county news

Dorset County Hospital raise funds for children’s library

Dorset County Hospital raise funds for children’s library

Galya DimitrovaSouth of EnglandGalya Dimitrova and Patrick HughesBBC News, South of England, DorchesterBBCStaff and volunteers from different organisations came together to raise funds and awareness about the library A hospital has launched a fundraising initiative to provide books to children and young people during their hospital stay.Kate Parish, youth worker at Dorset Youth who is due to start working at the hospital soon, said she believed the dedicated children's library within the hospital would be the first of…

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St Ives pottery museum restoration project begins

St Ives pottery museum restoration project begins

Work has started to restore a pottery museum and enable visitors to see "important pieces of pottery from across the world".The one-year project was designed to enhance the experience for visitors to the Leach Pottery museum in St Ives which was established by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada in 1920.A new gallery will be created in which pieces from other collections such as the Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Centre of Ceramic Art in York…

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Cornwall man pursues MMA passion after life-changing transplant

Cornwall man pursues MMA passion after life-changing transplant

Meltdown Fighting ChampionshipsCharlie Dugdale won his fight at the Meltdown Fighting Championships in Bristol in SeptemberThree years ago Charlie Dugdale was fighting for his life as he battled a rare blood disorder. After receiving a life-changing bone marrow transplant, he has turned his fighting spirit to the boxing ring.Dugdale, 20, from Liskeard, Cornwall, has aplastic anaemia - a condition where the bone marrow and stem cells do not produce enough blood cells.In the race to find a bone…

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Concern about lack of retained fire crew availability

Concern about lack of retained fire crew availability

Hampshire FireRetained fire crews were among those responding to a flat fire in Petersfield in JulyA rural fire station in Hampshire was unavailable to attend callouts 93% of the time over a one-year period (2022), new figures have revealed.A BBC freedom of information request also showed one-in-five retained fire stations were unavailable for more than half of the year in 2024.Regional Secretary of the Southern branch of the FBU, Mark Chapman, said "the public would be surprised and…

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‘I was spiked and I want venues to do more’

‘I was spiked and I want venues to do more’

Dawn Limbu,BristolandJohn Darvall,BBC Radio BristolChloe DockerChloe Docker says she was spiked at an event in AugustA woman who believes she was spiked is calling for all venues to install lower bar areas to help more people safely order and monitor their own drinks.Chloe Docker, who lives with muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, believes her drink was spiked while she attended a private event in August.She said the usual advice to prevent drink spiking, such as always buying…

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Somerset sport – Lando Norris: The Making of a World Champion

Somerset sport – Lando Norris: The Making of a World Champion

Available for 28 daysWe chart the career of Lando Norris from karting in the West Country to lifting the F1 Championship. Featuring archive audio of Lando as a young boy to those who taught him in the classroom and on the karting track. Plus insight from the world of F1, including former drivers Jenson Button and Paul di Resta, alongside the BBC's Jennie Gow and former McLaren crew. Presenter and Producer: Jack Killah.Programme WebsiteShow less Source link

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Santa swim sewage protest at Gyllyngvase Beach cancelled

Santa swim sewage protest at Gyllyngvase Beach cancelled

Kirk England,Environment and tourism correspondent, Gyllyngvase BeachandLisa Young,CornwallBBCSurfers Against Sewage asked people to protest on the beach about water quality instead of swimmingA Santas Against Sewage swimming event had to be called off due to sewage in the water prompting an onshore protest over pollution instead.Surfers Against Sewage Cornwall had planned the festive event at Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth for Sunday to raise awareness of water quality.On Friday the campaign group said South West Water had released storm discharge…

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Forecasters warn of disruption amid weather warnings

Forecasters warn of disruption amid weather warnings

Forecasters have warned of possible disruption with more weather warnings issued for heavy rain and wind in the South and South West of England.The Met Office has put out a yellow warning for high winds extending from Hampshire to Devon and Cornwall and up to Somerset from 22:00 GMT on Monday until 16:00 on Tuesday.A separate yellow weather warning was also issued for rain which will be in place from 18:00 GMT on Monday to 18:00 on Tuesday.The…

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PCC says there is lack of understanding of her job

PCC says there is lack of understanding of her job

A Labour Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) says she does not agree with the government's decision to scrap her job from 2028.In November, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said scrapping the roles across England and Wales would save £100m over this parliament's term. She added most voters did not know who their PCC was.Asked about the move, Avon and Somerset PCC Clare Moody said: "You will not be surprised to know that I regret the fact the decision…

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Cornwall concert to raise money for hurricane-hit Jamaica

Cornwall concert to raise money for hurricane-hit Jamaica

A fundraising concert is being held to support a charity helping those affected by Hurricane Melissa.Kat Carr, the lead singer of Latin and Caribbean band Kizamba, said the concert on Wednesday in Penzance, Cornwall, would support Truro-based charity Shelterbox.Ms Carr said she was 11 when she witnessed Hurricane Gilbert, which hit the Caribbean in September 1988, and she and her family were in Jamaica when Hurricane Melissa struck in October.She said: "Jamaicans are made of the very strongest…

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Penryn Town Council delays decision about using toxic weedkiller

Penryn Town Council delays decision about using toxic weedkiller

PA MediaPenryn Town Council has voted to postpone selecting a contractor for weed-killingA town council has voted to postpone choosing a contractor to kill weeds after it received complaints from members of the public.Penryn Town Council said weeds had been sprayed with glyphosate over the past few years, a herbicide which has been linked to cancer and a decline in bee populations.Councillor Mael Garrec said 80 residents had asked the council to delay the vote and added using…

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Mystery of message in a bottle found on Devon beach solved

Mystery of message in a bottle found on Devon beach solved

Mike Nicholls found the bottle on Woolacombe BeachA man who was looking for the family of a couple whose ashes were released into the sea in a bottle said the family had made contact with him. Mike Nicholls discovered the message in a bottle on Woolacombe Beach, in Devon, on 9 November. The note said the couple had been sent on one "final adventure".Mr Nicholls posted photos of the bottle on a Facebook page and said the story…

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