Chris Loder MP

Thoughts of the month

by Chris Loder MP

Dorset’s level of local radio and television coverage has been a serious concern for many people, myself included.

Whilst Dorset contributes around £45 million per year to the BBC through the licence fee, the apparent lack of attention to Dorset is not acceptable and it’s time to challenge it. I met with the new Chairman of the BBC a few weeks ago and have hope that common sense will soon prevail, and Dorset will get its fair share.

It was a pleasure to help with deliveries at the Sherborne Community Kitchen at the start of the month. I last visited at the end of March to mark their first year of helping local people around Sherborne and the surrounding villages and this week participated in a delivery run taking healthy, nutritious meals to those who need it the most.

The work they do is incredible and I pay tribute especially to Jill Warburton.

It has been a pleasure to hear the church bells ring out both near my Westminster office and here in West Dorset. It is imperative that we get our churches back up and running to provide the spiritual support that is needed so badly. To do my bit to help, I was elected churchwarden at Bishop’s Caundle Church in late May and look forward to helping get our churches open and welcoming again.

Sherborne Community Kitchen (SCF) is a not-for-profit charity providing healthy, locally cooked meals to people in Sherborne and the surrounding areas.

Started in response to COVID-19, from small beginnings where they delivered a dozen fresh meals to help vulnerable and shielding individuals each day, they’ve become a charity with an ever-growing customer base. SCF provide a healthy main meal and pudding freshly packed and delivered to the door. Meals often include homemade treats and even small bunches of flowers are sometimes added.

Drivers get to know the clients that they deliver too, check in with them daily and make sure their clients have everything else they need, reporting back any concerns. Everyone is called for their meal choices for the next day, and SCF volunteers can often pick up concerns and worries. Additionally, they help

My belief we should criminalise ‘livestock worrying’ was underscored tragically last week, with the very sad death of Gladys the pregnant cow on Eggardon Hill - the other side of Beaminster – because of a dog chasing.

Grazing of chalk downlands like Eggardon is vital to preserve such unique ecosystems and farmers should not have to face the tragedy of losing much-loved animals because of negligent and careless members of the public who don’t control their dogs.

clients access extra services such as ‘Befriending’ phone calls for the lonely, books and DVD’s, armchair exercise, help with gardening, dog walking and more.

See the Sherborne Community Kitchen website for more info.

“Chris is a regular visitor to the charity and we appreciate his help tremendously.”