Skip to content

Meeting Dates & events

Meeting dates for Trustees, Countryside Forum, Planning Group, Local Groups and events.

Get involved and come to one of our local events. Member events include exclusive visits to local gardens, farm visits and talks by experts. We also host conferences which are open to non-members.

Monthly Planning Group Meeting

We discuss the Dorset Council Local Plan, BCP Local Plan, consultations and planning related matters. The next meeting is on 2nd April 2025, 10am. We welcomed our guest, Hilary Jordan, Service Manager for Spatial Planning at Dorset Council, at our last monthly meeting held on 5th March. The meeting is open to Dorset CPRE members. Please contact us for the Zoom link if you would like to join the meeting.

Countryside Forum Meetings 2025 – Fridays at 10am
Four meeting dates: 7th February (via Zoom), 16th May, 5th September and 31st October (via Zoom).

Trustees Meetings 2025 – Fridays at 10am
Four meeting dates: 21st February, 6th June, 26th September & 28th November.

 

Annual Branch AGM 15th November 2025, 11am, at Cerne Abbas Village Hall
Guest speaker John Calder, will give an update on the Great Big Dorset Hedge Project a Dorset CAN initiative. This is a long term campaign to facilitate the restoration and extension of hedgerows across all of Dorset and is delivering a rich experience for volunteers. Our President, Kate Adie, chairs the meeting. Please view a copy of 2024 AGM Minutes.

 

Summer Garden Party
Details on a 2025 event to be added when confirmed.

Summer Planning Conference – ‘Dorset’s Affordable Housing Crisis?’
We held an online conference on ‘Dorset’s Affordable Housing Crisis’ chaired by Lord Richard Best, Social Housing Leader, on 20th June 2024. We have added links to the presentations and recordings on the Planning Conference 2024 event page. We are working on a 2025 Summer Planning Conference, details to be confirmed as soon as possible.

Farm Visit
Members visited The Orchard, Chalmington, in May 2024. Details on Farm Visits planned for 2025 to be confirmed as soon as possible.

 

The Sherborne and District Society
2025 Committee Meetings: Generally every other month.
AGM: Friday 27th September 2024 at Digby Memorial Hall, Digby Road, Sherborne, 6pm for 6.30pm. Address by Kate Adie, Dorset CPRE President. 2025 date to be confirmed.

 

North Dorset Group
Committee Meetings 2025: 6.30pm start, zoom and in-person.  Next meeting 24th February 2025, 6:30pm via Zoom.
AGM and Talk: 1st April 2025 North Dorset AGM, 5.30pm, at Clayesmore School. Guest speaker, Kate Adie, Dorset CPRE President, will give a talk on “A Correspondent’s Life”.
2024 guest speaker was George Hosford, ex-Chairman Dorset NFU, who gave a talk about the Future of Farming in North Dorset.

 

Oak Fair, Stock Gaylard  August bank holiday 23rd and 24th August 2025
We have a stand at the fair which has a conservation and country activities bias for those who have not been before. Stock Gaylard Estate is a small traditional country estate just over 4 miles from Sturminster Newton and 8 miles from Sherborne.

 

Purbeck & Poole Group
Committee Meetings:  Meet at CJ’s in Lychett Minster, BH16 6JE.

 

West Dorset Group
Last open meeting was held on Wednesday 15th February 2023 at Willowbed Hall, Chickerell, to discuss concerns about the vast solar farm and battery storage proposals. Rupert Hardy, Chair of North Dorset CPRE and David Peacock, our Topic Leader on Renewables, spoke at the meeting.

 

2025 Induction Day with National CPRE for new volunteers
The online induction sessions are a great opportunity to find out about CPRE’s history, vision and strategy, and to learn about the support National CPRE teams can offer.
Wednesday, 22nd January, from 5-7pm
Monday, 31 March, from 2-4pm
Thursday, 15th May, 10am
To book a place please email volunteeringteam@cpre.org.uk.

 

2025 Planning Inductions with National CPRE for new volunteers

These online inductions are held 4 times a year, and are particularly targeted towards new CPRE planning volunteers; however, members are welcome to come along and get involved.

Wednesday, 29th January, 1-2:30pm
Thursday, 1 May, 9.30-11am

Tuesday 19th August 6:00-7:30pm
Thursday 4th December 1:00-2:30pm.

‘The Dorset Review’ magazine
Deadlines for articles are 28th March (Spring edition) & 15th September (Autumn edition).