Meeting Minutes for Planet Shaftesbury

Ed Bersey
Dec 3, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Jan 28

Welcome to Our Community Gathering

Present: Ed Bersey, Jocelyn Elson-Riggins, Karen Wimhurst, Richard Thomas, Robin Walter, Emma Smith, John Nelson, Christina Strickland, Rachel Bodle, Rachel Tappin, Lucy Young, John Wilkinson, Diana Harris.

Apologies: Adrian Walker.

Overview of Our Progress

Rachel shared a brief overview of how the new look for Planet Shaftesbury has evolved from our previous meetings. We welcomed Rachel Tappin and John Wilkinson to our group.
Actions from the last meeting were reviewed. Rachel and Robin have spoken to Chris Smaje, and all other actions have been completed.

Website Funding Discussion

We discussed various options for website funding. For now, we agreed to park this issue. The two Rachels will work together to complete a form from Swans Trust, which may cover the website costs. Lucy and Rachel Bodle will explore options for joining Sustainable Dorset.

We want to extend our gratitude to Ed Bersey for funding the website over the past few years. The payment has now switched to a monthly plan, which is helpful. Due to data limitations, Ed plans to delete everyone from the newsletter, requiring people to sign up again. The costs for the website can vary; for instance, the Rolls Royce system costs £408.00 per annum.

Newsletter Contributions

We had a debrief on the newsletter. Everyone is encouraged to contribute reports on their projects, along with photos. So far, the new system seems to be working well. It would be helpful to publish deadlines on WhatsApp. The next newsletter content is due by 14th December, to Ed.

Managing Website Communication

Robin has kindly agreed to monitor the website email for a short while. Currently, traffic does not seem too high to manage, but the new system is not fully operational yet. Ed, Robin, and Rachel will sort this out. In the future, we could share this responsibility on a rota basis.

Engaging the Community

We have sent a list to Keri for interviews for Alfred. This initiative aims to include people who are not typically associated with climate change. The series will be aired soon, helping to spread the word about Planet Shaftesbury and encouraging more community involvement in the climate emergency. Karen will suggest that Keri promotes ways to take action, such as talking to neighbours or contacting Planet Shaftesbury.

Support from Shaftesbury Town Council

The Shaftesbury Town Council has provided us with considerable support over the past few years. However, this support was slightly dented when they refused funding for our website. We believe this decision stemmed from one or two individuals and is not worth making a drama out of.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), which includes the green wheel, has been enthusiastically adopted by many. The LNRS is about to be adopted by Dorset Council, and we hope it will drive local action.

Film Screening Ideas

We discussed the film "Raving on the Avon," which focuses on water quality and comes highly recommended by John Wilkinson. We are considering pursuing a screening at the Art Centre. Should we form a film working group? We could involve Liz Foster from the Art Centre in this effort.

Venue Availability

10. The Town Hall is now much busier and harder to book. Rachel has spoken with the Grosvenor, which offers community groups free access to accommodation as long as it is booked. We encourage everyone to share recommendations to help identify locations across the town.

Community Concerns

11. There is a request for comments regarding the Waddon Cross oil drilling facility in West Dorset. We encourage everyone to voice their opinions.

Next Steps

The date for our next meeting is Thursday 22nd at the Grosvenor, starting at 6:00 PM.

Let’s keep working together to make a positive impact on our environment!

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For more information about our initiatives, please visit Planet Shaftesbury.

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Thank you for your continued support and engagement!