News
New youth festival brings music, art - and a surprising burst of community spirit
2+ hour, 29+ min ago (206+ words) A new youth-focused event will bring music, art and community spirit to Wimborne this Easter as the town launches its first major programme as Dorset Town of Culture 2026. Running throughout the Easter holidays, the UPLIFT Youth Festival will feature workshops,…...
Students from Bournemouth school perform at world’s largest dance convention
16+ hour, 21+ min ago (242+ words) More than 40 students from a Dorset school took to the stage at the world's largest dance convention in London. Performers from LEAF Studio school in Bournemouth delivered six routines at MOVE IT 2026, held at ExCeL London from March 20 to March…...
A year of impact: celebrating the success of SEND consent work at STARS Dorset
1+ week, 2+ day ago (429+ words) A pioneering education programme is making a difference for young people with additional needs through targeted support. STARS Dorset's specialist consent education and support programme is aimed at young people and adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across…...
Networking event connects students with 24 design companies
2+ week, 3+ day ago (260+ words) A GRAPHIC design networking event saw university students connect with nearly 50 industry professionals. On March 11, Arts University Bournemouth hosted its tenth annual graphic design networking event, which saw students connect with professionals from 24 companies. From Bournemouth-based agencies to companies in…...
Improve support for autistic people to prevent death by suicide, say experts
4+ week, 16+ hour ago (391+ words) A lifetime of inequality is leading autistic people down a path to despair, a study has said. A study, published in eClinicalMedicine, was led by Cambridge and Bournemouth universities, and found that failures beginning in childhood education and continuing through…...
New sensory-friendly waiting room will support neurodivergent children
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (488+ words) Ahead of Children's Mental Health Week, next week, a new sensory-friendly waiting room has opened at Dorset HealthCare's child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) clinic in Poole. The sensory-adapted space has been created following feedback from local people and…...
RSPCA's Ashley Heath centre âfullâ after âchallenging yearâ
3+ mon, 6+ day ago (411+ words) AN animal rescue centre near Ringwood is "full" of animals that need a home following a "challenging year with an epidemic of animal abandonment and neglect". Staff at the RSPCA's Ashley Heath Centre are preparing to care for animals recovering…...
'We’re parents trying to do our best, trying to be a voice for our children"
4+ mon, 4+ week ago (463+ words) RESIDENTS gathered outside Bournemouth town hall on Monday to protest what they describe as a "broken" special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Organised by SEND Sanctuary UK, the demonstration saw around a dozen mothers lay pairs of shoes in…...
Scrapping two-child benefit cap cost-effective way to reduce poverty – IFS
5+ mon, 1+ week ago (411+ words) Reversing the two-child benefit cap would be one of most cost-effective ways of reducing child poverty, a think tank has said ahead of a Budget in which the Chancellor is widely expected to announce changes to the limit. The Institute…...
Children in south west benefit from government-funded childcare
6+ mon, 1+ week ago (218+ words) More than 55,000 children in the south west are receiving support through government-funded childcare. The initiative, which aims to relieve pressure on household finances and support parents in work, has seen a nationwide uptake of 530,000 children, surpassing the original target of…...