To celebrate National Volunteering Week, The Dorset Local Resilience Forum, Dorset Prepared, put on a showcase event at the RNLI College in Poole. On Tuesday 6 June, Colin Weston MBE JP, High Sheriff of Dorset, welcomed representatives from local and national organisations to showcase how emergency and response services work together for the safety of… Read more Helping One Another event – supporting National Volunteering Week
“After much careful consideration, Dorset Council has decided to not pursue legal action to challenge the Home Office’s decision to site a barge for asylum seekers in Portland Port. Based on specialist legal advice, and the experience other councils have had across the country, any legal action we take is unlikely to be successful and… Read more Our legal position regarding the asylum seeker barge
Organisations that work with Dorset’s young people are being urged to get their skates on and bid for funding that could help transform lives. They have until 14 June to get on board and be in with a chance of securing funding from Dorset Council. The Dorset Youth Fund helps groups and clubs make a… Read more Get your skates on and make a difference to young people’s lives
Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Culture and Communities said: “Dorset Council continues to work with other statutory agencies and partners including the Home Office, Dorset Police, Health, Weymouth and Portland Town Councils and Portland Port. The situation is complex, but we are jointly preparing for the arrival of the barge in Portland.… Read more Statement from Cllr Laura Beddow re Portland Port barge
2023 marks the 39th year of Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), when Dorset Council will join thousands of charities and voluntary organisations in celebrating the contribution volunteers make across Dorset. With this year’s theme of ‘Celebrate and Inspire’ we want to say a big thank you to all the wonderful volunteers and hopefully also encourage more… Read more Volunteers’ Week 2023: Celebrate and Inspire
The outlook for children in care and care leavers in the Dorset Council area has seen improvements over the last twelve months following a busy and productive year. These were the headlines which were delivered to a recent meeting of the Corporate Parenting board. Councillor Byron Quayle, portfolio holder for children, education, skills and early… Read more How Dorset Council is supporting children in care
An inspiring leader who is helping to transform the lives of families and young people across Dorset has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award. Dorset Council’s Executive Director for Children’s Services, Theresa Leavy, is a finalist in the Municipal Journal’s (MJ) Achievement Awards. Theresa, who has worked at the council since 2020, has been… Read more ‘Loving’ Dorset Council director shortlisted for a national award
Young people are to benefit for another year from a £100,000 fund through Dorset Council Youth organisations. The fund supports a range of activities for young people with grants being offered from £500 to £5,000. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday 14 June to be considered. Organisations working with young people can apply for grants… Read more Another opportunity for voluntary and community groups to apply to the Dorset Youth Grant
A new development of affordable housing created for the local community has been handed over to the residents of Spyway Orchard, Langton Matravers.
Join us this Foster Care Fortnight (15-28 May) to find out more about fostering with Dorset Council.
Dorset Council is currently consulting on several guidance documents on planning for climate change.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for projects that bring communities across Dorset together.
Joint statement from Dorset Council and Dorset Police Dorset Council and Dorset Police have set out their shared position on the Home Office’s plans to house asylum seekers on a barge in Portland Port later this year.
Care providers are being asked by Dorset Council to pay care workers an additional £1/hour to take their hourly salary up to £11.50/hour when commissioned through the local authority. It comes after the Council announced its uplift in care fees in the community for 2023, for care businesses that work with the local authority through… Read more Dorset Council’s market fair pay policy paying dividends in the care sector
Tuesday 18 April 2023, saw the official opening of a new purpose-built accommodation in Weymouth, which will provide homes for up to twelve young people leaving care.
The latest round of the Capital Leverage Fund which is managed by Dorset Council, is now open and welcoming applications for projects which will provide new and improved facilities for our communities and residents.
Councillors and officers from Dorset Council, Richard Drax MP, Chris Loder MP and the managing directors for South Western Railway and Network Rail (Wessex) officially opened Weymouth’s recently improved railway station on Friday, 21 April.
Today (Thursday 20 April), Dorset Council’s Waste Enforcement and Legal teams have successfully prosecuted another fly-tipper.
Young people from Dorset had a chance to discuss how they can make Dorset an even better place to be a child when they came together recently at a Youth Voice Residential.
From rolling up their sleeves to help a local group, to supporting some of the UK’s best-known national charities, the Big Help Out on Monday 8 May will see thousands of people coming together to volunteer for their local communities.
Litter Free Dorset is working with Southern Co-op and W&S Recycling to dismantle and recycle 8,000 disposable barbecues as a reminder of how destructive they can be to the environment.
Dorset Council’s Health and Activity team are running free physical activity sessions in Wimborne over the coming weeks to encourage people to get outdoors, get some light exercise and make some new friends.
Dorset Council foster carers and supported lodgings carers now benefit from an increase to their financial payment of 15 per cent from 1 April with a further increase of 12.43 per cent being added to the allowance part of the payment.
A livestock haulier who transported 35 calves from a farm in Dorset to a slaughterhouse in Wiltshire has been found guilty of causing them unnecessary suffering.
We are aware of the Home Secretary’s announcement this afternoon, confirming that the Home Office wishes to proceed with its plans to house asylum seekers in floating accommodation at Portland Port. Dorset Council’s position has not changed. We still have serious reservations about the appropriateness of Portland Port in this scenario and we remain opposed… Read more Statement in response to Home Office announcement
A Dorset man has been ordered to pay over £373,000 and given a suspended prison sentence following prosecution for the sale of illegal copies of vinyl records.
Several access improvements have been completed in Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the last few months. Defra awarded each of England’s National Parks and AONBs an uplift in its core grant to help make our protected landscapes more accessible to people of all ages and abilities and from all backgrounds.
On Sunday 26 March a leak occurred at a pipeline operated by Perenco at Owers Bay in Poole Harbour. Latest statement from Poole Harbour Commissioners issued on 4 April: As a result of the progress of the cleanup operations, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revised previous advice and indicated that people are able… Read more Poole Harbour Pipe Leak – Advice changing from Wednesday 5 April
A new report shows a three-year pilot scheme trialled by eight local authorities, one of them Dorset Council, has made a real difference in helping young people leaving care to build happy and successful lives.
Dorset Council has today, 30 March 2023, submitted a brand-new planning application proposing to demolish the former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council offices at North Quay, Weymouth.
