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Dorset Eye is a vital resource for communities and activists, providing local, regional and international voices on a wide range of topics determined by the public. Since 2012 thousands of people have contributed news and analysis to a website that is unique in the UK, supporting local democracy, defending public services and keeping a close “Eye” on those with authority and influence.We aim provide an empowering democratic experience, so the website is run entirely by volunteers operating on a not-for-profit basis. The site is clean of corporate advertising: content is at the centre of the media experience. With growing costs and ambitious plans to become a model that can compete with the corporate media we need a significant increase in resources, especially through financial support.

What they say about Dorset Eye:

Debbie Monkhouse, Defend Dorset NHS:

“Dorset Eye covers the news that really matters to us here and is not afraid to state the facts. Dorset Eye has really helped get the message out about what is happening to our Dorset NHS – the huge losses at Poole Hospital A&E and Maternity, 245 acute beds across the county, and community hospitals in Portland, Wareham, Ferndown, Westhaven and Alderney. Crucially, Dorset Eye has not shied away from sharing clear evidence of the risk to life inherent in the CCG plans.”

Dr David McQueen, Journalism & Media, Bournemouth University:

“Dorset Eye provides a quite unique example of citizen journalism in action – giving local people a venue to write about and debate topics that range from parking, crime, traffic issues, the impact of austerity on local NHS provision, to Brexit, climate change and the mainstream media’s failure in its reporting around Saudi Arabia and the war in Yemen. No other local media in the UK is so open to citizens’ voices across such a wide range of topics and stories.

Please support Dorset Eye as generously as you can and never hesitate to contact us to discuss how we can help each other. You can back us financially at:- Support Us:  https://dorseteye.com/support-us/

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You can contribute your own news, reports and analyses to Dorset Eye at: https://dorseteye.com/submit-a-report/

The Dorset Eye team

New Year honours scrapes bottom of barrel.

‘Chopper’ Chope

If you’ve got a knighthood you’re probably a cunt anyway, but Ringo Starr might be embarrassed to know he’s about to keep company with this despicable piece of shit. I was well up for doing a hatchet job on ‘Chopper’ Chope, but his Wikipedia entry is indictment enough, Chope has whiled away his career as a paid advocate for every conceivable form of venality and exploitation.

I’d tell her maj to shove it if I were you.

From our archives:
You can still be evicted for reporting a leaking roof – and politicians are still taking the piss.

– Jo Gonmush

Bent Councillors

We’ve got our fair share of Bent Councillors down here as well, are any of them to be trusted?

Send us your examples.

March to save Kingfisher and SCBU at Dorset County Hospital! Saturday 17 September in Dorchester

Note date has changed to avoid clashing with the county show.

“Again we need to show the CCG that they can’t play with our children’s lives we need Kingfisher and SCBU, not forgetting maternity. Please join us at 1pm at top o town car park with a view to be setting off at 1.30pm. Speakers TBC.  After the March the Dorchester Round tables have their cider festival with live bands and plenty of entertainment for your children, we will finish the March at the borough gardens in time for the festival to start.”

facebook event

The entire N.H.S. is under siege from this parasitic regime, we need every bastard we can get out for this, come on!

Christopher Chope

Demonstration for Kingfisher and SCBU at Vespasian house, Dorchester, Friday 19th June 2015.

 

11:00 at Vespasian house, Bridport Rd Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1PX MAP

Due to us girlies fancying a picnic we thought we’d share with the C.C.G. and show we are still here. To coincide with their lunch breaks, come along and bring a friend 🙂 picnics welcome xx

Mass march for kingfisher and SCBU at Dorset County Hospital, 13th June 2015

A good start – Kingfisher rising!

Just got back from Dorchester where a couple of thousand people marched against the closure of the Kingfisher children’s ward at Dorset County Hospital; estimates vary between one and three thousand. Unless you believe the Echo who put it in the hundreds, odd since they are publicly supporting the campaign.

Conspicuous by his absence was ‘Evil Oliver’ Letwin, who has been hedging his bets, he would not have had a pleasant experience, we think. The march was good-natured but shows the strength of feeling in West Dorset about keeping our health services local, it was organised in a week and people required little prompting to turn out.

This is a grass-roots phenomenon bubbling up from the ground. The left are running to catch up; what will it take to get the unions to put their weight behind this? The workers at the hospital would be a good place to start. It’s all very well going to the capital a couple of times a year and trudging round in a giant police kettle, which just confirms the centralisation of power and frankly, is an exercise in hand-wringing. Here is an opportunity to strike back against austerity and let’s face it, save lives.

A couple of things have occurred to us and need to be widely appreciated:

• It’ been pointed out by a comrade who is a practising midwife that the loss of Paediatric services and the Special Care Baby Unit will make the maternity ward untenable.
• Next to close will be A & E.
• They can then have another go at shutting the pathology lab which was only saved after a similar public outcry last year.
• Then why not just sell off the rest?
• We are under no illusions. This is a planned, progressive asset-strip. Letwin would not dream of associating himself with this campaign if he didn’t personally believe it was doomed to failure, so the decision has already been taken, somewhere, and the consultation exercise is just to soften up the public.

That doesn’t mean we are going to allow it to happen, if enough people get out to stop it. The health service is a pyramid with a three-cornered base. At its apex are the managers, politicians and ultimately, their corporate masters. At the base are the medical staff, support staff and the patients – all workers and taxpayers. Unite the base and we will cut the top off!

March for SCBU and Kingfisher at Dorset County Hospital. 13th June 2015

Residents of West Dorset and supporters will march through Dorchester on Saturday 13th June, determined to retain paediatric and maternity services at Dorset County Hospital.

Meet at 11:00 at Top O Town Car Park Bridport Road, DT1 1XT Dorchester, Dorset.

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Mass march for SCBU and kingfisher ward

Wessex welcomes new IWW Dorset branch!

Industrial Workers of the World Dorset group is in the process of chartering as a branch in its own right, having operated for several years under the auspices of Bristol General Members’ Branch. The paperwork’s all done we’re just waiting for the formalities and should be fully operational in the new year.

The IWW is a certified union and can represent you at work, but unlike the TUC unions we’re not shy of direct action and don’t have to pretend we’re all on the same side, we’re not bothered about getting Labour elected and none of us has any ambition to sit in the house of lords! Follow the logo to the side of the page.

– Cindy Callist.