Some months ago at a concert in the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester I picked up a badge from the merchandise stall. In white writing on a black background it asked a simple question: ‘What’s going to happen now?’ With war in Ukraine, a looming energy crisis and Britain registering an air temperature of more than 40 degrees Celsius for the first time in recorded history, it seemed a more than pertinent question. As we head into 2023 it now feels more pertinent than ever. Here at The Marshwood Vale Magazine we have been highlighting all that is good about the wider local community for more than 21 years. We have managed to support hundreds of local organisations and initiatives as well as help launch food and literary festivals and promote an Arts Award that now reaches artists and makers all over the world. But the most pressing thing that we want to highlight in the coming years is the need to protect our beautiful yet fragile environment, and to celebrate the natural biodiversity around us. However, to do that we will need your help. Whether as readers donating, or local businesses advertising in support of this community resource, in order to expand our coverage of local environmental initiatives, health and wellbeing concerns and to continue supporting so many vital groups and organisations, we need readers to contribute to that future. We have managed to get through the pandemic – and that was no small task – but with ever increasing energy costs on top of a doubling of production costs in the last year, we have to ask for help to expand this coverage. In our cover story this month Samantha Knights talks about her fears for the state of our local rivers and seas and the ‘gross polluting of them’. This is one of many local concerns that we want to explore further. In this issue I was also struck by a comment from local businessman Alasdair Warren when he said that we all have to think about our local communities and ‘dig deep to support one another’. If you think you can help us to expand our coverage of nature, biodiversity, environment and health by donating toward our community’s future, please do so using the details on this page.
Donate to support your Marshwood
Please send donations either by cheque to Marshwood Vale Limited
(address below) or direct to Marshwood Vale Limited at Santander
a/c number 40455735 – Sort Code 09 06 66 – Ref: Donation
