New Stour & Avon, August 27, 2021
Letters
Cycle routes must be supported by all Dear Sir, Further to your item, of July 30, 2021, ‘New route for cyclists’: At considerable expense the first stages of the ‘new sustainable travel route’ linking Ferndown, Wimborne to Poole have been completed. Any local resident, pedestrian or motorist, cannot fail to have noticed that cyclists, especially the sport riders, continue to use the main highway and hinder other road users. Question, why do they ignore the much safer cycle way and continue to cause traffic delays by using the much narrower new road? What is their problem? Perhaps it is time for the Highway Code to be amended and, where an identified cycleway is available’ they use it. A classic example being the ring road round Bournemouth Airport. (Currently it is not a legal requirement to use a cycleway). However laudable the road project is it fails totally if there is a lack of understanding of its goals and it is supported by all parties. M Kingdon BH21
Supplying food to Allendale Cafe
Dear Sir, I read with interest Alice Metcalfe’s article on the Cafe at the Allendale Centre, and would like to correct one major detail. Poole Food Bank may have provided some of the food, but by far the largest single supplier for free food over the past year has 12
been ourselves, (Poole Community Exchange) At times we were sending van loads every week to be made into ready meals, most of which were used by The Allendale Cafe, but some we collected for distribution by ourselves. We would be happy to give you more information about Poole Community Exchange, as we are a Registered Charity, entirely run by volunteers, providing food to the whole of BCP and extending into East Dorset. In 2019 we were providing community meals to between 10 and 15 people a week, as well as helping anyone with housing, health, employment needs etc, including exoffenders, homeless and drug addicts, when along came covid. We immediately changed direction to obtain food and distribute, (free), widely across the area, including to several food banks. So far we have fed over 40,000 individuals from a standing start, and at the peak were getting through seven tonnes of food a week! We now have a food pantry which is open four days a week providing ambient, fresh and frozen foods to anyone in need, for which we only ask for a small donation, if affordable. Individuals can help themselves to as much bakery, fruit and vegetables as they need, when available. Anthony Sherman Trustee and Treasurer Poole Community Exchange
Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk
Market is lifeblood of our community Dear Sir, On my weekly visit to Wimborne market last Friday I was struck again by the fact that this market is a remarkable and precious facility in our town. I have lived in Wimborne for five years and have barely missed my weekly visit, even during lockdowns. The market kept going throughout, and as a spacious, covered but wellventilated venue, provided a safe and friendly place to shop. If we lose our town market
on this site, we will have forfeited not only the source of a wide variety of affordable and good value goods (many from local suppliers) and a brilliant opportunity to recycle in the form of the multifarious second-hand stalls, but also an easily accessible hub where people meet, chat, and make the kind of connections that are the lifeblood of any community. Our town would be much diminished without it and I for one will do anything I can to support its continuing life. Pippa Martin Wimborne
