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URGENT NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP TRANSFORM FACE OF DORSET CHARITY SHOPS

Four charity shops in Dorset are set to be transformed into new ‘community-focused’ charity shops based on an award-winning model piloted in Salisbury. The new shops will be run by The Trussell Trust, a Salisbury based charity that launched Bournemouth foodbank and runs nationally acclaimed community projects across the UK and in Bulgaria. The Trussell Trust is urgently seeking volunteers from Dorset to help make the new community-focused shops a success.

The Trussell Trust’s Director of Operations, David McAuley writes: ‘It’s amazing the difference that you can make to people’s lives through a charity shop. As well as raising funds, The Trussell Trust believes that charity shops are a great place for people of all backgrounds and abilities to volunteer and for people facing tough times to come in and chat. We have seen so many lives changed by our ReStore shop in Salisbury that we want other communities to benefit from our community-focused charity shops too.’

He continues: ‘Pramacare gave us the opportunity to take on four of their shops in Dorset so we thought this would be a great place to start. We want each shop to help its local community, but for that to happen we need local volunteers to get involved.’

‘There’s a lot of work to do to transform these shops into ReStore’s, which is why we are urgently looking for some passionate and energetic volunteers!’

Last year The Trussell Trust’s Salisbury shop ‘ReStore’ beat competition from 6,800 UK charity shops, including major high street names, to win the national Association of Charity Shops prestigious ‘Shop Team of the Year’ award.  The judges were impressed by the inclusiveness of the Trust’s shop and the way that it made time for people, creating a welcoming, family environment whilst still providing quality, well-priced goods. The Trust’s vision for ReStore is to replicate this successful model across the UK, seeing more people helped nationwide, starting in Dorset.

ReStore shops are now open in Salisbury, Verwood and Winton, with new shops in Ferndown and Canford Heath soon to launch.  If you are interested in volunteering please contact Lizzie Abnett on 01722 427111 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Notes to the editor:

·         Salisbury ReStore Shop Manager Chrissy McAuley writes: ‘We work really hard here to make sure that as well as selling stock, we are here to meet people at their point of need. For me, the shop is all about the people. ’

·         Every week the Salisbury Restore’s team meets and takes time to listen to people in distress, people like the young mother who came in to ReStore ready to end it all. Over coffee, Chrissy McAuley, Shop Manager, listened to her appalling tale of fear and abuse. The next day she phoned the Trust to say ‘you saved my life’. 

·         The Trust is looking for volunteers to help refurbish the shops, sort donations, serve customers, drive vans and become part of the team.  Professionals wishing to help by donating their services are also welcome. Trethowans Solicitors’ gift of time has been fundamental in enabling the new shops to open and the Trussell Trust is incredibly grateful to them for their generosity.

·         The Trussell Trust has a reputation for successfully replicating community-based charity projects across the UK. Its UK foodbank network, for example, launches foodbanks across the UK that give three days of emergency food to people in crisis. Bournemouth foodbank is part of the Trust’s network of over 50 foodbanks nationwide. Last year UK foodbanks fed over 26,000 people. This year the number of people fed looks set to jump to 35,000.

·         The Trussell Trust hopes to open more ReStore charity shops across the UK in the future. It also hopes to help foodbanks nationwide to open shops based on the ReStore model, enabling community-focussed charity shops to open in more towns. Already there is interest from communities nationwide who are keen to see ReStores open in their area.

·         The Trussell Trust runs a supported volunteer programme giving work related opportunities to people with mental, social and physical difficulties. Six supported volunteers work in our ReStore Salisbury shop each week, giving them the opportunity to be part of a team and to make a positive difference in their local community.  Each volunteer has grown in confidence and knows they are valued – many say the shop is a family to them.  This is one of the major reasons that ReStore won the Shop Team of the Year Award.

·         The Trussell Trust is a Salisbury-based Christian charity working to bring hope and practical help to people in crisis in the UK and Bulgaria. For more on what we do please visit www.trusselltrust.org

Contact:

Molly Hodson, PR & Communication Manager:

01722 427117 (direct line) or 01722 411244

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Homes situated near Bournemouth Airport will be able to have noise monitoring devices installed in their homes in a project to measure disturbance.

Dates will be collected from homes from Broadstone to Brockenhurst.  In addition a mobile noise monitoring station will also be moved around the area in the immediate vicinity of Bournemouth Airport.

Bournemouth Safe Bus

The Safe Bus rolls back into Bournemouth town centre for eight nights during December, in time for the influx of party-goers celebrating the festive season.

The bus will be parked in the town centre from 10pm until 3am, on the following nights during the Christmas and New Year period:

• Friday 4 December 2009
• Saturday 5 December 2009
• Friday 11 December 2009
• Saturday 12 December 2009
• Friday 18 December 2009
• Saturday 19 December 2009
• Thursday 24 December 2009
• Thursday 31 December 2009

The bus proved a success earlier this year, providing a safe environment and assistance for anyone left vulnerable, as a result of being intoxicated, injured, lost or unable to get back to their accommodation, on Friday and Saturday nights during the summer and autumn.  

Volunteers, including special constables, police community support officers, paramedics and alcohol addiction counsellors, helped 115 vulnerable people who boarded the bus and this proved effective in reducing occurrences of police being involved in minor incidents, as well as the number of Accident and Emergency admissions and ambulance call-outs.

This led to partners, including Dorset Police, Bournemouth Borough Council and South Western Ambulance Service, deciding to reinstate it over the Christmas and New Year period.

Sergeant Anna Harvey, of the Bournemouth Central Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Although I do not anticipate any trouble in the town centre during the evenings in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, traditionally, a lot of people come into the area at this time and I’m keen to offer them access to the services available aboard the Safe Bus.

“However, I would remind party-goers that if you are drunk you are more likely to be a victim of crime, and therefore I am asking you to consider the potential consequences of drinking too much alcohol.

“You may be risking your own safety by becoming separated from friends or trusting a stranger. Alternatively you may find it more difficult to walk away from trouble-makers and end up becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence.”

Drunk Dad kills baby?

Bournemouth Borough Council is working closely with The Stagewise School for the Performing Arts to help local young people develop their singing, dancing and acting skills at FREE Stagewise workshops on Sunday 19 October at the Littledown Centre.

At the FREE workshops, young people aged between 4 – 14 years old will be able to spend time with the Stagewise team and get the opportunity to take part in taster singing, dancing and acting classes. They can also find out more about the Stagewise School for the Performing Arts and how they can get involved in local and professional stage productions and performances, (Stagewise student Anthony Jenkins is currently on the national tour of Mary Poppins playing Michael Banks).

Councillor Beverley Dunlop, Cabinet Member for the Economy and Tourism said:

“Dancing, acting and singing can really help to channel young peoples’ abundant energy into being creative, helping to build confidence and self esteem. We are pleased to be working with Stagewise, helping to developing young local talent”.

Ally Cox, Principal for Stagewise School for the Performing Arts added,

“We are really thrilled to be working with the Council - the Littledown Centre is a brilliant venue for our workshops and we are really looking forward to our open day on Sunday 19 October”.

To find out more about the FREE dancing, acting and singing workshops at the Littledown Centre on Sunday 19th October, please contact the Stagewise Hotline on 0844 414 3004

Police in Poole are appealing for the public’s help in finding a vulnerable teenage boy who has gone missing from his home in the Parkstone area of the town.

Thirteen year old Joseph Hughes of Uppleby Road in Parkstone was last seen at his home at 12.15pm on Monday 22 September 2008.

He was reported missing to Dorset Police at 1.44pm that day.

It’s believed that Joseph could be sleeping in a man-made shelter in the Bournemouth or Poole area – or he could be in the Swanage, Upton, Wimborne or Dorchester areas which the teenager is familiar with.

Officers have been searching areas that Joseph is known to frequent and they have also been making checks at local hospitals in case he has been admitted.

So far, police enquiries in trying to find Joseph – including speaking to his family and friends – have drawn a blank.

Joseph has gone missing before and it is not known if he took any money with him.

Joseph is white, of slim build with brown hair and brown eyes. He speaks with a soft English accent and has a ‘J’ and ‘H’ tattoo in black ink on his right shoulder.

The teenager also has a half inch-long scar on his stomach.

When he went missing, Joseph was wearing a grey hooded top with a logo on the front and grey jogging bottoms with black trainers and yellow laces.

Anyone with information as to Joseph’s whereabouts since he went missing should call Dorset Police in confidence on 01202 222 222 while anyone who sees Joseph should contact Dorset Police by immediately dialling 999.

Missing for almost two weeks, vulnerable 13-year old girl Chelsie O'Donegan was found by police in Bournemouth late yesterday morning, Thursday 25 September 2008.

Chelsie, who comes from the Boscombe area of Bournemouth, was found by police officers in a flat in Christchurch Road in the Pokesdown area of east Bournemouth just before 11.30am.

Two people - a man and a woman - were arrested by police at the flat on suspicion of child abduction. The two arrested people were not believed to be related to Chelsie.

The two people were later released by police without charge yesterday afternoon, Thursday 25 September 2008.

Police in Bournemouth are concerned for the welfare of a 13 year old girl who has gone missing from her home in the Boscombe area of Bournemouth.

Chelsie O’Donegan, who is 13 years old, was last seen on Friday 12 September 2008 in Longfleet Road, Poole and she has not returned to her home in Christchurch Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth.

She is white, five feet tall and of slim build with blue eyes and very long straight dark brown hair. When last seen she was wearing a peach coloured hooded top, a white T shirt, light coloured jeans and black shoes.

Chelsie is known to frequent the pedestrian precinct area of Boscombe and officers believe that she is in the Boscombe area, possibly staying with friends or acquaintances.

Police Constable John Green of Bournemouth police, said: "It’s important that we find Chelsie so that we can be sure that she’s safe and well and has come to no harm. I’d urge Chelsie and anyone who knows where she is to call the police straight away."

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police on 01202 222 222 or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply.

Due to major repairs the Sandbanks chain link ferry is due to be closed on the 21st September for two months. The ferry goes out of action every two years and is taken to Southampton for an overhaul, however this year the slipways are also being refurbished casuing the service to be unavailable for longer than normal. The estimated date of opening is 17th November although this is very dependent on weather conditions. Anyone wishing to track the progress of the project should go to sandbanksferry.co.uk