East Boro Housing Trust is seeking two Independent Voluntary Board Members. If you want to help a not for profit charitable organisation that provides social housing homes and support services throughout Dorset to many people in need of supported housing and care services in the communities that we operate within, they want to hear from you.
Meeting on a monthly basis, the Board is responsible for overseeing East Boro’s policy-making, activities and services.
For further information, please contact Cara Lewis on 01202 883503 ext 015, or email your CV to clewis@ebht.org.uk. Closing date Monday 11th January.
Full and part time support workers requires in Sturminster Newton Dorset – click here full details.
As a support worker you will play a key role in enabling the people you support to carry out all of the daily living tasks involved in everyday life, across 18 supported-living flats in Sturminster Newton. No experience required. Call Lucy at the Affinity Trust on 07584 528380 or email her on lucywhite@affinitytrust.org.
We here at the digital Blackmore Vale magazine are really excited to be working with the team at Dogs Dogs Dogs – and we’re kicking things off with a giveaway of this amazing heavy duty Waterproof Dog Bed; depending on the size you need, it’s worth up to £114!
If you win you get to choose the size you need, obviously: if you have a Jack Russell in a tiny cottage, then you’ll probably not be wanting the jumbo sized option… We, on the other hand, had a Rottweiler; we would definitely have needed the Jumbo dog bed. Good grief that dog could take up some room!
Dogs Dogs Dogs are a local company with a national reputation, with a website which is quite strict on its product range – naming it was a tricky one:
“After many hours thinking up names for the company they had a brainwave and decided on Dogs Dogs Dogs. It’s a bit of a giveaway but they wanted to be sure absolutely no cats would get the wrong idea and visit their website. All of the products on here have been carefully chosen by the pair to suit DOGS and not cats.”
And we’re thrilled to be giving away one Country Dog waterproof dog bed – 100% Waterproof Dog Bed, heavy duty, thick and comfortable for one lucky winning dog to luxuriate in this winter.
No more uncomfortably damp and lingeringly smelly beds – you can just give this one a wipe over and it’s good to go again, even if they clamber in straight after a long wet walk in January.
To be in with a chance to win, just answer the first four questions in the widget box below. There are more chances to win by completing the other entry options if you so wish – they’re entirely up to you! The closing date for this competition is 12th January 2021 and only entries received on or before that date can be included. The prize will go to the first randomly chosen entry. Good luck! (competition opens when the December issue of the magazine publishes on the 4th December)
This Covid virus is a persistent one isn’t? There is absolutely no one who wanted to have to have a second lockdown. However, the Government has always said it will be guided by the health experts. And I do mean proper real experts rather than the rash of ‘armchair epidemiologists’ that spring up like mushrooms. By the time you are reading this I will have voted with the Prime Minister for a second lockdown. From my postbag I know that there is not universal support for this so let me explain briefly why I have done so.
First this was always a public health emergency.
It should only be confronted as such. Of course there have been significant impacts on the economy both locally and nationally but, as we have seen from a wide package of measures from the Treasury, these can, in great part, be mitigated. We are into the season of short days and miserable weather. There will be negative impacts on mental health and on domestic violence as lockdown challenges bite. Both are horrendous but again, with resource, attention and engagement they can be addressed as they were during the first lockdown. What cannot be mitigated against is a tidal wave of pressures on the NHS that sees the whole edifice collapse. It’s great that so many nurses have registered to return to the NHS.
That said, the pressure on the sophisticated nursing skills of those who practice in ICU using ventilators and other associated equipment is great and we have to keep a clear eye on that resource. It is the season, less of mists and mellow fruitfulness and more of flu, respiratory and cardiac problems bringing the annual ‘winter crisis’ in their wake. Such a lethal cocktail of NHS demand could see our hospitals and ambulance service at snapping point. Beds and wards full of Covid patients means, in stark terms, that other needy patients would be back at the queue.
I am confident that the measures of lockdown can contain the spread of the virus, reduce demand pressure on doctors, nurses and beds ensuring headroom for non-Covid health issues to be attended to. In my opinion it would be an abdication of responsibility not to lockdown.
A word or two on schools remaining open if I may?
With three daughters in local schools I know how pleased they were to return to school. I also know, from conversations with Heads that too many children, those who can least afford to, have fallen back in their learning as a result of earlier school closures. Heads, staff, governors have all risen magnificently to the challenge of getting our schools as Covid secure as they can and where there have been cases these have not spread schoolwide due to robust action. We cannot sacrifice the futures of our young. We must ensure that education provides them with the keys to unlock life’s opportunities doors. With continued vigilance and commonsense our schools will and should stay open.
Passed away very suddenly on November 8th 2020 aged 57.
Much adored and devoted mum to Tilly and Noah. Dearly loved and loving daughter to helen and the late Stephen. Much loved sister and best friend to Melanie.
Always with us.
The family are thankful for the thoughts and messages reveived.
I can’t write about digital marketing in November without talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I know it’s unpopular with Indie businesses – but with November in our second lockdown, more purchases will be made online in time for Christmas than ever before. Statistics show that Brits plan to spend an estimated £6 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases this year*. Consumers save their pennies, search out the best deals and stalk products they plan to buy, waiting for the best deals.
Joanne Dewberry
Black Friday falls on 27th November, and Cyber Monday on 30th , giving you plenty of time to organise your offers and deals:
1. Preparation is key: Prepare your offers/discounts in advance, ensure you have adequate stock and the levels are correct in your shop. Clear your diary as all you will be doing on Black Friday is promotion, keep your campaign on track and be aware of the stock levels throughout the day.
2. Be specific: Instead of having an overall discount giving customers a huge range to choose from, place two or three items on offer. By limiting the offer you spark interest, while increasing FOMO (fear of missing out) and desire from potential customers. Have a specific deadline 24 hours, 48 hours, don’t leave it indefinite as you need the time to increase FOMO and induce need to buy now.
3. Start teasing customers: Don’t leave your Black Friday deals to the last minute. Start creating an interest in the products and your offers as soon as with carefully scripted hints and images. Let your customers know when and where these deals/offers will be available.
4. Use social media: Tag all your offers with #BlackFriday, Use countdowns and clear imagery – lifestyle shots work really well as potential customers can see how the products will fit into their life. Update on stock levels increasing FOMO, make it easy and obvious how to purchase from social media too.
5. Have something special for regular customers: Send a newsletter out to your regular customers with a discount/offer just for them, this in turn makes them feel valued.
It appears 2020 is the year many people are switching to a real tree – the British Christmas Tree Growers Association have said there has been a 24% sales rise year-on-year.
But an argument has waged for a few years now over whether a reusable artifical tree is actually a greener option than a real tree being cut down.
Artificial Trees have seen a growth in popularity over the last couple decades, with many thinking they are the ‘green’ choice, saving a real tree from the axe and being re-used year after year. But environmentalists actually disagree; mostly due to one ingredient – they are made of plastic. A 6.5ft artificial tree has a carbon footprint equivalent to about 40kg of greenhouse gas emissions – over twice that of a real tree that ends its life in landfill, and ten times that of a real tree which is burnt.
Recycle a fresh tree for compost or mulch, and it has negligible or even negative emissions. The Weldmar Hospicecare charity and their popular Tree-cycle scheme are reviving for 2021. Click the link to book your own collection – they’ll be in this area on the 8th of January, and suggested donation is £10.
Trinity Street Christmas Trees owner Pete Hyde said “This year we have partnered with Weldmar Hospicecare – in return for a donation to this valuable charity, we will collect and dispose of your tree with environmental responsibility”.
Buying a real, local Christmas tree is good for the economy and the environment and also makes for great memories.
When buying a real tree, Friends of the Earth advise to look for one that is locally produced – and we’re incredibly lucky to have some great growers right on our doorstep.
“Locally grown real trees are the best option if you can getone,” says Mike Childs, head of research at Friends of theEarth.
“At any one time in the UK there are about 100m trees growing with all the benefits that trees give to the environment. These trees would not be growing if it weren’t for the Christmas tree market,” “People worry about the environmental impact of having a cut tree but in fact, the growing process is positive” confirms Pete Hardy “one acre of our plantation provides the daily oxygen needs for 18 people, whilst a single farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 throughout its lifetime.”
It’s the start ofChristmas.
Buying a real tree creates a memorable family moment, and often heralds the start of the Christmas period. For us it’s a
family affair, and we all head to one of the local grower’s field days to select our trees and see them cut down. It’s definitely the start of Christmas in our house!
Surely growing Christmas trees is easy money for land- owners?
Pete Hyde laughs – ‘you’d think, wouldn’t you? But it’s taken me the last seven years to work out just how much care and attention they need throughout the year to get the right Christmas Tree shape in December. The amount involved in growing and caring for Christmas trees is immense! The planting, cutting, pruning, constant shaping, sensitive feeding… Plus it takes up to 10 years to grow a six-foot tree – that’s a lot of nurturing!’
What type of tree?
Eight out of 10 trees sold in the UK are Nordman fir – the classic tree we all know, with the pine needles we tend to loathe! The remainder are nearly all Norway spruce – the non-dropping softer- needled variety, but all the growers we spoke to supply a variety of trees including Nordman Fir, Noble Fir, Frazier Fir plus the traditional spruces.
“The Christmas Tree selection process is often a happy occasion, but sometimes it can be contentious, with so much choice these days!” acknowledges Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group. “Gone are the days when it was just the size of the Norway Spruce that was the issue. We now stock, from specialist growers in the UK, seven or eight different varieties and in lots of sizes and forms including cut, potted and pot grown trees. Think carefully about the space you’re placing your tree in (width and height!) and whether you value needle retention over things like scent. The Nordman, Noble and Fraser Firs are the ultimate in Christmas Trees. Their luxurious and well- proportioned appearance and feel make them second to none. They also have little needle drop and the Fraser Fir has a wonderful scent.”
We asked Richard Deffee, Head Forester of the Cranborne Estate for his expert top tips on choosing a great tree this year:
• Measure your space before buying – they look much larger when you get them in the house than out in the field!
• The Nordmann fir are more expensive than the traditional Norway spruce, but they will hold their needles much better.
• Buy from the grower if you can as you will usually get a better
deal and a fresher tree. Some growers allow access to the ‘growing trees’ in the field – this way you are guaranteed a fresh tree and lots of choice.
• If you can’t buy from a grower then do buy British, and local if you can – many trees are imported and may have been cut many weeks prior to purchase.
If you already have an artificial tree, do keep it and keep using it – but if it becomes a little bedraggled and artificial is still your thing – maybe you could opt for a second hand one in order to keep the carbon footprint down.
So how dowe ‘Stopthe Drop’?
The biggest fear of a real tree is that dreaded needle drop. But if you follow the right steps, it needn’t be an issue.
That way your tree will be freshly cut: It’s no surprise that one which was cut three weeks ago and travelled from another country is feeling a little weary by the time it gets into your house. If you can, use one of the local growers open field days. Failing that, buy from someone who uses a local grower so that you know your tree is as fresh as possible.
2 – Don’t decorate toosoon.
There are limits on how long a tree will stay fresh. Keep it in your garden in a bucket of water, and only bring it into the house when you’re ready to decorate, as late as possible. If your tree has been up for four weeks by Christmas Day, it’s going to be past its best.
3 – Trim the bottom
Before putting it up, cut a 2cm slice off the bottom of the trunk: the same way you trim a bunch of flowers before putting them in a vase.
4 – Water it!
At the end of the day, it’s a giant house plant! Always keep them in a stand which holds water, and top up the water levels daily. We have big trees, and I water them every night before bed. I know each will drink at least a litre of water a day.
5 – Avoid the heat.
If you have a choice, try not to place your tree right next to a radiator or fire.
