MPs’ Round-Up

Homes bid rejected

A bid to build affordable homes on open land at the rear of 17 Hillbury Road, Alderholt, has been rejected by Dorset Council planners. The application was originally for 34 dwellings, but revised plans submitted in August last year reduced the number to 27 on the 0.9ha site to the north east of the village, close to Alderholt Chapel, the Bonfire Hill SNCI, and a public right of way. There were objections from nearly 40 residents and a number of statutory consultees to the proposal by Sovereign Housing and Coda Homes. Grounds for refusal included the unacceptable form of development which failed to give sufficient amenity space to future occupants, the negative impact on the character of the rural area, and the ‘contrived’ access close to nearby properties. Other grounds for refusal were the failure to show there would be no adverse effects on the designated site of nature conservation and heathland or offer mitigation, insufficient drainage information to demonstrate that the development would not increase flood risk, and failure to complete a legal agreement securing affordable housing and biodiversity mitigation. The 28th Annual Wimborne in Bloom Wine & Wisdom Quiz Evening returned last month at the Allendale Centre on the exact anniversary of the first quiz held. Twenty four teams pitted their wits against each other with eight rounds of questions including such subjects as ‘Garden Trivia’ and ‘Food’. The closely-fought contest was won by Allendale Bridge Club who were awarded the Eco Composting Trophy. Each member of the team also received a bottle of red wine. In joint second were the Wimborne-Valognes Twinning Association and the Museum Masterminds from the Museum of East Dorset, formerly known as the Priest House Museum under which name they were the winners in that first year. The raffle raised £376 and thanks to Barclays Bank Matched Fundraising Scheme within their work in the community programme well over £1,000 will have been raised. And all being well next year’s Quiz Evening will take place on Friday, March 3, 2023, so book the date in your diaries now! Anthony Oliver

MPs’ round-up How NHS spending will be monitored

Eyebrows were raised during the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement when he said that plans to reform health care ‘will ensure every pound of taxpayers’ money is well spent’. As the statement was so completely at odds with recent revelations about chronic waste in the NHS, I put down a Parliamentary Question enquiring how the commitment to ensure that every pound is well spent would be monitored and delivered. Having voted against the increase in National Insurance contributions my scepticism about commitments to end the waste of taxpayers’ money is well known. The response to my question is set out below so that hard-pressed taxpayers faced with the highest taxes for a generation know the content: ‘a new Cabinet Committee on Efficiency and Value for Money has been launched which will clamp down on wasteful spending and ensure a relentless focus on delivering the highest quality services at the best value.’ On the NHS specifically the Chief Secretary to the Treasury added: ‘to support this goal and ensure that every penny is spent wisely the NHS have agreed to double their annual efficiency target from 1.1% to 2.2% a year, freeing up £4.75billion to fund NHS priority areas over the next three years. ‘The NHS will report regularly to Government on action it is taking to meet this commitment. ‘The Government has also launched a review of leadership in health and social care which will report to the Secretary of State in early 2022.’ On the issue of enforcement, the Minister said: ‘the Treasury will hold the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care to account for meeting the new efficiency target including via the new Cabinet Committee’. Please let me have your views and any evidence of NHS waste and inefficiency. If you wish your identity to remain anonymous, I shall respect that because the culture of secrecy and hostility to whistleblowers in the NHS is well understood and is indeed part of the problem. n My thanks on your behalf go to PC1473 Guy Matthews of Ferndown on his retirement. He gave 28 years’ service as a firearms officer to protecting the public as well as working for the UK Police contingent attached to the UN in Bosnia. Guy and so many other public servants like him give us cause to celebrate in otherwise grim times. n Another good news story to finish. A native Ukrainian Christchurch resident applied for visas for her elderly parents to come here to escape the war. She contacted me because while one visa was issued quickly the other was not. My secretary resolved the case within hours and both parents are now safely in the UK.

Christchurch & East Dorset CHRIS CHOPE

Care home residents and staff let their hair down, dressed up in Red Noses and glasses, donned crazy hats, wigs, feathers and pom poms, and enjoyed lots of games and activities to raise money for Comic Relief. The day of fun at Colten Care’s 21 homes in the south included cupcake sales, singalongs of vintage comedy songs, hair dyeing sessions, fancy dress parties and exercise bike challenges. Amberwood House in Ferndown said hello to Brotherhood Of Man singer and former companionship team member Nicky Stevens who returned to do her bit for the appeal. Nicky was happy to join in with the dressing-up activities and even serenaded resident Ray Cox, left, with a rendition of the song Where Did You Get That Hat? Iris Barnes, who recently moved into Kingfishers in New Milton, said: “It was my first time experiencing Red Nose Day events here at the home and I thank everyone for letting me take part in all this.” Operations director Elaine Farrer said: “Our residents and teams don’t need much excuse to dress up and have fun. “We’re always delighted when Red Nose Day comes round.” In the past two years, Comic Relief organisers say funding has helped 11.7million people at risk from a wide range of challenging circumstances. This year, a key focus is encouraging donations to support civilians fleeing the war in Ukraine.

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by Lorraine Gibson

When it comes to fundraising methods, 10-year-old Wimborne schoolboy, Joseph Mumford-Chell is a cut above. Wanting to do something to help the children suffering in Ukraine, he hatched a plan that will end up helping not just them, but children with cancer, too. Having never had his hair cut since the day he was born, Joseph’s luxuriant locks were so long that he tied them back in a pony tail so he decided the time had come to have them cut off to raise money for children’s charities. The result was manyfold. Money raised from his cut of kindness, including considerable pledged cash boosts from family and friends, will be donated to charitable organisations, including War Child and Unicef and Joseph’s severed plait of hair has already been sent to the Little Princess Trust to make realisticlooking wigs for youngsters losing their hair due to cancer treatments. When I call to speak with him at his grandmother Jill’s house, he is on his computer like a typical 10-year-old but he’s happy to forgo the lure of the screen to talk about his head-turning project. I ask how he felt when Becky, the stylist at Swaffield’s barbers, went to work with the scissors. “I was nervous and excited but I like it, it feels easy. We measured the plait and it was 12 inches.” Most of Joseph’s teachers and friends at Allenbourn School approve of his new look. “They said it was good and they said I looked like this other boy in school.” On how he hoped it would help the children, he replies: “I hope that one day we won’t need to raise money because there will be peace.” And what would he say if he could speak to Ukrainian people? “Take this money and have a good life,” he answers with the endearing optimism of a child. On where his inspiration came from, he says: “My Grumpy always helped people. He was so kind and he loved Ukraine and he helped Ukrainian people before so that’s why I wanted to do it.” ‘Grumpy’ was the nickname of Joseph’s late grandfather, Tim Mumford, the much-loved headteacher of Beaucroft School, Colehill, from 1978 to 1992. Jill, his wife and former head of Hampreston First School, says the grandchildrens’ pet name for him was ironic since ‘he was the least grumpy person on Earth.’ Tim was involved in global aid missions, including with the War Child charity and he was part of the Convoy of Hope that travelled to Ukraine to assist with the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Joseph says: “I know he did a lot to help and Unicef, I know is a good charity, too.” And on that subject, Jill has exciting news about Joseph’s big adventure so far: “Yesterday we paid in £1,000 to Unicef and £1,000 to War Child! “To make things even more exciting, apparently the Government is doubling donations - certainly to War Child! On the other charity benefitting, Joseph says: “I heard about the Little Princess Trust (his sister also donated some hair to them), so I just thought I should do it.” As a parting shot, I ask whether his long hair had ever got in the way, to which he replies, “Yes, with a toy remote-control snake!”