Business

There’s free parking for shoppers in county town

Shoppers can still park for free in Dorchester despite the price hikes – after BID members agreed to fund the town’s successful Park4FREE scheme. More than 70 shops and other businesses in Dorchester and the Dorchester BID are paying the parking charges for anyone who spends more than £10 in a participating business. Two hours’ parking will be refunded to shoppers via the parking voucher scheme operated by the Dorchester BID. When you spend £10 or more in the participating shops and businesses they will discount £1.50 off your purchase. Just look out for the blue Park4FREE stickers in windows. When you park in town using the meters to park, you get a double part ticket. The first part stays in the car on the dash as usual and the second part is the voucher that can be redeemed in an evergrowing number of shops in town that want to thank their customers by paying for their parking. The popular scheme has been running for many years, when two hours’ parking cost £1, but members have agreed to continue after the prices went up. In addition, if you park on a street where the meters only produce a single ticket next time you are in town you can take your old ticket and get the £1.50 off a purchase – The date on the ticket does not matter! DBID project director Phil Gordon said: “I was of course concerned with the new prices coming in but I am very proud of the town’s businesses as they have risen to the challenge, worked with me and have agreed to meet the cost 50/50 with a subsidy from the DBID to keep this innovative scheme alive. “Essentially, come shopping in Dorchester and you can park all day long for free, two hours at a time, just as long as you keep spending money in the town’s businesses!”

Autism training initiative welcomed

By Dan Goater

newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk Health and social care professionals throughout Dorset will receive training to help them better support autistic people. Charity Autism Unlimited has been commissioned to develop and roll out the training scheme by Dorset Council and the county’s Clinical Commissioning Group. The charity says the training will help professionals understand how to adapt their ‘behaviour and surroundings to help an autistic person feel included, welcomed, understood and supported’. Donna Wearn, executive director of people, performance and learning at Autism Unlimited, said: “Assessing when to make small changes, such as simply warning when a bright light is put on or off or ensuring there is a quiet atmosphere, could allow an autistic person to fully engage, receive, and give, important information. Other simple techniques include giving instructions in short sentences. “This training will be an amazing step forward for the autistic community in Dorset and we are thrilled to be partnering with the councils and healthcare partners to deliver this training package which has been co-produced with the autistic network.” Donna added: “There is growing recognition that only minor changes are required to accommodate the needs of autistic people. Autism Unlimited exists to support and empower autistic children, adults and their families. We work collaboratively, listen and respect the view that all autistic individuals are recognised for their unique skills and abilities. This is the first of many training in the workplace educational programmes we are running during 2022 and we are absolutely delighted that we are starting with council and health employees.” Councillor Peter Wharf, briefholder for Adult Social Care at Dorset Council, said: “Autistic people often encounter barriers due to a lack of public understanding of autism. “Autistic people can often experience a lack of timely and informed support for themselves and their families, poor access to general health and mental health services, an inability to gain and maintain employment based on their strengths and abilities, as well as social isolation.” Tracey Naylor, steering group member at Dorset Parent Carer Council, said: “We are very excited to be involved in a much needed and long-awaited development which will certainly benefit and be welcomed by many of the families we represent. “We are particularly pleased the training will be delivered by and include the lived experience of people from Dorset.”

There’s a real buzz and hive of activity

By Andrew Diprose

editor@dorsetbiznews.co.uk

Chris Bialan is a busy bee. He’s the founder of a Community Interest Company (CIC) which is on a mission to save the bees in Dorset – and Hampshire – by building and installing 500 new beehives. They’re now looking for foster homes for the hives. All costs are covered by Bee Mission and the beehives will be fully maintained by one of their beekeepers And it doesn’t stop there. Bee Mission 500 CIC also plans to offer support for homeless people to upskill and retrain in a variety of roles within the project, including becoming beekeepers. Chris, 64, first came up with the concept a few years ago. He said: “I was moving my daughter, Jess, with the help of a guy called Serge. “We were in the van together for four hours on the way to Stoke from Bournemouth and somehow we got round to talking about bees. “I’ve always loved bees and, on that trip, I found out that Serge was a beekeeper and had been for the last nine years. “At the time, he was running four hives on an estate which got me thinking.” Chris is also Chairman of Affinity Care Group Limited, the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, Kings Lodge Centre for Complex Needs and Joint Owner of five care homes across the country. He said: “On that journey, I got thinking about all the gardens and available space out there that could be used for hives. “I then realised that the grounds at my care home sites were a great place to start.” Bee Mission’s pilot scheme in 2020 was not a success. It saw the installation of four beehives at Kings Lodge Nursing Home in Reigate, one of Chris’ care homes where Serge was working at the time. Chris said: “The hives at Kings Lodge didn’t actually work. “The bees didn’t take well or produce much honey. “So we decided to try another site. “We put some hives in at the Allenbrook Nursing home in Fordingbridge. “Thankfully this site was much more successful. “We quickly got up to five hives, all with abundant harvests. “Each hive can contain up to 50,000 bees and can produce 40 to 50kg of honey which is amazing. “I have the greatest love and respect for bees and Serge is an amazing bee keeper. “If there was a world without bees then the world would stop growing things. “They are the most amazing creatures.” After the success in Fordingbridge, Chris was inspired. He said: “I began to think about where else we could put hives and this is where the idea of fostering hives came about. “I think that there are lots of people out there that care just as much as I do

BEEHIVE YOURSELF: Chris Bialan and, below, beekeeper Serge

about campaign to save the vital bee

about the plight of the bees but wouldn’t have even thought about installing a hive as they don’t know anything about hives or bees and don’t know how to look after them. “So, what if we could solve that problem? “What if we could supply the hives, and either train people up to look after their own hives or send our beekeepers round to manage them? “This is when Bee Mission was truly born. “Imagine if even a small percentage of people had a hive installed and how much difference that could make to our bee population. “Our mission now is to get 500 beehives installed in Dorset and Hampshire’s gardens, balconies, on roof tops and in local areas. “I think we can do it.” But Bee Mission isn’t just about getting as many bees and beehives installed as possible as this can have a disastrous effect on natural pollinators if there isn’t enough pollen to go around. Chris said: “We’re working with bee conservationists to ensure that we also help the wild pollinators. “We’re also planning on planting lots of wild meadows and gardens on our own land. “We’ll also encourage the communities in Dorset and Hampshire around our hives to plant as many wildflowers as possible.” Bee Mission is on the lookout for land to rent, so

AMAZING CAUSE: Bee Mission director Amy Foster

it can expand. The team is hoping for a fairly small plot with space for an outbuilding. The aim is to use the space as a community training and display centre, workshop and home for their own hives and beefriendly flowers. Bee Mission also plans to help people, too. Chris, and fellow Bee Mission director Amy Foster have helped rough sleepers by cooking and distributing food up to three times a week. Now they’re working on ideas to provide assistance through the CIC. Chris said: “We’ve been working with the homeless in Bournemouth for two and half years now and really wanted to provide a way they can get involved, to help them by upskilling and giving them some focus. “Whether it’s training to become a beekeeper, packing and selling the honey, or becoming part of the day to day running of the project, we want to offer them new skills and a way to move forward, as well as routine and the knowledge they are making a difference. “We’ve set out with some big ideas, big targets, and a big mission for Dorset and Hampshire. “But we are confident in the power of the community to help and support each other, and the bees. “Next stop, Bee Mission 50,000 across the whole of the country!” To find out more about the work that Bee Mission do, and how to foster a hive, head to beemission.co.uk.