Dorset News

16/12/2024

Best Christmas News 😍

The major retailer will take over the former Wilko store on Westham Road, which closed its doors last October. Directors have confirmed that work will begin

13/12/2024

Last Christmas, Sunny ‘The Post Office Dog’ and his Hooman raised money for Margaret Green through sponsored walks and accepted donation from the public to buy the animals of the charity Christmas Prezzies.

Following the success of last years ‘Gift Drive’ they decided to do the same again this Christmas. Many walks were made in aid of this charity and others, spanning the country, The Highlands, Scotland and Wales.

Unfortunately, on Thursday 5th December, Weymouth Post Office was broken into in the early hours. The business was affected greatly, money, parcels, tablets and stamps were stolen. Charity boxes were snatched (one a British Heart Foundation box, which has been generously replaced by one of Sunny’s supporters and friends).

Not only was the town without a main post office for 48 hours, leaving vulnerable people without access to money, fuel etc, but the people who have contributed and benefited in the past (such as Weldmar, MIND, Sarcome etc) from his fundraising efforts have been left sad and disappointed in the actions of selfish people.

Sunny’s Christmas wish is to push on, to try and raise back the funds that were taken. The community are already rallying round, pushing back against soulless people who would steal from charities.

Donations of toys and treats are being accepted at Weymouth Post Office, to be delivered by Santa Paws on Christmas Eve, but this directs funding page has been set up to help Margaret Green directly.

All and any donations will be greatly received. Let’s dig deep and find that Christmas spirit in the act of giving.

You can donate today by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/page/sunnypostofficedogchristmaswish?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fsunnypostofficedogchristmaswish&utm_source=messenger&utm_campaign=pfp-share&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1FxEYA7SamzkKC9OGsyKZwVbYy94MugeoxKRvC-lywZtcAGn0dAx4W_z8_aem_uKP0RfINS9612NcdlNsVFQ

11/12/2024

A Christmas fundraiser is taking place at Willowbed Hall in Chickerell all on aid of supporting Leo's Lions who provide welfare packages to families with sick children in hospital.

The event is being organised by Jurassic Coast Competitions. You can pay on the door for this event!

09/12/2024

The Gorge Cafe in Dorchester was on fire overnight and up to 50 firefighters were seen tackling the blaze into the early hours and the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement:

"We were called to South Street, Dorchester at 3.34am this morning (9 December) for a serious fire involving a mid-terrace commercial premises."

"We have crews in attendance from Dorchester, Weymouth (x2), Bridport (x2), Portland, Wareham, Beaminster, Blandford, Charmouth and Poole, together with an aerial ladder platform from Yeovil, a support appliance from Hamworthy and water carriers from Bridport and Yeovil - approx. 50 firefighters."

"The building has partially collapsed, and there is significant smoke in the local area. The fire is also affecting two adjacent properties via the roof spaces. No injuries have been reported, but a number of local residents have been moved to a safe place."

"South Street and parts of Trinity Street are currently closed to enable the firefighting operation."

"At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown but an investigation will be carried out when it is safe to do so."

09/12/2024

🎅✨ WIN A MAGICAL FAMILY TICKET TO Christmas Cracker 🎄🎁

We’re giving one lucky family the chance to enjoy FREE ENTRY to our Christmas Cracker event on 22nd December! 🥳 Not only will you get to soak up the festive fun, but your little ones will also have the pleasure of meeting Santa himself! 🎅

Here’s how to enter:
1️⃣ Share this post
2️⃣ Tag three friends in the comments who would love some Christmas magic 🎄✨

📅 The winner will be announced on Monday 16th December!

Join us on the day for:
🎅 A chance to meet Santa
🎨 Fun games for the kids
🪩 An amazing disco to get everyone dancing
& SO MUCH MORE!

Don’t miss out on this magical family experience! Get tagging and sharing – good luck! 🎉

If you would like to buy tickets, you can do so here:
https://www.weymouth-carnival.uk/all-events/?event=3272

07/12/2024

Part of the rendering fell off a building in Weymouth during Storm Darragh today.

We understand it was the EE shop based down St Mary Street.

27/11/2024

Such a lovely end to the ice cream parlour at the Cutter Hotel. Very sad to say goodbye to this brilliant part of the community, we wish the very best to Weymouth's Lovely Gill and Mel.

Photo Credits: Lizzie Chandler

26/11/2024

Is there anything to do in Weymouth now? 👀

Cineworld Weymouth Announces Closure: Is There a Future for the Town?

21/11/2024

Winterbourne Abbas this morning after snowfall hits large parts of Dorset ❄️

Send us your photos in the comments below 👇

📸 Dorset Traffic Cops

19/11/2024

Farmers from across the UK are protesting in London over Inheritance Tax rises.

19/11/2024

Like and share for a great cause let’s spread the word ❤️🦖

This is the official poster for our amazing fundraiser for Leo’s lions. It’s on the 20th of December and gates open at 4:30pm come and show some love!!

Watch out for our video coming soon !! 🎄🎅🎄

Leo's Lions ❤️🎄🦖

10/11/2024

We will remember them ❤️

04/11/2024

📝 Message from Kallum Gethins, Director & Chairman of The Weymouth Carnival C.I.C.

Hello Weymouth and Portland!

Our mission to revive Weymouth Carnival is alive and well, and I’m excited to share that we’re planning a fresh format that breaks from the traditional mold. We’ve been diving deep into data, feedback, and insights from local business leaders, and this new direction reflects all that we’ve learned. While it won’t look exactly like the carnivals of past years, we believe it’ll bring something uniquely exciting to our community.

Thanks to our community’s dedication, we’ve won several awards, primarily in the Community Support category, and we’ve recently been nominated for Best Events Planning Company and Community Award for the South Coast! These recognitions not only boost our brand and reputation but also reinforce our commitment to creating a positive impact. Thank you to everyone who helped us reach these milestones!

I’m thrilled to say that our impact has grown tremendously! This year, our website saw over 1 million visits between January this year up to November—up by 300,000 from last year—and more than 70,000 people connect with us on Facebook each month. Those numbers speak volumes about the support and enthusiasm from you, our incredible community and the hard work our members have put in over the last two years.

To the people of Weymouth and Portland, thank you! Your support at events and your passion for the carnival is what drives us. This year, thanks to you, we’ve donated £2,100 split between three local charities. It’s proof that with teamwork and commitment, we’re creating something valuable. And for those who think the carnival is a “dead horse”—it’s not. It just needs to adapt to today’s realities, where resources are tight, but our spirit is strong.

Of course, no journey is perfect. Mistakes will happen, but I believe those missteps will only strengthen our organisation as we build for the future. We’re learning as we go, and those lessons will help bind us together, steering us toward an even better Carnival.

To anyone saying we should “just give up or hand the carnival back”—I’ll simply say, good things take time, and we won’t stop until we’ve created an annual event that serves our community and instead of using your keyboard, get involved with us.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

We are looking for more volunteers to join us, use the link below:

https://www.weymouth-carnival.uk/volunteer-with-us/

Warm regards,
Kallum Gethins

26/10/2024

Records were broke at last night's event according to organisers! 🎃🤩

22/10/2024

A video has surfaced showing Armed Police shout at a man to come out of a building in Weymouth yesterday.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "We received a report at 10.18am on Monday, October 21 of malicious communications relating to a man making threats over the telephone in the Weymouth area.

19/10/2024

Good morning, everyone! 🌟 The team is at Asda in Weymouth today, collecting donations in support of Wyvern Academy and the Weymouth Carnival.

If you're in the area, stop by and say hello! 🙌

We're also on the lookout for volunteers to join our team and help us continue raising funds for these amazing causes.
Every little bit helps! 💙