Wareham &
District Development Trust (WDDT)
Annual Report
April 2010-March 2011
In its 9th
year of operation WDDT, a charitable company limited by
guarantee, has continued to sustain and develop projects in
pursuit of its
charitable objects, which are set out below:
-
To promote
general charitable purposes for the benefit of the
community of Wareham and the surrounding area, and to provide
relief from poverty and disadvantage, and to advance the
education
of
its residents of all ages, and in particular to provide
opportunities
for
the aforementioned residents to participate fully in the life of
their
community in ways which address and alleviate social and
economic deprivation.
-
To promote
the benefit of the inhabitants of Wareham and the
surrounding area by the provision of facilities for recreation
or other leisure time occupation of such persons who have need
of such
facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or
disability,
poverty or social and economic circumstances or for the public
at
large
in the interests of social welfare and with the object of
improving the condition of life of the said inhabitants.
Trustees
The Trustees
who served on the Board of WDDT in 2010-2011 are:
Philip Daubeny
(Chair)
Lara
Manningham-Buller (Treasurer)
Martin Adams
Bryan Bashford
Fleur Bugg
Cllr. Sue
Elmes
Cllr. Mike
Lovell
Guy Ryder
Peter
Scupholme
Members
Any individual
who lives or works in the Trust’s area of benefit (which covers
most of the administrative area of Purbeck District) is eligible
to
join
the Trust, as too are local businesses. The Trust has a membership
of
around
400 individuals and 30 businesses, though these numbers relate
back to 2002/2003/2004 and a programme of ‘re-communication’ and
enrolment is currently underway.
Staff,
Volunteers and Other Support
The Trust
continued to employ a part-time
Development Manager to ease the day-to-day pressure on the
Trustees.
Otherwise the achievements of 2010-2011 were due to the voluntary
efforts
of Trustees, supported by other volunteers, partner organisations
and
donations of labour, materials and the use of equipment.
Activities
The activities
of WDDT this year have been:
·
About Purbeck
·
Bere Regis
Skateboard Park
·
Big Society
·
Community Cafe
·
Hauses Field
·
Heaven’s
Gateway
·
Heritage Open
Days
·
Kimmeridge
Play Area
·
Market on the
Quay
·
National
Market Towns Awards
·
Neville-Jones’
Window
·
Performance &
Picnic Area
·
Priory
Community Meadow
·
Purbeck School
Car Boot Sale
·
Wareham Bears
·
Wareham
Croquet Club
·
Wareham in
Bloom
·
Wareham Town
Pound
·
Wareham Town
Quay Development
·
Wareham’s
Saxon Walls
·
WDDT AGM
·
WDDT Trustee
Recruitment
·
WDDT Web Site
About Purbeck
A misleading
article relating to WDDT and Priory Meadow appeared in the autumn
2010 edition of About Purbeck published by Purbeck District
Council. The article led the reader to believe that the PDC
Keystone Project was responsible for all the work done within
Priory Meadow, which it is not. A written apology was received and
WDDT have been granted a whole page within the summer 2011 edition
to promote their work and the need for more volunteers. This will
be circulated to all households within Purbeck.
Bere Regis
Skate Board Park
WDDT were
approached by Jim Ruddock, Bere Regis Parish Council, with a
request for help to construct a Skate Board Park in the village.
A meeting was
held at Hauses Field in October at which designs and costs were
discussed, they having been given a quote for £60,000, whereas the
Skate Board Park within Hauses Field cost WDDT £30,000, and the
one at Wool £18,000.
Jim Ruddock
was then to report back to his Parish Council, but thus far there
has been no further communication with WDDT.
Big Society
WDDT was
registered with the Big Society in July and as yet has no
meaningful feedback whatsoever.
Community Café
A short trial
was run within the Salt Pig on Friday evenings throughout February
& March. Although proving successful a more permanent and larger
venue is required, the old Holy Trinity Church being shortlisted
as and when the Information & Heritage Centre move from there
across the road to the Library, probably in early 2012.
Hauses Field
of Dreams
The 5 acres of
overgrown wilderness within the Northmoor Park Estate, Wareham,
previously converted into a ‘Field of Dreams’ by the Trust,
continues to be well maintained by WDDT, Weymouth College, the
Purbeck Day Centre and Wareham Town Council. The Field again was
included in Wareham in Bloom 2010 and helped the town to achieve a
Silver Gilt Award.
WDDT have, as
we still hold £5,000 in reserve for Hauses Field, been approached
by Wareham Town Council with a request for funding towards
improved lighting alongside the path running through the Field.
The £5,000 was offered but the request was then withdrawn and
replaced by a request for £1,600 towards more raised beds/sensory
gardens.
Heaven’s
Gateway
Plans to
re-landscape the land on either side of North Street alongside
both St Martins and St Edwards Churches (Heaven’s Gateway) have
been put on hold until ownership of the land can be confirmed.
Prior to the
Wareham in Bloom judging the land was cleared and tidied with WDDT
contribution £420 towards the costs of the temporary traffic light
and Highways Order.
Heritage Open
Days 2011
WDDT have
registered both the Wareham Saxon Walls and Town Pound as sites
well worth visiting during Heritage Open Days 8-11 September 2011
Kimmeridge
Play Area
WDDT have been
approached by Kimmeridge Parish Council with a request for support
in funding and creating a Children’s Play Area within the village,
but despite several attempts to carry on the conversation there
has been no response.
Market on the
Quay
The Saturday
‘Market on the Quay’ continues to be a strong and successful
enterprise, and WDDT retain a ‘seat’ on the Steering Group.
National
Market Towns Awards 2010
Priory
Community Meadow was entered under two categories, ‘Environment &
Culture’ and ‘Social & Community’. The judges said ‘a very good
project and very community minded’, but sadly no award.
Neville-Jones
Window
WDDT continues
to make regular use of the Neville-Jones ‘shop window’ in North
Street, Wareham, during April and October to promote the need for
more volunteers from the community to work on Priory Meadow.
Performance &
Picnic Area
The area has
now been improved by the addition of four new Purbeck stone seats,
a new ‘Time Line’ information board, new pathways, one leading
into Priory Meadow, and improved drainage around the Performance
Area.
This in turn
is now being used on a regular basis by those enjoying a picnic;
team-building groups, entertainers such as the Town Band and Music
Festival, an outdoor Church Service, and has also been used yet
again for the regional
finals of the
‘Southern Town Criers Competition’ in July, and has already been
booked for a similar event in 2011.
Priory Meadow
During this
year the revised ‘Management & Maintenance Plan’ for Priory Meadow
has continued
to be followed. The plan, based on the agreed need to ‘facilitate
the improvement of its natural biodiversity’, is based on the
activities that need to take place on a month by month basis ie
grass cutting, ditch clearing, tree
pruning, etc.
In support of this the students of the Purbeck Centre, Wareham,
have been
working on the meadow, utilising tools donated to WDDT by B&Q
through their
‘Good Neighbourhood’ community support scheme. They have
been ably
supported by the Community Payback team, Christian Youth
volunteers from as far away as Bristol, and the local community.
We have also enlisted the help of Peter Nemitz to put in place a
more regular grass cutting regime.
The meadow has
also been reseeded with a variety of wild flowers and a plaque has
been laid by Richard Cossey, Humphries Kirk, to mark their £300
contribution towards new trees within the meadow.
In addition a
new commemorative Purbeck stone bench, to the memory of Roy
Anderson, an ex-Trustee good friend of WDDT, was funded by his
family and situated alongside the path.
During the
course of the year the meadow has featured in the Purbeck Aware
Meadow
Mysteries Children’s Competition, the Dorset Arts Week ‘Circle of
Hope’ with flags created by the Purbeck Centre students and local
Guides and Brownies, and been a vital part of the Wareham in Bloom
Silver Gilt Award for 2010.
Purbeck School
Car Boot Sale
Sadly all
attempts by WDDT to re-instate the regular community event have
come to nothing.
Wareham Bears
www.thewarehambears.co.uk
Until the mid
90s the Wareham Bears were quite a tourist attraction within the
town, and still people come from all over the world to see them,
thinking that they are still here, when in fact they are at Wookey
Hole in Somerset.
Having said
that WDDT learnt that they were no longer on display, and
following further research have now been offered them on ‘first
refusal’.
Although
current WDDT ‘unrestricted’ funds would allow the purchase the
main problem is finding an affordable town centre location.
Discussions have taken place with Wareham Library, The Toy Museum
at Arne, Lulworth Castle, the proposed new Community Centre and
The Blue Pool, the latter looking the more positive for early
2012.
Wareham
Croquet Club
WCC approached
WDDT with a request for funding, and a collection at the AGM
raised £120.
Wareham in
Bloom
Again in the
summer of 2010 the WDDT projects of Priory Meadow and Hauses Field
helped Wareham in Bloom achieve a Silver Gilt Gold Award.
Wareham Town
Pound
The project to
rejuvenate the Town Pound in Pound Lane, Wareham, by installing
‘life-size’ durable all-weather models of farm animals is
progressing well in partnership with the students studying art at
the Purbeck School, their ‘mentor Maria Burns and CJS Landscape.
It is planned to have the project completed by the spring of 2012.
Wareham Town
Quay Development.
WDDT have been
approached by Purbeck District Council to see if we would like to
take on the ownership of the current toilet block site with a view
to redeveloping it. Although an interesting offer with a lot of
potential it has been agreed by the Board that it is too big a
project for WDDT alone and could only be progressed alongside
bigger and stronger partners.
Wareham’s
Saxon Walls
It was agreed
in late 2010 that as Purbeck District Council had neither the time
nor the funding to progress the Interpretation Boards project that
it would be handed over to WDDT. In early 2011 meetings took place
between WDDT, PDC, English Heritage, Dorset CC, Lilian Ladle,
Maria Burns and other interested parties and a plan of action was
agreed and a search for £35,000 of support funding begun. It is
hoped to have all eight boards in place by early 2012, plus 5,000
educational booklets based on the material created for the boards
and a transportable exhibition.
WDDT AGM
Held in
February 2011 it proved a great success. A packed Parish Hall were
treated to an enthralling Wareham Walls illustrated talk by Lilian
Ladle, an entertaining interlude by John Barclay regarding the Rex
Players, and a 9 year update on WDDT by Kevin Randall. An ‘exit
collection’ raised over £120 in support of the Wareham Croquet
Club.
WDDT Web Site
The web site
www.wddt.org.uk will be updated on a regular basis.
Thanks
The WDDT Board
of Trustees would like to express sincere thanks to many
individual volunteers, and to many local businesses, charities,
individuals and statutory organisations for their hard work,
partnership and donations to the Trust over the past year. The
Trust’s work continues to benefit from the advice of Dorset
Community Action, of which we are a member organisation. WDDT is
also a full member of the Development Trusts Association.
We are also
extremely grateful to all the local, regional and national trusts,
charities and other funders that have given us their support, or
placed their confidence in our ability to develop and sustain
complex projects. We are looking forward to the challenges of
2011-2012, and the benefits we are sure that the Trust will bring
to the communities of Wareham and the surrounding areas of Purbeck.
