Bradpole Village Fete

I had the pleasure of visiting Bradpole Village Fete on a perfect Saturday afternoon. The sun was (still) shining and at 12.00 on the dot the fete was opened by our Bridport Town Crier in his own inimitable way. He certainly knows some long words!

There were plenty of stalls, live music, face painting, local produce for sale, Punch and Judy and a very reasonably priced bar.  Perfect.

The fete drew a large crowd and as all profits were going to Bridport Young Performers.
I am sure it was a profitable afternoon for them.

It was good to see the Parish Council tent full of interesting details on their work and I trust that following the Community Governance review changes which will mean a bigger “Bridport Town Council” encompassing Bradpole that the enthusiasm will continue. It is very much hoped for that after the local elections next May, we will have locally elected Councillors carrying on the good work and representing the interests of the Bradpole residents.

I had a lot of fun attempting to win prizes with little success so my fund of £1 coins soon dwindled although I had a telephone call later informing me that I had been lucky enough to win a roast meal for two I will be looking forward to that once the weather cools down.

Charity Dog Walk  

On Sunday morning Bridget and I took Toshka our Cocker Spaniel to join fellow dog owners in a Charity Dog Walk which started from the Bridport FC car park through to West Bay via the newly resurfaced footpath down to West Bay. The purpose of the walk was to raise money for Alzheimer’s UK but also to meet and chat with other dog owners and walkers. It was a very hot morning so West Bay was far enough for us but others were going to attempt to walk to Eype, I hope they made it ok! More local events are planned so keep an eye out for them and join in the fun.

For further information/future events please contact Debbie Jones on hoppydaysleisure@gmail.com

Bridport Charities

 As Mayor of Bridport I have been invited to be an ex-officio Trustee of the Bridport Charities which are a group made up of a number of small charities, some of them very ancient and going back as far as the 17^th Century. I must admit that until the invitation came I knew little about the organisation, Bridport has so many groups devoted to caring and support for it’s residents and beyond that I am sure I will be getting to know a lot of new ones in the next 12 months!

I attended my first meeting this week and certainly learned a lot of new information about the work carried out by the organisation, the Board of Trustees all being volunteers. The organisation manages eight Almshouse flats in South Street and five in West Allington providing convenient and comfortable accommodation for residents. They are quietly doing a fantastic job and I was really impressed by the caring attitude of the Trustees. I look forward to offer my support, both as a Councillor and Mayor, in the future.

Litter

Sadly despite all of the publicity regarding litter in our town the problem still persists. All of the work carried out by our hardworking Litter Pickers volunteers only lasts for a few days and then it starts to build again. I assume some of our residents have little respect for our town and its appearance although it may be exacerbated by our tourism industry which certainly seems to stretch our waste bin capacity on sunny weekends.

I was contacted this week by one of our regular litter pickers who has noticed an increase of a certain brand of cans being left around Downs Street and Rax Lane and they suggested a “Wanted Poster” might shame the person or people leaving them behind. Having looked closely at the brand on the cans I can see what prompted the suggestion.

Would it work? What should the wanted poster look like? Maybe you know someone who uses this particular brand but cant find a waste bin?? Are the bins too small to be seen? Are the tins or bits of litter becoming too heavy to carry?

Any (sensible) ideas please let me know.

Mayoress Report

Dementia-Friendly, Bridport

Raising awareness…….lots of information this week!

I visited the Help and Care drop-in dementia awareness event at the Town Hall on Monday 5th June.

It was great to hear that some people came along because they had read about it in the Mayor’s blog!

I met the Help and Care Senior Dementia Co-ordinator who leads the Dementia Coordinator Service. The service is committed to supporting people to live well with dementia. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, a referral is made by the Memory Assessment Service at Dorset Healthcare. Self-referrals are accepted.

For information on the services offered, call 03001231916 or email: helpandcare.org.uk/services/dementia-coordinator-service.

Carer Support Dorset

Rachel and Poppy – 08003688349. Email: admin@carersupportdorset.co.uk

Bridport and District Carer Support Group meet on the first Friday of the month, 10.15-12pm. Led by Marian

Wrighton (10308427494) for more details.

Carer Support Drop-in for advice and support is available at Bridport Library on Monday 19th June.

Age UK – Information and advice, welfare and benefits, home support, exercise classes, dementia therapy.

It was great to meet up with Ruth and Stephanie again from the Memory Cafe. They have a wealth of information, advice and support to offer.

Contact: 07860592407 or email: admindorset@alzheimers.org.

And/or you can join Dementia Talking Point, an online community to share experiences with other people affected by Dementia.

Register for free at alzheimers.org.uk