to the old lifting bridge in Poole.

Phao Cubs

Recent fundraising events

A Fish (finger) supper was held by the Phao Cubs at Colehill whose fishy feast raised £52.

The Annual Sprats Supper hosted at Lilliput Sailing Club raised £750, with all the money going towards the running costs of the Poole lifeboats. A staggering 50 stones of sprats were dished up, which equates to a lot of little fishies on a lot of little dishies. The sprats were cooked to a secret recipe by the former 2nd coxswain and mechanic, and the last coxswain of Poole Lifeboat. The Sprats Supper is a tradition that goes back over 20 years – the lifeboat station was once at Salterns Marina – and the connection grew when the lifeboat crew frequented the sailing club. Lilliput was the first sailing club in Poole Harbour to bestow honorary membership to all the crew of Poole lifeboat.

Sprat chefs Jonathan and Mike

gardening

Guidance for protecting orchards now available

Since the 1950s the UK has lost around 90% of traditionally managed orchards...

Conservation charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has launched an online Planning Protection Toolkit, www.ptes.org/ toolkit, to help individuals and communities protect orchards and other wildlife-rich sites.

Since the 1950s the UK has lost around 90% of traditionally managed orchards, and nearly half of those left are in a poor condition.

The root causes for the decline are neglect, conversion to modern intensive farming methods, cheaper imports from abroad, and development.

The Toolkit is part of a suite of resources developed by PTES to promote good orchard management.

These include: • a series of practical guides and videos to encourage owners to manage their orchards in a way that is sympathetic to wildlife, covering everything from pruning and grafting to grass management • FruitFinder, a searchable online database of fruit varieties, including where to buy native or heritage varieties • a grants scheme to help individuals or community groups plant new trees on their sites

•

the PTES Traditional Orchard and Fruit Tree Survey apps, which can be downloaded for free and an online community orchard map, which people can search for their nearest community orchard. See www.ptes.org/orchards.

The traditional orchard habitat, an intrinsic feature of the English countryside, is at risk from neglect, intensification of agriculture and pressure from land development.

Traditional orchards are home to at least 1,800 species of wildlife, including scarce ones such as the noble chafer beetle.

The apple is Britain’s national fruit and botanically comes from the rose family. You could eat a different variety of English apple every day for over six years without eating the same one twice.

In Dorset, there are currently 560 orchards covering 206.2 hectares, of which 13% were judged in excellent condition, 31% good and 56% poor.

For Hampshire there are 581 orchards, covering 168 hectares, with 15% excellent, 39% good and 46% poor.* *Source: S. Oram, PTES

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

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gardening

Love YOUR Garden by NGS

If your garden is in a mild location in the UK then snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils will begin to show their heads in February, but beware – the weather is changeable and can still bring days that are extremely cold and full of frost.

It’s time to give your garden a little bit of love with a quick tidy up and you could also start sowing seeds and planting – weather permitting. Growing your own plants from seeds is one of the most rewarding and economical ways of getting your garden going after the winter months. For growyour-own gardeners February is all about cultivating and preparing seedbeds (if the ground isn’t frozen) and covering them with clear polythene, cloches or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing.

From mid-February you can sow tomato and cucumber seeds for growing in greenhouses, and plant out garlic and shallots in light soils.

This is also your last chance to winter prune apples, pears and autumn-fruiting raspberries and to plant bare-rooted raspberries.

A simple garden solution for February is to make a mini woodland glade in your garden.

If you haven’t any dappled garden shade you are missing out on

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

some amazing plants. Plant a couple of small trees such as weeping willow and twisted hazel – adding lots of leafmould to the ground to make these woodland natives feel at home. Then plant some hellebores, a couple of pots of dwarf daffodils and some native cyclamen into the ground and fill in the gaps with ferns.

Finish the whole thing off with a covering of bark chippings.

Another woodland plant to consider, that does best when planted in a sheltered or shady position, is the camellia. It’s also ideal for the romantics among you looking for a floral gift for your loved one as the fragrant camellia represents desire, passion and perfection.

Camellias are also one of the best garden plants to use for adding a real splash of colour in the dark winter months. They are a wonderful plant to grow in the garden or a container. They can be grown in a more exposed position

if watered carefully and thrive in a free draining spot with plenty of humus in the surrounding soil.

Depending on the variety, you can have flowering from November

through to April and the range of colours is vast, from light pinks to dark reds and stunning whites with single, double and other flower forms.

February’s garden checklist …

gardening

ck to a g clematis right ba Prune large flowerin strong bud. lant snowdrops.

• Divide and rep on is dry, keep an eye y • If the weather and make sure the rs ine nta co in ns evergree rly. are watered regula g jasmine has rin we -flo ter win • Once ad stems, trim back de t ou t cu , blossomed new growth. ck ba new shoots and tie later in the um show of flowers • For the ma xim g shrubs such rin we flo ermm su year, cut back ia. ra and hardy fuchs as buddleia, lavate • Deadhead winter-flowering pansies to keep them blooming.

• Depending on frosts, prune roses, climbers and hardy evergreens.

•

National Garden Gift Vouchers can be bought and redeemed at over 1,800 outlets in the UK, with more than 90,000 garden plants and products on offer. Visit www. thevouchergarden.co.uk to see the outlets that sell and accept them. You can become a fan and buy vouchers on facebook www.facebook.com/ GardenGiftVouchers or follow on twitter @GardenGiftVouch or via the blog at www.vouchergardenblog.com

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 33

Investigating Cattle Identity A very important part of our work at the Animal Health department of Trading Standards is to investigate possible breaches in the law regarding livestock identification.

Puppy parents wanted This may seem an odd request because the litter of nine puppies in question already have parents, namely Pepper and Ollie.

But the pups, bred by Woofability to expand the charity’s team of assistance dogs to 86, are growing fast and will soon be stepping into the great outdoors.

The five dogs and four bitches are seeking unique, dog-loving puppy parents. They will work in partnership with Woofability and ideally look after their chosen pup for two years, helping to teach it good manners and how to socialise before handing it back to the charity to be trained as an assistance dog.

Once fully trained, each dog will be partnered with someone who needs assistance with day-to-day living.

Woofability dogs offer all manner of supportive roles including collecting the post, picking up dropped items, helping to dress and undress a person as well as loading and unloading their washing machine.

The pups are the charity’s second home bred litter. The first were born nine months ago and, according to Andy Clarke who co-founded Woofability with his late wife Jenny, “they are all turning into really nice dogs. We are hoping for a really high success rate with our own puppies and by ensuring a good supply of temperament-tested dogs, we will be able to expand the charity to meet the growing demand.”

Andy believes Woofability will become national within the next five years.

“Our dogs are already partnered with people throughout the south including Dorset, Devon, Berkshire and Surrey,” he said.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a puppy parent, a socialiser, dog walker or about how to obtain an assistance dog from Woofability, call 01202 814643 or check out the charity’s website or Facebook page.

Donations are always welcome.

In 2011 mags4dorset supported Woofability and raised over £1,600 to sponsor a puppy. Magsie was named by one of our readers and is currently partnered with a Day Care Centre in Boscombe.

34 |

VIEWPOINT February 2017

We have dealt with several cases regarding the changing of an animal’s identity. This usually involves cattle.

All cattle, whether destined for the human food chain or not, have to be identified individually with two ear tags. There should be one in each ear, with both tags bearing the same number. A passport with that number is issued to each animal, which stays with it for life. Also on the passport will be the identity of the dam (mother).

As in all walks of life there are a few people who will see if they can get around the laws by swapping identities of animals.

The reason someone may try to do this is to save money. Occasionally farmers get refused passports for a calf because they applied outside the required time limits, which are very strict. If you miss the date to apply by just one day, it is too late. This has always been argued as being too strict and thousands of cattle have been refused passports because of it, rendering them worthless and making it very tempting to change the identity for another animal that has died or was worth less.

If we have reason to suspect someone may be changing cattle identification, we must intervene quickly by collecting DNA samples from both the mother and calf.

There are two ways to do this - either by getting a vet to collect a small spot of blood onto a sealed card or, doing it ourselves by pulling a few hairs containing the follicles, either from high up on the neck or the top of the tail area of each animal. We use clean gloves between samples to avoid contamination. The samples are bagged separately in sealed bags and sent to a laboratory.

If the samples don’t match and it is found to be a deliberate act, and sometimes more than one animal may be involved, then we could potentially end up in court taking a case under The Cattle Identification Regulations 2007, The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008, and even possibly the Fraud Act 2006.

To the best of our ability we do try to resolve problems out of court, but inevitably there are times when we have to prosecute.

The vast majority of farmers do abide with the legislation and keep a close eye on dates of birth, but you will always get the occasional person pushing their luck.

Christine Scott

Animal Health Officer If you wish to have any more information on this subject please contact 01305 224475, or visit Dorsetforyou.com and follow the links to Trading Standards, Animal Health pages.

ANIMALMADHOUSE

needs your

help

A wildlife rescue centre set up by Charlotte Beard when she was only 12 years old has become a haven for rescued hedgehogs.

Based in West Moors, Charlotte has run the not for profit organisation that rescues and rehabilitates all UK wildlife from home for the last seven years.

She is currently trying to raise £1,000 to build and equip an animal hospital.

Charlotte said, “Each year Animalmadhouse gets busier and busier as more vets in the area use me for wildlife rehabilitation.”

As far as hedgehogs go, she has noticed a decline in the prickly creatures in West Moors, Ferndown and Verwood and says, “We see a lot less of them than we used to because people like to fence their gardens.

This restricts where hedgehogs can go.

Hedgehog-size holes in garden fencing would allow them to roam more freely.”

To donate to Animal Madhouse visit www.gofundme.com/animalmadhousewildlife-fund-2017

Higher town council precept would have to foot bill for £1m KGV Fields Charity Redevelopment and provision of youth facilities in Ferndown Report by Janine Pulford

O

ver 50 people attended a public meeting on 23 January held by Ferndown Town Council at King George V Pavilion where plans of the proposed KGV Field Charity redevelopment were on display.

The council as sole trustee of the charity says it has a duty to future-proof the charity for the next generation of users and the proposals, if approved, would be funded by residents paying an increase in their town council precept.

In a mission statement the town council states it wants to enable residents of Ferndown and its surroundings to enjoy high quality social, recreational and cultural facilities within the town and seek the continuing improvement and development of these facilities in accordance with the wishes of residents.

The working group that formulated the redevelopment plans are the Mayor of Ferndown, Cllr Mike Parkes, Town Clerk Vanessa Ricketts, Cllr Terry Cordery and Cllr Steven Lugg.

On behalf of the town council and the KGV Field Charity, the mayor and town clerk presented the following proposals: • To redevelop the pavilion, add 20 car parking spaces and extend the existing workshops • Redevelop the existing play area • Install a MUGA (multi use games area) on tennis courts 5 and 6 • Extend the floodlights • Resurface 4 tennis courts • Install an outdoor fitness trail • Improve gates to include automated access • Project management Costed at £1m, the project includes putting a roof over the existing quadrant within the pavilion; installing a bar to service the existing wedding room as well as other events; installing new changing areas and lavatories; extending the existing tennis club to three times its current size and adding bi-fold doors opening onto the courts as well as adding bi-fold doors to the existing bowling club.

When asked for the timescale of the project the town clerk said, “If the public are keen, and we will take on board any comments made, we would put it in the budget for the next financial year.

This means we could put in for planning almost immediately and have the works completed by this time next year.”

The mayor said that the meeting was the town council’s public consultation and that all users of the facilities had been invited as well as all community groups in Ferndown.

He said it had been publicised on Facebook and the council’s website.

To fund the project, Ferndown Town Council would go to the government for a Public Works Loan at a fixed rate of 2.4% for 30 years and gift the money to the charity for the work

to be carried out. The repayments of £50,000 a year would have to be paid off by residents who would see their precept rise. For a band D property this would amount to an additional £7 per annum.

When asked if there were contingencies for over-spending it was explained that the council would also approach other organisations for additional funding, which would give a buffer on top of the £1m.

A number of other concerns and queries were raised. A resident from Church Road said she was disappointed that the proposals included extending the floodlights as the existing lights are already intrusive to residents.

The issue of the proposed bar/ coffee shop opening hours was also raised, as was that of additional security, and another resident asked for the provision of an enclosed dog park. The mayor assured those present that all comments would be taken into consideration.

Cllr Steven Lugg said, “Everything we do will be a compromise. We want to work out a scheme that works for everyone.”

Ferndown Tennis Club’s reaction to the public meeting Vice chair of Ferndown Tennis Club, Pearl Scrivener, said, “We are delighted that we will be given a new clubhouse and that four courts are being resurfaced and the floodlights extended, however, we feel it was a top-down approach. As one of the main users of the pavilion, we had no opportunity to give any input before the plans were made.

“We are a thriving club and were disappointed that the plans included reducing the courts from six to five. We will be very disappointed if we don’t see the MUGA in use.

“We also feel as a club, we are growing and offering tennis to all ages and all members of the community. Our growth will be constrained by any reduction in courts.

“We think it is a good idea to have a MUGA, but why not move it nearer to the skatepark to alleviate any noise from the MUGA which could annoy residents.

“It is disappointing that we didn’t get the opportunity to comment before the planning stage and formulate a considered response.”

Provision of youth facilities The second part of the meeting was about the council’s bid to run the youth facility Riffs, which shut in July, whilst encouraging the existing groups such as sexual health and counselling to remain.

The mayor said the council wanted to give a home to youth in the town because there was nothing to meet those requirements.

“We have seen an increase in anti social behaviour since it [Riffs] closed. We agreed to bid to take over youth provision in the town. We owe it to the youth of Ferndown to do something major.”

Riffs is owned by Dorset County Council and the town clerk said that Ferndown Town Council are the preferred business case at the moment.

The cost of running the youth provision along with a contingency for repairs was estimated at £30,000 per annum.

The council admitted it did not have the resources to fund this amount and that £4 per annum (band D) would have to be added to the precept to cover these costs.

Residents had until 30 January to make comments, before the council was due to make its decision.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 35

in and around the area

what’s on

this month 17-18 February 7.30pm and 2pm

Christchurch Scout and Guide Gang Show returns to the Regent Centre for their traditional blend of slapstick humour, songs, dances and sketches.

With songs from Ralph Reader CBE, a unique version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, comedy sketches and a tribute to Eric and Ernie. Musical numbers from the hit West End musicals ‘Wicked’ and ‘Grease’, plus a few surprises along the way. Tickets: £10, children £7.

18 February

Dorset Theatre-Goers Club trip to see the Miser at the Theatre Royal, Bath.

More details from Lynda Maidment on 01305 269892 or see website www. dorsettheatregoersclub.co.uk.

18-21 February

Family Festival at Forest Arts Centre, New Milton including two daytime theatre shows called ‘Beginnings’ and ‘Pop’ and Puppet Making Workshop.

More details from the Centre on 01425 612393 or at: forest.arts.co.uk

18-25 February

Children’s decorated paper hearts for half term. All day at Fordingbridge library.

21 February

Swing jazz with the Bernie Farrenden quartet at the Amberwood Inn, Walkford, Highcliffe Tel: 01425 272627 for more details.

21 February 7.30pm

Bournemouth Electronic Organ Society presents concert of popular music by David Thomas at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Wimborne. Visitors welcome. £5 payable at door. Details 01202 895254.

21 February 7.30pm

Bournemouth and Beyond Discovery Group talk with Michael Rowland on ‘Bournemouth Gardens’. Meeting at St Andrew’s Church Hall, St Stevens Road, Bournemouth, BH2 6JJ. Visitors welcome £3. For more details go to www.bournemouthandbeyond.co.uk

36 |

VIEWPOINT February 2017

Details were correct at the time of going to print but readers are advised to check before attending events

22 February 7.30pm

Verwood Keyboard Society concert with Chris Powell on Roland Atelier keyboard in the Hub theatre. Tickets £10 on the door. Further information from Janetta, 01202 822936 or Organfax website.

23 February 7.30pm

Jazz at the Meeting House, Meeting House Lane, Ringwood with the Memphis Jazzmen, run in conjunction with Julia’s House. All proceeds from the raffle will go to Julia’s House. Admission £7. Free car parking after 6pm in the Furlong car park opposite.

24 February 7.45pm

Wimborne Movie Makers at green clubhouse next to the Allendale Centre.

Photographer John Lewis talks on how he started. Contact Garry Court on 01202 378515.

2 March 7.30pm

Verwood Horticultural Society meeting at Memorial Hall. ‘The Hidden Gardens of London’ by Bob Ayres 01202 814376

2 March

Dorset Theatre-Goers’ Club trip to see ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ at the Playhouse in Salisbury. More details from Lynda Maidment on 01305 269892 or visit their website www. dorsettheatregoersclub.co.uk.

3 March 7.30pm

‘Murder by Gaslight’ - a ghoulish audience with two of the most infamous poisoners in British history – William Palmer and Harvey Crippen. Tickets £12.50. At Highcliffe Castle, Rothesay Drive, Highcliffe, BH23 4LE or tel 01425 278807. www.highcliffecastle.co.uk

3 March

Bournemouth Orchid Society spring fair and show, Allendale Centre, Wimborne.

Entry £3, accompanying children free.

Details: 07712 479056

Cllr David Shortell, chairman of East Dorset District Council is holding a Charity Gala Dinner at Dudsbury Golf Club. Tickets are priced at £35 per head for 3-course dinner with disco by Mike Light. Please register your interest by contacting Cllr Shortell on 01202 870476. (Book by 14 February)

27 February 2.30pm

7 March 7.30pm

25 February 12 noon–4.30pm

East Dorset National Trust meets at West Moors Memorial Hall to hear Shirley Critchley’s talk on ‘A Saga of Sunken Secrets’ about the heroic efforts in World War I of the late Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Non-members are welcome.

The website for further information is eastdorsetnt@btinternet.com

28 February 11am

Pancake race starts at Wimborne Minster. All competitors should report by 10.30am with frying pan and ready cooked pancake. Entry forms available in the Minster or Church House (Parish Office) or just turn up on the day. Adult’s, children’s and possible wheelchair races. Details: Mike Downton, Member, Organising Committee 01202 888541

‘Smuggling in Christchurch’ talk by Mike Andrews with the Bournemouth and Beyond Discovery Group. Meeting at St Andrew’s Church Hall, St Stevens Road, Bournemouth, BH2 6JJ. Visitors welcome £3. For more details go to www.bournemouthandbeyond.co.uk

9 March 2pm

Wimborne Horticultural Society ‘Hellebores’ by Mrs Diana Guy at Minster Room, Community Learning & Resource Centre, 41-44 King Street, Wimborne (new venue for this year). Admission members £1, non-members £3. Details: 01202 887006

10 March 7.30pm

Bourne2Sing Male Voice choir concert at The Hub, Verwood. For tickets telephone 01202 828740.

12 March 10.30am–4pm

Spring Wedding Show at Highcliffe Castle, Rothesay Drive, BH23 4LE. Adults £1 children under 16 and Season Ticket holders free. Fashion Show at 12.00pm. Details: 01425 278807.

13 March 2.30pm

‘Tips for the Show Bench’ by Gwynne Davies speaking at West Moors Horticultural Society at the Memorial Hall, Station Road, West Moors.

14 March 7.30pm

A talk about Portland by Stuart Morris with the Bournemouth and Beyond Discovery Group. Meeting at St Andrew’s Church Hall, St Stevens Road, Bournemouth, BH2 6JJ. Visitors welcome £3. For more details go to www.bournemouthandbeyond.co.uk

16 March 7.30pm

‘Bird songs & how to know them’- a talk with illustrations and audio by Richard Hesketh. At Christchurch Baptist Church Hall, Bargates, corner of Beaconsfield Road, Christchurch. £2 incl. coffee and biscuits. Bournemouth & Christchurch Group of Dorset Wildlife Trust

16 March 7.30–10pm

Verwood Traditional Jazz Club welcomes Pamela’s All Stars at St Leonards Hotel, near Ringwood. For more details or tickets, contact Janet 01202 873725 or Geoff 07798 721405

17-18 March

Wimborne Cider Festival at the Allendale Centre, Wimborne, with live music, BBQ and more. Tickets from the Allendale Centre or www.fuelledbycider.com

18 March 12–4pm

Verwood Horticultural Society spring show, Verwood Memorial Hall. The Falklands, Islands of Kings, Tyrants and Giants - Mike Read 01202 814376

21 March 10–12 noon

New Forest Disability at Fordingbridge Library. Free, impartial, disability related information and advice.

in and around the area

ITION

COM P ET

Win tickets to see

DESPERADO

In conjunction with the Barrington Theatre in Ferndown, Viewpoint is running a competition to win two tickets to see Desperado – Heart of the Eagles, an excellent tribute band. The group is made up of six highly experienced musicians: Steve Ashcroft, Chris Brighton, Frank Beach, Mike Tinsley, Darren Ashford and Andy Saphir.

The show includes all of the Eagles’ classics, with a nod to Henley & Walsh’s solo careers.

The band will be performing on Saturday 1 April.

For your chance of winning a pair of tickets to the show answer the following question:

How many guys are in the band Desperado?

Enter online at www.mags4dorset.co.uk or send your answer on a postcard to Desperado Competition, mags4dorset, 1st Floor King George V Pavilion, Peter Grant Way, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 9EN. Closing date is 10 March 2017. The first correct answer drawn will be the winner. Employees of Pulford Publicity Ltd and the Barrington Theatre are not permitted to enter. There is no cash alternative. The editor’s decision is final.

Viewpoint competition catch up October issue

The winner of the £40 shopping voucher for West Moors was Mr C Pullen of Bournemouth. The correct answer was 158

November issue

The winner of the tickets to see the Jukebox Heroes at the Barrington Theatre was T Kearley of West Moors.

The answer was Marc Bolan.

December issue

The winner of the tickets to see the New Jersey Boys at the Barrington Theatre was B Murray of Colehill.

The answer was the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

Pop-Up Opera revive first ‘tragic’ opera for Spring Season 2017 For Spring 2017, Pop-Up Opera are reviving their first ‘tragic’ opera, staged to great acclaim in 2016. I Capuleti e I Montecchi will pop up at Shelley Theatre in Bournemouth on Saturday 11 March.

Pop-Up’s version of I Capuleti e I Montecchi conjures an atmospheric and intimate environment that places spectators

at the heart of Bellini’s moving love story.

With their signature ‘silent movie’ captions, Pop-Up embrace the unique spaces in which they perform, driven by Bellini’s enchanting score. For tickets for Pop-Up Opera, go to www.popupopera.co.uk.

Tickets are £28, which includes a glass of wine (adults only).

Dig out your musical instruments and join the Bournemouth Family Orchestra!

The BSO’s Bournemouth Family Orchestra wants to encourage people to share the joy of music making, experience playing in an ensemble with others and to create brand new pieces of music from scratch. The orchestra is open to everyone whatever their musical standard, from having a go on a hand-held percussion instrument to using your everyday voice, just turn up and play.

In partnership with Coda Music Centre in Christchurch, the sessions will be run

by BSO Associate Sam Mason, along with a professional musician from Coda to help maximise your experience and enjoyment of the project. The first session of the Bournemouth Family Orchestra will be held on Sunday 19 February at the Shelley Theatre, 16 Beechwood Avenue, Bournemouth, BH5 1LX from 10am to 12noon. For more information, contact Ben Jennings, BSO Participation Coordinator, on 01202 644717.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 37

in and around the area

Highcliffe Charity Players donate £3,000 to support five special causes

(L-R): Dr Michael Penn (Macmillan Caring Locally); Kezia Needham (Meningitis Research Foundation); Georgina Smith (HCP Chairman); Matthew Smith (Make-A-Wish UK); Elle Paskins (Ella Turner Support Fund) and John Gayler (Macmillan Cancer Support) at the cheque presentation

A

ward-winning local amateur theatre group Highcliffe Charity Players has donated £3,000 to support five worthy causes - £1,000 to Macmillan Caring Locally, £500 to Kezia Needham who is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania for Meningitis Research Foundation, £500 to Elle Paskins for the Ella Turner Support Fund, £500 to support Matthew Smith’s London Marathon bid for Make-A-Wish UK and £500 to John Gayler for his forthcoming Jurassic

Coast Mighty Hike in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

The cheques were presented by HCP Chairman Georgina Smith at St Mark’s Hall, Highcliffe during a break in rehearsals for the Company’s annual pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs shown at the Regent Centre in January. Said Georgina, “This is the best night of our year – the night that makes all our hard work worthwhile. Charity Players are so lucky that we get to do a hobby we love whilst raising money

for worthwhile charities.

And, as there are several people connected with our Society who have charities or challenges they are facing close to their hearts this year, it seemed fitting to support them all.”

HCP’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was at the Regent Centre, Christchurch, with over ten performances in January and as usual, all profits from the panto will be donated to local and national causes. In their 46-year history, the Players have donated more than £100,000 to charity.

Verwood Keyboard Society

V

erwood Keyboard Society members are looking forward to welcoming Claudia Hirschfeld to the Hub theatre on Wednesday 26 April at 7.30pm. Claudia is a top international artiste known as the ‘ballerina

38 |

of the keyboard’ and the society has been able to afford her through a donation from the Waitrose Community Scheme. The society is very grateful to Waitrose for this opportunity to present such a top star.

VIEWPOINT February 2017

The 2017 programme has a good variety of visiting artistes with concerts on the last Wednesday each month, apart from December, which is on the 13th – when the popular Dutch player, Dirkjan Ranzihn will return.

Full details are on the Organfax website, but for any enquiries, contact Janetta on 01202 822936.

Tickets are £10 for visitors, £8 for members, but attend two concerts and you have covered your membership fee of £4. You will get a good view wherever you sit in the tiered seating at The Hub, with the additional benefit of screen projection of the keyboard and a view of the player’s feet as they move across the pedals.

BSO 125th Anniversary Appeal Patron John Lill CBE, photo credit: Roman Goncharov

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra launches its 125th anniversary appeal As the BSO approaches an important milestone in the orchestra’s history, February sees the launch of the 125th Anniversary Appeal to raise the £125,000 needed to purchase a new Steinway Model D grand piano.

As an orchestra of national and international importance, it is essential for the BSO to have a grand piano of exceptional quality for the world’s greatest pianists to rehearse, perform, broadcast and record on. In recent years, the orchestra has invited internationally renowned pianists to perform on stage at their home at Lighthouse, Poole and in concert venues across the region; including Yulianna Avdeeva, Imogen Cooper CBE, Angela Hewitt, John Lill CBE, Stephen Hough,

Sunwook Kim, Simon Trpčeski and Lars Vogt.

The BSO acquired its current Steinway Grand Piano in 2002, selected by eminent British pianist John Lill CBE. Whilst the BSO’s Steinway has been well cared for and is in very good condition after 14 seasons, it is approaching the end of its life as an instrument fit for the demands of a professional orchestral performance schedule.

John Lill CBE has lent his support to the appeal, becoming one of the BSO’s 125th Anniversary Appeal’s artist patrons, “It gives me tremendous excitement and pleasure to realise that the 125th Anniversary Appeal has been launched, and it sounds a very good one, in order to furnish this great orchestra with a new piano,” he said.

BSO audiences can support the appeal by making a gift of any size or by contributing in one of the following ways: • Become a Piano Appeal Principal Patron with a gift of £20,000 • Become a Piano Appeal Virtuoso with a gift of £5,000 • Donate a ‘Black Key’ for the Steinway with a gift of £1,000 • Donate a ‘White Key’ for the Steinway with a gift of £500 • Donate a ‘Hammer’ with a gift of £250 • Donate a ‘String’ with a gift of £100

For more information about the BSO’s 125th Anniversary Appeal or to make a gift, contact the BSO Development Team on 01202 644734 or email: development@bsorchestra.co.uk

in and around the area

An absolute must for golfing enthusiasts Peter Alliss’ new UK Tour ‘A Question of Golf’ putts into the Regent in March.

Undoubtedly ‘The Voice of Golf’, Peter Alliss has been broadcasting on the game continuously for the BBC since 1961.

His enormous popularity has enabled him to travel around the world commentating on golf and on the way, entertaining millions of people with anecdotes, stories and reminiscences. Despite the popularity of his live shows, the opportunity for the audience to ask him questions has only ever been a small part of the evening… Well,

that is about to change!

His brand new show will be mainly based around what everyone has been clamouring for… the chance to ask Peter questions such as ‘what are the legends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin, Tiger Woods and so on are really like?’ if anyone should know, it is Peter Alliss.

‘A Question of Golf’ will be a truly special evening’s entertainment and a must for all golf enthusiasts. At the Regent in Christchurch on Wednesday 29 March, 7.30pm. Tickets £24, Concessions £22.

West Moors to Three Legged Cross on a bike A new cycle/footpath laid from West Moors to Three Legged Cross was officially opened by the Mayor of Verwood, Cllr Susan Shaw on 11 January.

Also present at the opening were councillors Spencer Flower and Jane Russell along with members of the Three Legged Cross Forum.

Visit www.mags4dorset.co.uk for more local news

| 39

Shock closure of HSBC in Ferndown

HSBC will be closing its Ferndown branch on Friday 12 May. The decision is part of a wider HSBC announcement to close 62 branches by the end of the year. This is due to the change in the way customers bank with HSBC. Francesca McDonagh, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management for UK and Europe, said, “More than 90% of our interactions with customers are now through our digital channels – an increase from 80% last year. Over the past five years, the number of customers using HSBC branches has fallen by almost 40%.”

HSBC has a partnership with the Post Office so customers can continue to carry out their day-to-day banking at any

of the 11,600 post office locations in the country.

Neil Eames, development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses in Dorset, Hampshire and Isle of Wight said that the FSB has given a cautious welcome to the new partnership agreement with the Post Office, as some services, such as cash and cheque clearing facilities, appear to be processed more slowly than in bank branches.

Other services, such as inter-account transfers and currency exchange are not available at all.

He stressed there must be “dialogue between business, the Post Office and the banks to try to open access to those still excluded, and to provide the services that small business needs.”

Eighty-six-year-old Mary from Ferndown, who has banked with the branch since 1974 said she was shocked to hear the news on television. She visited the branch the following day to find out what her options were for future banking with HSBC when the branch closes.

Former Mayor of Wimborne

UNDER INVESTIGATION Wimborne’s former Mayor Andy Hampton, who served two terms between 2013–15, is currently being investigated by Dorset Trading Standards over allegations relating to his business affairs. The police are also involved.

The investigations relate to his dealings through Morgan Hampton Estate Agents, which was in Wimborne’s High Street, but which is now closed.

Dorset County Council’s Trading Standards team have confirmed they are officially investigating the estate agents.

Ivan Hancock, Trading Standards service manager told Viewpoint: “We have been contacted by some customers of the estate agents. We are in contact with Dorset

40 |

Police on the subject of allegations concerning Morgan Hampton estate agents in Wimborne. The main allegations involve the theft of customers’ deposits. As with any theft allegations these should be reported to Dorset Police. With a breach of contract or with other problems that consumers have experienced or are worried about, involving services or goods sold by this or other businesses, they can call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06. This is the first point of contact for consumer advice or to report a matter to Trading Standards.”

Because of the ongoing investigation, Trading Standards told Viewpoint they could not comment further at this time.

VIEWPOINT February 2017

Driver jailed after injuring police officer ‘hanging out of the window’ A woman from West Moors has been jailed for causing a collision, which injured an off-duty police officer after he challenged her for drink driving. The incident happened on 2 March last year.

Jemma Louise Whibley, 35, of Oakhurst Road in West Moors, was handed a 12-month prison sentence at a hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on 20 January. She had previously pleaded guilty to drink driving and was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous

driving following a trial in December 2016.

She was also banned from driving for four years.

This ban will start when she is released from prison.

At one point during the incident DC Whiting, the off-duty police officer, smelt alcohol and showed Whibley his warrant card and asked if she had been drinking. Whibley became agitated and attempted to drive off so DC Whiting put himself and his bicycle in front of the car. The car lurched forward and hit him and the bike. As DC Whiting

attempted to take the keys out of the car, Whibley pulled away with him hanging out of the window.

The vehicle then collided with a van travelling in the opposite direction. DC Whiting sustained a broken foot and ligament damage.

Fake army veteran prosecuted for fraud

Christchurch, and Wimborne between September 2013 and September 2014.

The court heard that Hallett even targeted the Wimborne and Christchurch British Legion clubs, telling staff he had been in the army but had to leave due to injury. A statement obtained by Poole Trading Standards later showed that Hallett had never been in the army.

Phone calls and emails to Hallett from his clients later went unanswered as he moved onto other areas, selling advertisements in his next publication, but without publishing the last.

James Norman, Regulatory Team Manager, Borough of Poole, explained, “We urge businesses to do their homework and only place adverts in reputable publications. Businesses should consider asking to speak to a previous advertiser if they have any doubts and not be put

under pressure from any salesperson to make a last minute decision. Hallett was able to charm his customers into believing they were getting a great deal from a likeable character but in reality it was a fraudulent scam.”

In mitigation Justin Gau, defending, said his client had expressed remorse for his crimes, which stemmed from deteriorating personal circumstances centred around his alcohol and drug addictions. At one point during the period of offending he told the court, his client’s circumstances were such that he was reduced to sleeping on a park bench.

In his summing up Judge Johnson described Hallett as a damaged individual who had undergone a spectacular fall from grace but tried to establish the veneer of a respectable business but instead in fact was peddling lies to the clients of his “shabby business.”

approached by a group of teenagers near to the steps for Wimborne Library. It is alleged that one of the group pushed the victim from behind and kicked him in the chest, causing him to fall over and hit his head on the ground. He felt unwell the following evening and attended hospital where he was found to have a fractured skull and bleed on the brain.

Police are now keen to trace two men who may have assisted in helping the

victim home on the night of the alleged assault.

Detective Constable Laura McQueen, of Bournemouth CID, said, “I would also like to speak to a couple who walked through Crown Mead past the group of teenagers and may have had interaction with a boy in a red jacket.”

Witnesses and anyone with information should contact the police on 101 quoting 55170011371 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

A Somerset-based advertising salesman, who made a string of false or misleading claims to obtain orders from dozens of small businesses, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on 27 January.

Nigel Hallett, 47, of Frome was handed an eight month sentence suspended for two years on each charge plus a community order of 200 hours of unpaid work, and to attend an addiction rehabilitation programme. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of operating a fraudulent business under the Fraud Act 2006.

The offences related to payments made for advertisements sold across Poole, Bournemouth,

Teenage boy arrested A teenager arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm following an alleged assault in Wimborne on a man in his 40s has been released on bail until mid-February pending further enquires.

The boy is now aged 16.

The incident happened between11.30pm and midnight on Saturday 21 January when the man was walking home and was

Custody picture of Jemma Louise Whibley © Dorset Police

specialist services AERIAL & SATELLITE INSTALLERS

ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

DECORATING

CHIMNEY SWEEP

DISABILITY PRODUCTS

ELECTRICIAN

FENCING

FENCING

FENCING

GARDENING SERVICES

MAINTENANCE

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specialist services FITTED FURNITURE

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

LANDSCAPING

LOCKSMITH

PATIO & DRIVEWAY CLEANING

PLUMBING & HEATING

PLUMBING

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

specialist services SHUTTERS

TREE SURGERY

TILING

TREE SURGERY

TREE SURGERY

WANTED TOYS

WEB DESIGN

WINDOW REPAIRS

WINDOW REPAIRS

WINDOW REPAIRS

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ASK THE

EXPERT

Nolan Irving

Q. I’m what you might call a first-time seller. Can you give me some general tips on how to go about it, with a view to hopefully minimising the stress involved?

A. Choosing the right agent is the

best place to start. Don’t simply go for the one who values your home highest (they’re just trying to buy your business), or the one who quotes the lowest fees (in estate agency, as in most things, cheap rarely equals good).

Basically, you want an agent who really knows the local market and will give you reliable, professional advice and quality personal service at all times. Personal recommendation is always preferable, but failing that, your best bet is to go for a wellestablished, owner-operated local agent – one whose whole business depends on delivering quality

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

service, rather than hitting arbitrary targets set by “head office.” By using an owner-run local business, you will probably find that they are prepared to take personal responsibility for everything and really guide you through the whole process because their reputation depends on it.

Your asking price is obviously hugely important in determining how quickly and smoothly your sale proceeds. But it’s not easy to get it right. You naturally want the highest possible price, yet at the same time you don’t want to scare away the buyers and limit the number of viewings generated due to an unrealistic asking price. So, my best

advice here is, listen to the agent that you feel is being the most genuine with you and is able to prove your property’s value based on other similar homes that they have sold.

Next, you yourself can make a big difference by ensuring that your home is presented in the best, most saleable condition. A neat garden; fresh paintwork inside and out; clean and tidy rooms; sparkling windows and pleasant smells can all work wonders.

Finally, I would strongly recommend that you take the time to gather together any planning consents and/or building regulation approvals for work you’ve had

done on the property, together with all relevant guarantee certificates (for things like gas and electrical installations, woodworm, dampproofing, double glazing and so on). Much less stressful to do it in advance than in a last-minute panic!

I always recommend that you instruct your solicitor at the same time as your estate agent, this way your solicitor can be proactive and ensure that they have all the documentation they need early on.

So my advice is: choose your agent carefully, be realistic with the asking price, make sure your home is presented nicely and instruct your solicitor early on in the process.

FREEADS Proceed with caution when buying privately.

MAGS4DORSET cannot accept any liablity for transactions carried out as a result of responding to these freeads.

Golf gear: ‘Prorider ‘electric trolley, lightweight, compact, good battery. £75. Trolley bag vgc. £20 ono. Both items were replaced by Santa! Ferndown. 07999 525086

Genuine BCi6 Canon ink yellow, magenta, cyan, black. Photo ink Magenta, Cyan. All x 2 boxed, unopened plus nearly full one of each. £50. Verwood. 01202 825471

Box trailer 42” x 36” x 12” deep, metal frame with marine ply, lights, spare wheel, suit camping, tip runs. £75 ono. Bear Cross. 0797 0351611

Bespoke pine table 25 ½” x 30” vgc, plus two stools to match. £40.

01202 822479

Leki Wanderfreund walker’s stick, adjustable length vgc. £12. West Moors. 01202 873725 Navy ‘shell’ jacket size 12 or 14 with zip front, unworn. Cost £69 to buy. £20. Wimborne. 01202 881026 Brand new Philips hostess trolley, would make lovely wedding present, room needed. £50 ono. Highcliffe.

01425 271461

Collins hardback Spanish-English/ English-Spanish dictionary. Over 1,600 pages. As new, cost £25.

Bargain £10. Bournemouth. 01202 574527 Four horse rugs, New Zealand, 4’9”, 5’3” and two at 5’9”. £25 the lot ono. Riding boots, long leather, size 6, £55 ono, Blue Regatta Jacket, size 16, Ladies stone colour mac, size 16, £12 ono. Corfe Mullen.

01202 692730

24” Philips Colour TV (not slimline) including Fergusons freeview box with manuals and remotes. Good condition and working order. Ideal as spare TV. £15 ono. Bear Cross.

01202 575527 Ladies new long leather black boots size 5.5, Carvela 15” leg with zips, ex condition £15. Nike men’s leather trainers size 9, wacky design, good condition £12.

Fordingbridge. 07867 813213 BMC electric telescopic hedge trimmers, only used once. £50.

Verwood. 01202 822479 Haynes car repair manuals, good condition/new for most models, for classics, lots of rare and obsolete ones. £7–£10 each. Fordingbridge.

07867 813213

Baby start car seat 0–4years as new £10. Mamas & Papas baby booster seat £5. West Moors. 01202 890418 Milenco Original Wheelclamp M15 - solid gold security rating. In very good condition, will fit any 15” wheel and ideal for securing a motorhome or caravan. Comes with spare keys and full fitting instructions. £50 ono (cost new was £137).

Verwood. 01202 824910 Brand new king-size fitted sheets, rose pink and pale pink, mattress cover – Silentnight. £6.50 each item.

Canford Heath. 01202 672862 Hayter Envoy 36 electric rotary lawnmower, cutting width 360mm, good working order. £30. Verwood.

01202 813803

Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements

White melamine wardrobe with 2 drawers and top box. Vgc. £60 ono.

Fordingbridge. 01425 655068 Tropical fish tank with black wrought iron stand, L30” x H15” x W12” £35. Ringwood. 01425 475154 Yamaha DGX500 digital piano, 88 key with stand, power supply and manual. Vgc. £160. Ashley Heath.

01425 291587 Three 6’x6’ new woven fence panels, surplus to requirements. £45. Verwood. 01202 822812 Collection of 30+ porcelain dolls, large, medium and small. Excellent condition but need a good home. £75. Ferndown. 01202 895590

June 2015

Pulford Publicity Limited (“the Publisher”) reserves the right to refuse publication of any advertisement without notice or explanation.

Whilst the Publisher will endeavour to represent the best interests of the client in undertaking client’s instructions, it is fully understood that it is the agreed responsibility of the client to supply Viewpoint Magazine accurate copy details of the advertisement(s) to be placed and any alterations to the copy must be received prior to copy date.

Guarantee of insertion cannot be given and the Publisher shall not be liable for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy in the printing of an advertisement or by the total or partial failure, however caused, of publication or distribution of Viewpoint Magazine. In no case shall the total liablility of the Publisher for any misprint, error or omission exceed the price charged by the Publisher for that advertisement. The Publisher shall not be liable for any damage or loss save as stated and, in particular, the Publisher shall have no liability to the Advertiser in any circumstances for any claim for damages to, loss, of, or costs in respect of any anticipated profits, revenues, business opportunities or for any other indirect or consequential loss.

Claims for any error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement must be made within 10 days of publication to the Administration Department.

Advertisers are requested to check their advertisements after the first insertion. The Publisher will not be responsible for any errors on subsequent insertions, which have not been advised to them.

Cancellation of an advertisement must be advised in writing 28 days prior to copy date.

Unless agreed otherwise in writing by the Publisher the terms of payment for credit accounts are 10 days from date of invoice. Any discount, which the Publisher may have agreed with the advertiser will be forfeited in the event of failure by the advertiser to meet these credit terms. All rates quoted are subject to VAT at the current rate in force at the time the advertisement appears.

Copyright of advertisements produced wholly by the Publisher belongs to the Publisher. Advertisers may not reproduce such advertisments without the Publisher’s consent.

Full details of copy dates are obtainable direct from Viewpoint Magazine and/or its representatives. The placing of an order for an advertisment shall amount to acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

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motoring

WORRY-FREE

WINTER DRIVING

by Carol Waterkeyn

As I write this we have been experiencing a series of foggy days. It got me thinking about how to get through the next couple of months of cold weather; with icy roads, dark mornings and evenings, and all the other things we have to contend with. Here are some tips which I hope will help.

ARE YOU PREPARED?

Check your windscreen, door locks, lights, widscreen wipers and brakes are all clean and in good working order. Also make sure all your tyres have sufficient tread of at least 3mm and the correct pressures. Is your battery in good condition? In the winter, batteries need to perform well to cope with the extra usage by lights, heating and windscreen wipers. Don’t leave your wipers on auto when you park as if the blades freeze to the screen, you could damage wipers or wiper motor.

Make sure you have antifreeze in the radiator system. If not, your engine could crack, leading to a very expensive repair bill. It’s also a good idea to add de-icer to your screenwash.

Have a good ice-scraper and cloth handy in the car to clear your windscreen and other windows.

Do you have breakdown cover if the worst happens? Make sure you have the details in the car and also your insurance policy number and phone number. A blanket, warning triangle, bottle of water and torch could prove essential if your car gives up.

Always ensure you have plenty of fuel in case there are difficulties in topping up during bad weather.

DRIVING SAFELY

Allow extra time for de-icing/misting your car as well as for your journeys. You’ll also need to remove snow and ice from the top of your car and your lights prior to setting off.

In icy conditions try to stick to major roads which should have been gritted.

Check that no further snowfalls or severe weather are predicted, and headlights are on when visibility is poor. If you use fog-lights, remember to switch them off when visibility improves.

Gentle, steady manoeuvres are better for safe driving. Your vehicle may not behave as normal, so avoid harsh braking and acceleration.

When going uphill in icy conditions, leave plenty of room between you and the car in front so you don’t have to stop part way up. Try to avoid having to change gear. For downhill, slow down, use a low gear and try to avoid braking.

If you do get stuck, straighten the steering and clear the snow from the wheels. Put a sack or old rug in front of the driving wheels to give the tyres some grip. Happy driving and good luck!

THERE’S MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER ON THE GOVERNMENT SITE AT WWW.GOV.UK/GUIDANCE/THE-HIGHWAY-CODE/DRIVING-INADVERSE-WEATHER-CONDITIONS-226-TO-237

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VIEWPOINT February 2017

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