BBC Dorset

More than 600 people supported by wellbeing hub in first year

More than 600 people supported by wellbeing hub in first year

Katie Waple and Harry Kille-Smith,South of EnglandBBCThe Access Wellbeing hub in Boscombe marked its first anniversaryA wellbeing hub has celebrated helping more than 600 people during its first year of being open.Access Wellbeing, in Boscombe, Dorset, provides free mental health and wellbeing support to anyone aged 18 and over, with no appointment needed. The charity said it offers medical help, assistance with practical things like paperwork, or just a listening ear and a cup of tea.Joshua Hevicon, service…

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‘Nobody told my daughter about epilepsy death risk’

‘Nobody told my daughter about epilepsy death risk’

Marcus WhiteSouth of EnglandFamily photoAmber Walker died at the age of 22 from Sudden Unexpected Death in EpilepsyThe leading cause of death in epilepsy is rarely explained to patients by doctors, a grieving father has said.Martin Walker said his daughter Amber was never told about her 1 in 150 chance of of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) before she died in 2023 at the age of 22.In a report on the case, Dorset coroner Brendan Allen urged…

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Dorset Council proposes emergency repairs to harbour wall

Dorset Council proposes emergency repairs to harbour wall

Trevor BevinsLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceBBCDorset Council has requested the repairs to the Grade I-listed structureA council has applied to repair holes in a historic harbour wall that could be at risk of collapse.The Cobb at Lyme Regis is a sea defence thought to have been built in the 13th Century.Dorset Council has requested the repairs to the Grade I listed structure, which could cost about £350,000 and would see Cobb Roadway closed to allow deliveries for the repairs.Due…

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A35 Christchurch roadworks makes running a business ‘impossible’ to plan

A35 Christchurch roadworks makes running a business ‘impossible’ to plan

GoogleEastbound journeys on the A35 Christchurch bypass are expected to take up to an hour longer during the closuresA business owner has said planning her day around roadworks has become "impossible".The eastbound A35 Christchurch bypass in Dorset has been shut from Fountain Way roundabout since Monday and will remain closed until 06:00 GMT on 10 November.Ellie Maclane runs a dog walking business in and around the town and said she sat in traffic for more than an hour…

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Tribute to ‘fun loving’ mum killed in A37 Maiden Newton crash

Tribute to ‘fun loving’ mum killed in A37 Maiden Newton crash

Tributes have been paid to a mother described as a "fun loving free spirited soul" after she was killed in a car crash.The crash involved a black Kia Niro and a grey Peugeot 107 on the A37 near Maiden Newton, Dorset, on 22 October shortly before 17:35 BST. Catherine Gray, 49, from Weymouth, the driver of the Peugeot, died at the scene.In a statement released by police, Ms Gray's family said: "Catherine, also known as Cath, lived for…

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Call for apology over cancer-linked pregnancy drug DES

Call for apology over cancer-linked pregnancy drug DES

Briony LeylandSouth of EnglandBBCJan Hall is campaigning for greater awareness of the impact the drug DES had on womenA woman is calling on the government to apologise over a cancer-linked drug that was historically given to women to prevent miscarriage.Jan Hall, from Bournemouth - whose mother was given Diethylstilbestrol (DES) - claims the UK government was too slow to act, despite research showing increased cancer risks for both the women who took it and their daughters."It's a shocking…

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The teen who grew up in crisis but turned her life around

The teen who grew up in crisis but turned her life around

Nikki MitchellSouth of England home affairs correspondentBBCChanyta Buckley asked social cervices to put her in foster care when she was 14"My mum was a drug addict for as long as I can remember," said Chanyta Buckley, "so I thought I'd end up choosing drugs over a future." Despite growing up in crisis, the Bournemouth teenager is striving to prove to other vulnerable girls and women that they too can turn their lives around. Chanyta, 19, has volunteered to…

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Sandbanks residents seek legal advice after fence blocks off beach

Sandbanks residents seek legal advice after fence blocks off beach

BBC Radio Solent's Steve Harris investigates the Sandbanks fence that's dividing opinionResidents on Dorset's exclusive Sandbanks peninsula say they are seeking legal advice over access rights to a beach after it was blocked off by a fence.Public footpath 82 runs from Panorama Road down to the edge of Poole Harbour and had previously been used by locals to access the beach and foreshore.But a sign now warns people to stay within the 1.8m-wide path, adding: "Trespassers will be…

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Bournemouth e-bike rider killed by motorist in feud, jury hears

Bournemouth e-bike rider killed by motorist in feud, jury hears

Marcus WhiteSouth of EnglandDorset PoliceE-bike rider Joey Johnstone died in Bournemouth in AprilA man who was riding an electrical bike died after being hunted and mown down as part of a feud, court has heard.Joey Johnstone, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene in Moore Avenue, Bournemouth, in the early hours of 9 April.Zoe Treadwell, 36 and Taylor Warwick, 18 - both from Bournemouth - and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named, are charged with murder and…

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Footballer Wes Fogden had hour-long ambulance wait for broken neck

Footballer Wes Fogden had hour-long ambulance wait for broken neck

Dorchester Town manager Tom Killick told BBC Radio Solent the wait was 'unacceptable'A footballer who broke his neck during a match waited an hour on the pitch for an ambulance.Dorchester Town FC's Wes Fogden suffered two fractured vertebrae during the FA Trophy game at Basingstoke on Saturday before the game was abandoned.Club manager Tom Killick said it was "unacceptable" that someone with such a serious injury had to wait so long in the cold.South Central Ambulance Service apologised,…

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Views sought in Poole on £400k Baiter skate park rebuild plans

Views sought in Poole on £400k Baiter skate park rebuild plans

Skaters, BMXers and scooter riders are being urged to help refine the final designs of a £400,000 skate park revamp.BCP Council is looking to completely rebuild the area next to the boating lake at Baiter Park in Poole.Initial concept designs for the skate park have already been shaped by feedback from local skaters who submitted a wishlist of features for the project.The council is working on the designs with specialists Maverick Skateparks and views are being sought until…

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