Broadwindsor Fun Group Put On Talent Show & Fun Day

Put the dates on your calendar and in your diary:
Sunday, 11th June 5 – 7pm and Sunday, 25th June from 12noon
🙂

In response to the questionnaires returned, Broadwindsor Fun Group are putting on a Talent Show at The Comrades Hall on Sunday 11th June. (NB: This is a performance and not a competition!)
This is to be a showcase of local talent – musicians, comedians, poets and any performers from the parish who would like to take part.  Places and time slots will be limited so anyone wishing to take part must contact Wendy Shields or Camille Newall in person or email bwfunday20@gmail.com as soon as possible please.
Available nearer the time, tickets for the event will be £3, to include a complimentary drink on arrival,  Under 16’s FREE

Again, in response to the questionnaires returned, The Fun Day will be on Sunday, 25th June and will commence at 12noon.  It will be a scaled down event from last year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and there is less space available in Bernards’ Place but favourite activities will still be there 🙂

Rather than addressing the many global issues that are currently taking place around our world, the Fun Group are keeping it local and very open for interpretation with the theme of “Farming Life” for their Scarecrow competition!

There will be a barbecue, a bar, refreshments from our excellent W.I., stalls and gamesa day of fun!

Nina Garcia

There will be live music including the lovely Nina Garcia who will be welcomed back to perform too.

Chairman, Adrian Gray thanks those who have offered their ‘hands on help‘ with the event, (all should have received an email by now but if not or if you’d like to help then please do get in touch).  There will be a Happy Helpers meeting on Sunday, 16th April at 3pm.
bwfunday20@gmail.com.

Looking forward to Fun and, we hope, the Sunshine!

Broadwindsor Fun Group


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Village,#Community,#BFG,#FunDay,#TalentShow,#Music,#Games,#Scarecrows,#Volunteers,#Help#,#ThankYou,#Sunshine,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Introducing Pilsdon Pressure Wash

Broadwindsor.Org welcomes Pilsdon Pressure Wash to the latest of local businesses to register with the village website 🙂

This is a new business operated by Ryan Leader servicing Dorset, South Somerset and East Devon.

Pilsdon Pressure Wash & Garden Maintenance services include:

  • Driveways.
  • Decking.
  • Pavements.
  • Moss Removal.
  • Lawn care.
  • Hedge trimming.
  • Tidying or clearance.

Please contact Ryan on: 07582 875068 or
By email: pilsdonpressurewash@gmail.com
Find him on Facebook HERE to message or WhatsApp.

Good luck with your business Ryan!

 


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Village,#Community,#NewBusiness,#PilsdonPressureWash,#RyanLeader,#GoodLuck,#SkilledWork,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

12 noon Today – Lent Lunch

Everything is ready to welcome you to the first of the  Lent Lunches to be held at the Comrades Hall.


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Village,#Community,#Lent,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Easter Bingo – Friday, 31st March

Beaminster Young Farmers are raising funds on Friday, 31st March with their Easter Bingo!

The Comrades Hall doors open at 7pm for Eyes Down at 7.30pm.

There will be a raffle and there are some great prizes to be won.

Ticket prices:

  • 6 Books & Specials    £8
  • 5 Books & Specials    £6
  • 4 Books & Specials    £5
  • 3 Books & Specials    £4
  • 2 Books & Specials    £2.50
  • 1 Book & Specials      £1.50
  • Extra Specials            £1 per strip of 6 or 20p each

An excellent evening of family fun 🙂


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Village,#Community,#BeaminsterYoungFarmers,#Fun,#Bingo,#Family,#Easter,#Prizes,#Raffle,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

 

Telephone Box Library/Book Exchange Update

Thank you once again to village resident, Chris Edgerley for fixing the notice to the door of our Telephone Box Library 🙂
It reads…

The etched glass effect was done by Karen and Godfrey at Bridport Banners.

Please Use & Enjoy.


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Village,#Community,#BWGPC,#TelephoneBox,#BookExchange,#Volunteers,#ThankYou,#DorsetCouncil,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Cricket Club Fixtures 2023

Download the 2023 fixtures pdf HERE.

Celebrating 100 years this year, read more about the club’s history HERE, compiled by Clive Stafford-Smith.
“…the goal between now and 2023, to ensure that the club prospers for another 100 years, bringing several more generations into the game.” – Clive Stafford-Smith.


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Village,#Community,#BWCC,#CliveSSmith,#BWGPC,#Centenary,#100Years,,#LoveCricket,#Sport,#Family,#DorsetCouncil,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Turkey-Syria Earthquake Fundraiser – Saturday, 4th March

Raising funds for Turkey-Syria Earthquake appeal –  please support Broadwindsor’s coffee morning, cake sale and raffle on Saturday March 4th 10am-12noon.
If you are able to offer help, donations for the raffle, cakes or plants for sale, please message and you will be put in touch with the event organiser.
Please come along and join us for tea/coffee and cakes on the day.

100% of all donations will go to to the earthquake appeal.

All welcome!

Thank you in anticipation of your support 🙂


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Village,#Community,#TurkeySyriaEarthquakeFundraiser,#Support,#Crisis,#OneWorld,#Help,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Broadwindsor Community Stores Celebrate 10 years!

Join the staff and volunteers at 11.30am on Saturday 4th March to celebrate the community shop’s 10th birthday with a slice of sunshine birthday cake and more…

There will be a Grand Raffle with great prizes from their suppliers and a poster competition for the schoolchildren.
Follow the shop on Facebook HERE to keep up to date with more of their plans and special offers.
They hope to see many of you to help the shop celebrate 🙂


The Shop Managers over the years…

Become a Volunteer!

A healthy number of volunteers make it easier on all as individuals cover fewer shifts, or sometimes just the one. Full training is provided – contact Volunteer co-ordinator, Teri Small at: teri.woodland@gmail.com.


#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#WestDorset,#Village,#Community,#VillageShop,#BroadwindsorCommunityStores,#Birthday,#10Years,#Celebration,#Party,#BADCE,#Volunteer,#Support,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Monthly Watch & Clock Clinic Starts Friday, 3rd March

Derek Bond will be offering a 2 hour watch & clock clinic at the Comrades Hall alongside the Post Office on the first Friday of the month (Subject to support). The first one will be on Friday, 3rd March, 10am – 12 noon

Derek Bond

Bring along your watches that have been lying in drawers for years or that old clock that stopped working… how long ago?  Derek also offers replacement batteries or watch straps.

Customers will need to pay for any replacement parts used but Derek is only requesting a small donation for his services to go to the Post Office Users Group fund.

Derek who’s now retired, lives in Thorncombe and we appreciate another skilled service that can be accessed directly in our eclectic village 🙂

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Village,#Community,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#Horology,#DerekBond,#Watches,#Clocks,#FixIt,#PostOffice,#Services,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Cllr. Simon Christopher’s Report – Feb 2023

Cllr. Simon Christopher has submitted the following report for this evening’s Meeting of Broadwindsor’s Group Parish Council at Drimpton village hall:

Dear Helen and Councillors

Just a few notes prior to the meeting.

During the last month I have attended a number of meetings including Parish Council meetings and meetings at County Hall together with many events in the local community including meetings with farmers and also veterans and teachers.

I write this report after meeting 2 cabinet ministers, Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, the Transport Secretary and Rt Hon John Glen MP the Chief Secretary to the Treasury . I explained to Mr Harper the need for improvements to transport in Dorset . I discussed with Mr Glen issues that are causing a reduction in the 55 to 64 age group that is restricting the active working population .

Nine out of 10 councils are struggling to find and keep the staff they need to run vital local services, including adult and children’s social care workers, according to the LGA’s 2022 Local Government Workforce Survey. Councils are offering more flexible working, running targeted recruitment campaigns and offering accessible training and development opportunities, while also looking to grow their apprenticeships offer.

There is clear concern about lack of provision of courses at Kingston Maurward. Our MP is aware of concerns and the matter was discussed at the Breakfast for Farmers organised by Councillor Frampton and others and sponsored by myself .

The Spring Budget will be held on 15 March 2023 ,let us hope that there will be announcements that address workforce shortages not least of which is reform of pension premium restrictions that have impacted the NHS.

On 20 December 2022 the Office of Tax Simplification published its final report, following the announcement of its closure on 23rd September 2022 .

Some will regret the demise of the OTS. Others may not ,particularly local farmers, given an OTS report last year suggesting restricting Agricultural Property relief for Inheritance Tax .

By way of background the OTS was set upon the very early days of the Coalition Government and your previous MP was highly instrumental in its creation .

The final report covers a hot topics – hybrid and distance working (seebit.ly/3wuY48w).

This impacts many working residents in the Marshwood Vale Ward Many companies, taxpayers, advisers and representative bodies contacted the OTS to share their challenges and experience.

UK-based hybrid working

I believe ,where possible ,office employees should return to pre Covid working arrangements . The impact of working from home also has a detrimental impact on town centres .

The Office for National Statistics estimates that about 40% of the UK workforce are hybrid workers (see bit.ly/3JekemV): that is, they spend part of their time working from home and part at their employer’s offices or other bases or visiting other work sites. It seems that almost everyone who can work in a hybrid manner is doing so. Businesses report significant demand from employees to continue hybrid working; the debate is about the terms, as policies and approaches continue to develop. Academics told the OTS that hybrid working could boost productivity in the short term (mainly due to reducing travelling and flexible working hours) but there was considerable uncertainty over longer term effects.

At the time that I became a Dorset Councillor Hybrid working hadn’t needed to be considered very much, Since 2020 this has changed greatly – so it’s not surprising that tax reliefs and policies are directed at working at an employer’s premises, at customer premises or at home. Most of the business comments about UK hybrid working covered three areas:

  • A change of policy towards expenses, with an unsurprising request for more tax deductions. Some employers wanted to reimburse employee costs, such as broadband, or office equipment purchased by the individual. However, the rules don’t permit tax relief for reimbursements, which is an unneeded complexity. Some employees were asking employers to pay travel costs from the home office to the employer’s base – whilst employers prefer an employee tax deduction. The whole issue of ‘workplace’ (which defines when travel costs are tax deductible) needs to be re-examined.
  • Reconsideration of reliefs originally defined by working at the employer’s base, such as the cycle to work scheme.
  • Improvement in guidance to recognise the issues of hybrid working.

Dorset Council’s Cabinet has taken the decision to defer their “Council tax premiums on second homes and empty properties” report to allow more councillors to be involved before a decision is made. The report recommends that the Council should take advantage of flexibilities contained in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which, if it becomes law, will enable the introduction of a 100% council tax premium on second homes. As written, the Bill requires the Council to make a decision a year in advance of introducing a premium on second homes and so the earliest the change could be introduced is from April 2024.

A 100% premium could bring in an extra £9.5 million of council tax revenue from second home owners each year. Another change proposed in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill would enable the Council to introduce a premium where a dwelling has been empty for a year.

Deputy Leader of Dorset Council Cllr Peter Wharf was set to present the report at the January Cabinet meeting. However, the Cabinet agreed that the report should be discussed by as many councillors as possible before it is taken to a vote at Full Council.

Cllr Wharf said, “Parliament is still considering the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which will give us the flexibility to apply a council tax premium on second homes and other homes if they have been empty for a year. We originally had a report about this at the January Cabinet agenda so that a recommendation could be made to the February Full Council meeting. As the Bill is still being considered in Parliament we have a great opportunity to further discuss and debate the report locally.”

The report was discussed as a new item to the Place and Resources Overview Committee on Thursday 9 February to consider before providing recommendations to Cabinet on Tuesday 28 February. If agreed, it will then go to a Full Council meeting at the end of March, which has been brought forward from April so the proposed introduction of the premium isn’t delayed.

Cllr Wharf continued, “This ensures as many different opinions as possible are heard before we make such an important decision, and demonstrate the transparency of local democracy in Dorset. I strongly encourage everyone to follow this report’s committee journey by going to our website and watching our live and recorded video streams. If you have an opinion or question about the report, please contact us via the committee webpages or engage with your ward councillor to make your views known. I look forward to hearing – and participating in – the discussion around this report next month.”

In order for the premium to be implemented in 2024, the government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill must have received Royal Assent by 1 April 2023. According to the council tax database, there are 5,722 second homes registered in Dorset.

Rural Shop Report released

Given the Importance of the Broadwindsor Community Shop  I thought I would make reference to the importance of rural shops: More than a third of all convenience stores in the UK are rural. A report by the Association of Convenience Stores ACS found 41% of those stores were isolated, and a further 46% located on a small parade with up to five other small businesses nearby. The report shows these stores could be helping with the cost of living crisis; close to two thirds of consumers believe they save fuel money by travelling shorter distances for their groceries. Around half say they are able to better manage both food waste (55%) and money (47%) by buying smaller quantities more often at their local convenience store. 59% save money on fuel due to the range of services offered by these stores; around a quarter offer parcel collection (26%) and , grocery deliveries (27%) .

Cost of living payments 2023/24

The government has announced a series of cost of living payments to be paid across this year and next. Exact payment dates and eligibility periods will be announced soon.

  • First Cost of Living Payment (£301) – Spring 2023
  • Disability Payment (£150) – Summer 2023
  • Second Cost of Living Payment (£300) – Autumn 2023
  • Pensioner Payment (£300) – Winter 2023/4
  • Third Cost of Living Payment (£299) – Spring 2024.

I now turn to environmental matters :

Local authorities in England dealt with 1.09m fly-tipping incidents in 2021/22 compared to the 1.14m reported in 2020/21. The figures show that the percentage of fly-tips involving household waste has fallen from 65% to 61%.

However, some regions in England have shown a significant increase, with some boroughs and districts reporting double or treble the number of incidents compared to 2020/21.

Defra says that an extra 52,000 enforcement actions were carried out and that the number of fixed penalty notices issued was 91,000 in 201/22 – an increase of 58% compared to 2020/21 figures.

However, a large majority of fly-tipping incidents occur on private land, which is not included in these figures. Two-thirds of all farmers and landowners in England have, at some stage, been a victim of this crime, leaving them with a bill that can run into thousands of pounds to remove the rubbish.

In 2022, the government introduced measures to crack down on fly-tipping, including more funding for local authorities.

It appears the Government, local authorities and police can always to do more to achieve serious results in tackling the problem.

Some  progress is being made in the fight against fly-tipping – including increased penalty fines which have led to an overall decrease in incidences.

“Yet despite the overall decrease in incidences, these figures fail to reflect the full scale of the crime, as increasing reports of fly-tipping on private rural land are not included.

Hundreds of thousands of offences on private land are going unrecorded, as farmers often have so little faith in the ability of the police or council to deal with fly-tipping that they simply bear the cost of removing rubbish themselves.“It’s not just the odd piece of litter blotting the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous – even including asbestos and chemicals – risking the safety of people and animals. This often requires costly expert treatment to remove. 

“The maximum fine for fly-tipping is £50,000 or 12 months in prison, but this is rarely enforced. This means landowners pay on average £1,000 to remove the waste, but in some cases have paid up to £100,000 to clear up other people’s mess or risk facing prosecution themselves.

“The UK Government’s promises to clamp down on fly-tipping on private land are yet to yield serious results. It seems that criminals simply do not fear prosecution. Ministers should look urgently at increasing the penalties for convicted fly-tippers and properly resource rural police forces to ensure they are held to account. Without more progress, landowners, not the criminals, will continue to pay the price.”

Looking after mental health and wellbeing in rural communities

No matter where we live or work, everyone should have access to mental health support. 

The mental health charities and initiatives tcan make a difference in rural areas. There is a wealth of support, advice and guidance to help members look after their mental health and wellbeing and that of their friends, family and colleagues. 

 

Rural initiatives include the Yarn in the Barnconcept from the Farming Community Network. Featured in this month’s Land & Businessmagazine, the project focuses on improving mental health by tackling the issue of loneliness in farming. 

Next week, the Mind Your Head campaign from the Farm Safety Foundation will shine a light on farm safety and wellbeing. The week-long campaign from 13 – 19 February will signpost to support and guidance through a series of articles, videos and interviews.  

The importance of our mental wellbeing cannot be taken lightly. The CLA will provide further updates on its social media channels next week as part of the #MindYourHead campaign.

Best regards
Simon
Councillor Simon Christopher
The Dorset Councillor for the Marshwood Vale

Hawthorne Cottage
Ryall Road
Whitchurch Canonicorum
Bridport, Dorset
DT6 6RH

Mob: 07798 833715
Email: cllrsimon.christopher@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Drimpton,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Dorset,#Village,#Community,#WestDorset,#BGPC,#CllrSimonChristopher,#DorsetCouncil,#MarshwoodVale,#Covid,#PublicHealth,#CouncilTax,#DEFRA,#DorsetHistoryCentre,,#SEND,#CostOfLiving,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe