The Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) is here for the community. Current members of the partnership include Bridport Town Council, 10 Parish Councils and more than 80 community organisations and individuals working to improve the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Bridport and surrounding areas. For information or if you have a piece you would like included in the BLAP Bulletin, please contact Jo Hughes by email at jo.hughes@bridport-tc.gov.uk Bridport & District Gardening Club - Talk Bridport & District Gardening Club host ten monthly meetings throughout the year that are not only enjoyable social gatherings but are also interesting and informative with a guest speaker at each meeting. Meetings take place at the WI Hall, North Street, Bridport and this month's meeting will take place this Thursday 17th July at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start with a talk by Bryan Madders entitled 'Salvias and Summer Perennials’.' Non-members are welcome to attend for a £2.00 entry fee. Further details about the club and future talks can be found here. West Bay Summer Market The West Bay Summer Market is back and with longer opening hours! Commencing Wednesday 23rd July and running every Wednesday until Wednesday 3rd September, a great selection of stalls will be available for you to browse from 2.00pm - 8.00pm at The Salt House & Fisherman's Green, West Bay DT6 4HD. Bridport Museum - Railway Walk & Talk Run by Bridport Museum and the West Bay Discovery Centre, there will be a Bridport branch railway line walk and talk on Thursday 24th July commencing at 11.00am from the Discovery Centre. Tickets for the walk and talk cost £5 and are available from Bridport Tourist Information Centre. West Bay Raft Race The RNLI will be hosting their annual raft race at West Bay on Thursday 24th July from 5.00pm - 9.00pm. The race starts at 7.00pm and a road closure will be in place along George Street, West Bay from 6.00pm - 9.00pm. Bridport Folk Festival Enjoy a weekend of live music and dance across three stages as Bridport Folk Festival returns from Friday 25th July to Sunday 27th July. The folk festival events will be held across stages in Bucky Doo Square, the Millennium Green and Borough Gardens and will be raising funds for Mountjoy School and the Alzheimer's Society. Tickets for the festival can be purchased here. Bridport & District Model Railway Club Exhibition The Model Railway Exhibition will take place at The Sir John Colfox Academy, Ridgeway, Bridport DT6 3DT on Saturday 26th July from 10.00am - 4.00pm. Admission - Adults £8.00, Children Free (under 16 and accompanied). Bridport to West Bay Weekend Shuttle Bus A brand new WB1 Bridport to West Bay shuttle bus will be launching in time for the summer holidays on Saturday 26th July and will run almost every half hour on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings between Bridport town centre and West Bay. The shuttle bus service is a partnership project between Dorset Commons, Bridport Town Council and Dorset Community Transport and will be the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to travel between Bridport and West Bay. Children and bus pass holders will travel FREE and for everyone else it will cost £1 per journey. View the timetable here or pick up a printed copy from the Bridport Tourist Information Centre. West Bay Discovery Centre Children's Summer Art Workshop We have an exciting opportunity for children to join Darrell Wakelam on Thursday 31st July, 11.00am - 3.00pm at the Salt House, West Bay to create amazing 3D "bathing beauties" figures, inspired by one of the stories in our new exhibition ‘Pier Terrace through time’, and the good news, you can take them home! This is a free drop in event for children (must be accompanied by an adult) and there is no need to book. Donations are very welcome. Visit our website for more information. Bridport Library - Digital Champion Sessions Would you like to improve your digital skills? Book a session with our digital champion who will guide you through the basic skills using your own device or a library computer. Sessions take place at Bridport Library, South Street, Bridport DT6 3NY every Monday from 10.15am - 1.15pm and Wednesday mornings from 10.00am - 1.00pm and Wednesday afternoons from 4.00pm - 5.00pm. Call 01308 422778 for further information and to book. West Dorset Carers Support Group Do you care for someone who is severely affected by mental health illness? West Dorset Carers Support Group run a confidential and friendly group once a month for carers to come and receive information, support and meet other carers. The group meet on the first Monday of every month from 3.30pm until 5.00pm in the White Room, Chapel in the Garden, Bridport (Rax Lane entrance) DT6 3JJ. For more information, please contact our coordinators on the group email: westdorsetcarers@rethink.org. Explore the Nature Buddies Network The Nature Buddies Network, organised by Dorset National Landscape, is a growing community of trained volunteers across Dorset, helping more people to explore and enjoy the outdoors with confidence and feel better, inside and out. If you’re interested in finding out more and becoming a Nature Buddy, requesting a Buddy or getting your organisation involved please visit: https://dorset-nl.org.uk/project/nature-buddies-network or contact Kate & Jules stepin2nature@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk Bridport Town Council Community Grants Scheme Bridport Town Council’s Community Grant Scheme is now open. Grants are awarded each year to local charitable, voluntary or other similar bodies but are not for private organisations or individuals. For 2025/26, the Town Council particularly welcomes, but not exclusively, applications that demonstrate a benefit in terms of youth and young people. Further information, the application form and guidance is available here. If you would like a paper copy please call the Town Council on 01308 456722. The closing date for applications is Thursday 21st August at 5.00pm. Late applications will not be accepted. Burton Road to West Bay Trailway Consultation Bridport Town Council has produced a draft management plan for the Burton Road to West Bay trailway area. This area has never been designated an open space and does not currently have a management plan so Bridport Town Council want to formalise this and hopefully work with a volunteer group to manage the area. The review considers current uses and looks to improve the area for wildlife and community use. The draft management plan has split the area into six key sections and the management plan process includes a community consultation to define the aims, objectives and actions for the next five years. The draft management plan is available to view here. The consultation postcard can be viewed here and can be returned to the town council office or to the Bridport Tourist Information Centre. The closing date for comments is 31st August 2025. Dorset Council Community Transport Grant 2025-26 A new grant is available from Dorset Council called the 'Dorset Community Transport Grant 2025-26.' The aim of the Dorset Community Transport grant is to support Dorset residents with the continued cost of living challenge delivered by Dorset Council services and with our Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) partners. The fund aims to invest in the sustainability of Dorset's community transport network. Capital grants of up to £5,000 with 20% match funding and/or a revenue grant of up to £2,500 (no match funding required) are available. The application process is live from Monday 14th July and the closing date is midnight on Monday 8th September. For further information and to apply, click here. Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy Consultation Dorset is known for its natural beauty and is home to lots of nature areas with a variety of wildlife. But over the years the amount and variety of wildlife has reduced and many areas for nature have been split up or lost. Nature Recovery Dorset is a movement to restore, enhance and connect spaces for nature in our county. It has been collectively created to help bring together and drive forward action to recover nature and create a more wildlife-rich county. Making space for nature doesn’t just support wildlife, it also offers lots of benefits to people too, such as: • flood protection • better water quality • more healthy and sustainable food • combatting climate change • access to nature rich greenspaces which help our physical and mental health Help us shape the Dorset local nature recovery strategy which is out for consultation until 30th July 2025 by having your say here. Volunteer Centre Dorset - VCS Networks Survey Volunteer Centre Dorset are planning to establish in-person locality-based VCS Networks across Dorset to bring people together who work in local organisations, charities or groups. To ensure these networks are placed where they are wanted, needed, and will truly benefit the sector, please could you help us by answering a few quick questions about frequency and what you would like from a VCS Network? We know that there are already some great meetings in place, and we will not replicate things that are already working well. If you know of one already established in your area, could you please let us know on the form. The Living Tree - Newsletter The latest Living Tree newsletter is now available and features Katrina's Race For Life, an afternoon cream tea fundraiser on 20th July in aid of Weldmar Hospicecare, outreach events, support and more.

The Puncknowle, Swyre and West Bexington History Group hold monthly meetings to discuss the local history of our area, and during the spring and summer months also organise history walks. Recently there was a presentation by our own historian-in- residence Paul Kingston on Litton. If you would like to know more about the group, and learn more about your local surroundings please contact Paul Bullen 07527141560 paul.bullen@icloud.com