Mayor’s Blog 128
Wimborne Civic Day, Morrison’s Foodbank week, Trustees and a Chair required, Mayoress’ reports and a “Whats on”
Wimborne Civic Day
Bridget and I had a very busy and wet Friday representing Bridport at the Wimborne Mayor’s Civic Day. There were over 40 Mayors and Deputy Mayors attending so the logistics of getting everyone to the right place at the right time were challenging but handled superbly well. Unfortunately, the weather decided to make things rather damp!
The day centred around the newly refurbished Museum followed by a tour of Wimborne Minster, one of the highlights being the visit to the “Chain Library” that contained many very old and rare books donated over the years to the Minster and each donation group had an interesting history attached.
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The museum was extremely interesting, it has had extensive refurbishment and updating and is now a centre for community activities and not just for its exhibits portraying local life through the ages.
It also had a comfortable Tea Rooms and delightful gardens, admission was free! Well worth a visit if you are ever in Wimborne.
Morrisons Food Bank Week
This week Morrisons are highlighting the in-store Foodbank system which is available for customers to buy a particular bag containing food supplies destined for the Food Bank (formerly Cupboard Love) that operates Wednesday mornings from St Mary’s Church and Monday evenings from the Bridport Youth Centre. This is a much-needed service in our town and relies on the generosity of Morrisons and their customers to provide food and other supplies that are badly needed by (sadly) many local people.
The information stall was manned by volunteers from the Food Bank Group and were on hand to explain the process to customers. I was offered a tour of the store and it coincided with a visit by some pupils from St Mary’s Primary school so we all went together. The children had a really good time, and I had the pleasure of seeing their results from the bakery after they were taught to make pizzas and doughnuts.
Sam, Morrisons Community Champion, made the Food Bank process easy to understand and even opened a checkout for the children to scan the bags they had chosen.
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Well done to Morrisons for their community support and the time and money invested in helping the Food Bank to continue their excellent work.
Arts Centre – Trustees required
Our famous Bridport Arts Centre, home of the Bridport Prize, is looking for new Trustees. 2023 is their 50th anniversary and they have recently recruited a new Manager to take the Centre forward. Exciting times and they are now looking for trustees to fill some vacancies they have on their Board. Please click the link below for more information.
www.bridport-arts.com/jobs/join-the-board/
The Living Tree – More Trustees and a new Chair required
A message from The Living Tree:
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The Living Tree is a registered charity which offers friendship, creative activities & holistic therapies, relevant diet & lifestyle information for anyone with any cancer. We offer mutual support, helping people cope with the fear, anxiety, isolation, or stress that cancer can bring by offering a chance to unwind and share laughter (we do a lot of this!) and coping strategies. We also share our knowledge and information about services and resources in the locality. There is currently no cancer care centre in Dorset to help people living with cancer take back control of their health and lifestyle. Our nearest centres are The Force in Exeter and the Penny Brohn Centre in Bristol. There are excellent disease specific support groups, usually supported by Clinical Nurse Specialists, but few are very local and some are quite a distance away in Poole. The Living Tree was set up in October 2012. We became a small “community group” in July 2016. We were given a start-up grant for 2013 by Macmillan Cancer Support. The Living Tree became a charity in March 2020, our registered charity number is: 1188213. |
The need to recruit more Trustees remains as important as ever, particularly as The Living Tree grows and tries to reach out to more people affected by cancer. They are still looking for a new Chair so if you feel you may enjoy contributing to the future development of their wonderful charity, then please let them know. New Trustees will always be helped to settle into their role by the existing Trustees, and any potential Chair would overlap with the existing Chair whilst they find their feet. They receive so much wonderful feedback and people wishing they had a Living Tree in their area – they owe this to the huge contribution of so many wonderful people over the last 10 years! It is your charity!! Help them to continue by getting involved!
Reports from the Mayoress
Caring for a loved one, be it through dementia, mental health, or a range of other illnesses, evokes a range of emotions. Loneliness, grief, anger, worry, anxiety, mental and physical exhaustion are just some of the words that have been shared with me over these few months.
A carer’s own emotional and physical wellbeing can often be neglected. This in turn can have a negative impact on their own mental health and ability to care.
The Carers’ Support group at the Burrough Harmony Centre enables carers of people who are experiencing mental health issues, a safe and confidential space to talk. It is a peer-led group where carers can share their own experiences and receive both emotional and practical support through the group experience and reflection.
The focus is on wellbeing and aims to increase understanding, knowledge and self-esteem.
Carers are also welcome at the Bridport Community Front Room. It is a safe and non-judgemental space where you can take “time out” to come and rest or talk and be listened to.
Opening hours are: Thursday to Sunday, 2.15 to 9.45pm, at The Assembly Rooms, Gundry Lane, Bridport, DT6 3RL
And finally a “Whats on”, West Bay Discovery Centre – Guided Walks
West Bay Discovery Centre’s next guided walk takes place on Thursday 20th July at 10.30am from West Bay Discovery Centre. The walk will take around 90 minutes and there is a charge of £5.00 per person. The programme of walks change weekly and take place every Thursday. For information call 01308 427288.
