We did not foresee a global pandemic would promptly put us all into three total Lockdowns during 2020/21. However, even with a pandemic, we tentatively started with a monthly Sunday market. It started with just seven stalls. In November 2021 ‘Best in Dorset’ and ‘Dorset Food and Drink’ got together, and with a bit of funding from the governments Welcome Back Fund, pushed to make it the biggest yet and 32 traders applied. Many of the stall holders were from Weymouth, and all were from Dorset.

It was fabulous, fresh breads, cakes, sourdough pizzas, hand made glass crafts, something for pets, fresh coffee beans, olives, even bespoke made gnomes if you want them. Topped off with singing from the Rock Choir, it wrapped itself around the White Hart pub in town. We hope the same traders come back in December for the last market before Christmas.

We are grateful to Best in Dorset, Dorset Food and Drink, the Welcome Back Fund for helping us make this happen. Also to Weymouth Town Centre Management Team, the Town Council, WeAreWeymouth/Weymouth BID, and the National Markets Traders Federation for supporting it.

Community working together can make a difference.

Businesses in Weymouth are invited to find out what support is available to help them move forward after the pandemic at an event on Tuesday.

Weymouth Bounces Back, will be held at Weymouth College on October 26, from 9.30am until 1pm.

Guest speakers from eight organisations including the regional Federation of Small Businesses, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Dorset Growth Hub and Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce will each contribute a 15-minute slot, with time available for questions.

Weymouth Area Development Trust CEO Chris Wilson said: “This is a great opportunity to find out what support is available and chat to other businesses about the way ahead after the challenges of the pandemic lockdowns.

“Support on offer could include free advertising on websites, potential grants and finance, and promotions with We are Weymouth and the Chamber of Commerce.

“Everyone has been affected by the pandemic and this is a chance for businesses  to learn from each other and access help and support.”

A Dorset LEP Business Impact Survey monitored the impact of COVID-19 on businesses of all sizes in the county. The vast majority of respondents – 88 per cent – reported that the pandemic has had a major impact causing significant disruption to their business operations.

Doors open at 9am for coffee at the Weymouth Bounces Back event, and all the organisations represented will have stalls and information to browse.

To keep everyone safe the organisers recommend face masks are worn, and that everyone attending has been double-jabbed. The venue also recommends that visitors take a lateral flow test before attending.

The event is being made possible by Dorset Council, the European Regional Development Fund and HM Government.

Book your ticket for the event at  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/weymouth-bounces-back-tickets-183422229827

Weymouth’s Coastal Community Team is a partnership that includes WeareWeymouth, Weymouth College, Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce, Weymouth Town Council, Dorset Council and Weymouth Area Development Trust.

This event is part of the Welcome Back programme and is supported by:

At the latest Full Town Council Committee meeting, members discussed and agreed details for the Tumbledown project. The project aims to bring the land back in to use in a sustainable way that will hugely benefit the local community.

Weymouth Town Council has partnered with Weymouth Area Development Trust (WADT) to develop these plans and manage the successful delivery of the project going forward.

Results from a 2019 public consultation were used to identify key themes for the project. These include growing local food, providing opportunities for local people to access the space to improve health and wellbeing, harvesting of natural resources to promote sustainability and exploring income streams, such as food produce and growing plants in an on-site nursery.

Another focus outlined in the business plan is to use the space for a range of educational purposes. The intention is to offer facilities for people of all ages, needs and abilities. This will include working with local schools, colleges, and childcare providers, local community groups and adult social care.  It may also provide  alternative provision to meet the needs of local children at risk of, or excluded from school by offering alternative educational activities beyond the classroom.

Cllr Jon Orrell commented:

“We’re excited about the benefits this project will offer the community. There has been promising progress already on site, thanks to the hard work of the project team and fantastic volunteers.

We encourage community participation with the project and value any contribution. We want Tumbledown to be a versatile space, connecting people with a place where their needs can be met.”

Clive Tuck, Project Development Manager explains ‘The Tumbledown area covers around 10 hectares of land in total. Within the site there is an area that is designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), two woodlands, an orchard and three fields. There are also several existing outbuildings on the land, one of which have already been renovated and is ready for use. We are now continuing with groundworks and other tasks around infrastructure on the site to provide safe access and the building blocks needed for ongoing progress towards the next phases of development.’

Tumbledown encourages community participation to create a connection between people and a place where their needs can be met and their contributions are valued.

You can find out more about the project, opportunities to get involved and sign up for updates on the Weymouth Town Council website or at WADT Website

Project Manager, Clive Tuck said “It is great to have Transition Towns supporting the start up of this community project and investing not only up to £2,000 in equipment but also their time and expertise.’

The Adult’s Social Services Team of the Weymouth Local Office spent the day at Tumbledown helping to get part of the site ready for next year. Alan Chambers (Locality Manager) is a member of Tumbledown’s Partnership Working Group. His teams of staff, including social workers, occupational therapists and support care workers all rolled up their sleeves to help install rabbit-proof fencing around Food Field 1, where we will be growing crops next year.

As well as Council staff we welcomed a small group of service-users to Tumbledown, who came along for a taste of what’s on offer. Working groups of six people were carefully arranged in different areas appropriately socially distanced, each with a set of tasks. There was a station for hand sanitisation and a morning introduction to make sure everyone could enjoy the day safely.

A tremendous effort by everyone, and we nearly managed to fence off the entire field! Alan and his teams made good progress and they all seemed to enjoy a day in the sunshine. Care staff encouraged service-users to consider the value of Tumbledown to them as individuals in the future. Working together and sharing tasks, being in nature and learning new skills will be a central feature of Tumbledown, who’s vision is to be an inclusive greenspace which nurtures the life giving environment to support community led growing, learning and well-being, now and for future generations.