We have been actively supporting our local food and drink producers, as well as our village shops and pubs through these difficult times. Both village shops and pubs are the beating hearts of our rural communities. Village shops may have benefited from increased trade during Lockdown, but many pubs are haemorrhaging.

Steve Dunk from The Milton Arms in Winterborne Whitechurch, a well-run local pub serving delicious food, said “ We may not make it through the winter. We need all the support we can get from both customers and the government to help us through this.” Others pubs are threatened similarly, as is all the hospitality sector. Please visit our pubs allowing for Tier 2 restrictions, and also take advantage of their takeaway offerings.

It is blatantly unfair that Rural Dorset is going into Tier 2 as it has one of the lowest infection rates in England. We were glad to see two of our MPs, Chris Loder and Richard Drax, voting last night against the imposition of the new COVID-19 restriction tiers. It is not too late but many pubs are on the brink of closure so please act now and support them!

Please support our Dorset communities!

Rupert Hardy, Chairman, North Dorset CPRE