The Bridport Local Area Partnership (BLAP) is here for the community. Current members of the partnership include Bridport Town Council, 9 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 BLAP Members' Meeting The BLAP Members' meeting will take place this Thursday 5th March, 2.15pm at Mountfield and there is also the option to join via Zoom. The meeting will include a short presentation from Kate Townsend, Stepping into Nature Project Coordinator of the Nature Buddies initiative, coordinated by the Dorset National Landscape team. All BLAP members are very welcome to attend. West Bay Discovery Centre - Talk This illustrative talk 'Boozy Bridport' by Chris Stevens on Thursday 5th March, 2.30pm - 4pm at the Salt House, West Bay DT6 4HB will give a history of the many interesting inns and public houses in the Bridport area. Some of the earlier pubs were run little more than as a sideline in the front room until economics or legislation closed them down. Chris will show where some old pubs were and what has happened to them. He will also look at the pubs that have been in the town for many years, some of which have changed their names many times. Ticket Price: £5.00 available from Bridport Tourist Information Centre on 01308 424901 or online here. West Bay Discovery Centre - March Opening Times • 7th & 8th March - Open weekend, 11:00am - 4:00pm • 14th & 15th March - Open weekend, 11:00am - 4:00pm • From 17th March - 1st November - Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00am - 4:00pm, including Monday during school holidays and bank holidays. After some much-needed maintenance work, the West Bay Discovery Centre is ready to welcome visitors during weekends in March. From 17th March, we will be open six days a week, from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Admission is free and donations are warmly welcome. Wessex Water Community Drop-in Come and meet Wessex Water and chat to us in person if you have a query about: • Your Water Bill • Your Water and Sewerage Services • How to save water and prevent sewer blockages We will be at Bridport Library, South Street, Bridport DT6 3NY on Wednesday 11th March from 10am - 2pm. Bridport History Society - Talk The next meeting of the Bridport History Society is on Thursday 12th March when the Society will be welcoming Prof. Karen Hunt who will give a talk in this centenary year of the General Strike of 1926 called 'What about the workers?' which will explore Bridport's early labour movement. The Society’s AGM will also take place during the meeting. The talk will be held at the United Church Hall on East Street, Bridport. Doors open at 2.15pm for a prompt 2.30pm start. All are welcome. Members £1pp and visitors £5pp. Bridport History Society meets on the second Thursday of each month (except July and August). Membership is open to all (£12 individual/£18 couple). For more information visit Bridport History Society. Holy Trinity Church, Bothenhampton - Jane Eyre An enchanting production of Jane Eyre at Holy Trinity Church, South Lawns, Bothenhampton DT6 4BH on Friday 13th March at 7.00pm. Doors will open at 6.30pm and refreshments will be available for a donation prior to the performance. Adult tickets cost £18.75 and under 16s £14.75 and are available to purchase here. Wheelchair users can access the steps up to the church via the stair climber. West Bay Discovery Centre - New Exhibition From Tuesday 17th March, our new exhibition 'Changing Landscapes' will open as part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Jurassic Coast as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recognised internationally for its exceptional rocks, fossils and landforms, the Jurassic Coast tells a 185-million-year story of Earth’s history. This exhibition highlights the Outstanding Universal Value of this unique coastline and helps visitors better understand how it has shaped - and continues to shape - the landscape we see today. Although cliff falls have occurred throughout history, their frequency has increased noticeably in recent years, making this topic more relevant than ever. Bridport Town Council - Annual Meeting The annual meeting of Bridport Town Council will take place at the Town Hall on Tuesday 17th March at 6.30pm. Full details of the meeting will be made available on the Town Council website. Bridport Millennium Green - Talk In support of Bridport Millennium Green, Bruce Upton will give a talk entitled 'Corruption and Scandal - The Rotten Story of Parliamentary Elections in Bridport up to 1885' on Thursday 19th March, 2.30pm at the WI Hall, North Street, Bridport. £5 (£4 members), please pay cash on the door. Bridport Stage Company - Juliet and her Romeo Bridport Stage Company has already raised over £8,000 for Samaritans whilst also priding ourselves on offering a project and a group that is supportive and welcoming for those with a variety of challenges, from depression, anxiety, anorexia , ADHD, ASD etc. We welcome all ages, from as young as 5 in the past (with parents accompanying) and are very excited by our progress. Currently we are rehearsing our production of 'Juliet and her Romeo' which will be performed in Bridport Town Hall on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th May. Tickets cost 10.00 and are available from Bridport Tourist Information Centre or online here. Bridport Youth & Community Centre - 18-25s Games Night Calling all 18-25 year olds! Join us for our monthly games night at Bridport Youth & Community Centre, Gundry Lane, Bridport DT6 3RL on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, 6.30pm - 9.30pm. There will be a wide selection of games, or bring your own! Help & Care Six Week HOPE Course Take a positive approach to looking after yourself and sign up for the Help & Care free six week HOPE (Help Overcoming Problems Effectively) course. The course covers topics including: • Managing stress and fatigue • Getting better sleep • Mindfulness • Dealing with setbacks • Communication and relationships • Getting active, creative and eating well • Using your strengths to make you happier The course will take place at The Chapel in the Garden, 49 East Street, Bridport DT6 3JX commencing Thursday 16th April - Thursday 21st May, 10am - 12.30pm. To book a place, please contact 0300 111 3303 or email: hope@helpandcare.org.uk. Dorset Council Age Friendly Dorset Work Ageing Without Children (AWOC) is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting and advocating for people who are ageing without the support of adult children. It is currently reviewing its strategy to decide priorities for the next 4 years and is running a short survey to find out more about your experiences and views. As part of their Age-friendly Dorset work, Dorset Council are encouraging people to respond to the five questions being asked - details of the survey can be found here. The survey closes on Friday 6th March. Dorset Home Library Service The Home Library Service is available free of charge to anybody who is unable to get to their local library due to health or mobility issues, or if they are a carer. Books are chosen individually according to personal preferences and delivered by Royal Voluntary Service volunteers every 3 weeks, providing a constant supply of books combined with a friendly visit. All volunteers are DBS checked and receive ongoing training and support. Anybody interested in receiving the Home Library Service can contact the RVS office in Dorset on 01305 236666 or email: dorsethomelibraryservice@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk, or contact their local library. Health Watch Dorset - Share Your Views NHS and social care staff are doing everything they can to keep us well during these challenging times, but there might be things that can be improved for you and your loved ones. Tell us about your experiences of NHS and social care services. Giving feedback, both good and bad, can help improve local services. Please take three minutes to share your story with us. The Bridge Magazine The March edition of the Bridge Magazine includes updates from Bridport and surrounding parish churches, celebrations to mark the Bridport Branch British Legion Hall's 150th anniversary, spotlight on Bridport Town Council's Works Manager, the threat of the yellow legged hornet on native bees, local clubs and more. Bride Valley News The March edition of the Bride Valley News includes updates and events from Burton Bradstock, Litton Cheney, Shipton Gorge and Puncknowle & Swyre including parish council updates and information and news on a wide range of groups and events. Chideock News The March edition of the Chideock News including Seatown and North Chideock is now available. Eggardon & Colmers View Magazine The latest Eggardon and Colmers View magazine is now available. This includes updates from Askerswell, Broadoak, Dottery, Eype, Loders, Powerstock and Symondsbury.

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

Parish Council – Next Meeting: Tuesday 10th March, 7.00pm at LATCH During its January meeting, the Parish Council determined what the parish precept would be for 2026/27. The precept is the amount of money the council believes it will cost to administer and look after the village during the coming fiscal year. At the time of writing, it would appear the precept will need to rise to cater for anticipated additional expenditure as central and local governments look to move costs further down the line, requiring town and parish councils to take on more responsibilities. Whilst in monetary terms the rise will be small (around £20 p.a. for a Band D residence), this will of course be in addition to any rise in Council Tax administered by Dorset Council. Rest assured, every effort will be made to ensure those extra £’s are used effectively, and wisely. Part of our ability to minimise costs comes from the willingness of a number of local residents such as the Premier Crew to help out with tasks that would normally carry a cost if carried out by a contractor – thank you. 2026 – The Year of the Parish Plan We are looking for people to offer up a small amount of their time over the next nine months or so, and can apply their sense of vision and enquiring nature to help put together a new Parish Plan for Litton Cheney. A copy of the last PP from 2005 can be found on the village website littoncheney.org.uk and it will give you a flavour of what needs to be achieved. It comes down to what residents of Litton Cheney would like their village to become over the next ten to twenty years, and what needs to be put in place in order for that to happen. The first thing we need to do is put together a steering group of independent minds – it will work outside of the Parish Council - who will put together an initial village survey asking residents to indicate their thoughts and hopes. This is not another shot at deciding if more housing is required in Litton and of what type, although it will have a part to play. Please, take a look at the 2005 Parish Plan, which hopefully will give you a clearer picture of what needs to be achieved. If you believe this is something you can assist with, please contact a member of the Parish Council (details can be found on the village website). Without your involvement, this is going nowhere, it is time to stand up and make a difference. Thank you in anticipation. Village Christmas Tree – Thank you to those gallant souls who installed the Christmas Tree at the Triangle, and lit up the Jubilee Hut and trees, plus did it all in reverse as 12th Night approached post new year. Litton Cheney sends very best wishes to Rev’d Andrew Rawding as he begins his epic journey of recovery from his horrendous motorcycle accident prior to Christmas. Bingo! On behalf of the Bingo Fundraising Group, I would like to say a huge Thank You to everyone who supported us by donating prizes and/or coming to our bingo evening in December where we raised £800 for Weldmar. It was a hugely enjoyable evening. The next bingo event will be on Friday 27th March 2026. Jackie Horsley What’s on at Litton and Thorner’s Community Hall (LATCH) in February REGULAR EVENTS Tuesdays 4.45 – 5.45pm Short Mat Bowls (Ron Davidson 482661) Wednesdays 4.45 – 5.45 Table Tennis (Paul Kingston 482162) 7.00pm Yoga with Jane (Jane Hutchins 07882 527697) Thursdays 9.15 – 11.15am First Steps Toddlers (fortnightly, term time only) OTHER EVENTS Thursday 5 th From 7,00pm Film Night -The Salt Path - Film starts 7.30 Saturday 14 th 10.00am Deanery Synod. Open meeting for PCCs Thursday 19 th 11.00am Morning Artsreach Show for children – “To Catch a Book Witch”. Coming up in March: Sunday 2 nd 10.00am Yoga with Nadiya (nadiyasime@hotmail.com) Thursday 5 th From 7.00pm Film Night – The Roses – starts 7.30 Saturday 7 th Evening Artsreach Show - Details yet to come. Village Cafés: The hall is available for hire free of charge on Saturday mornings for a Café to raise funds for any group. It’s a good social event for the community and always popular. Hall Bookings/viewings: Wendy Firrell 01308 482532 wtlitton@gmail.com