Community action/Dorset

The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Dorset.
News
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Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
The UK towns at risk of running out of water within six weeks, inews.co.uk (Aug 12, 2026)
How solar panels saved this local community leisure centre, goodenergy.co.uk (Dec 19, 2025)
‘It bloody works’: why the world’s oldest cheddar-maker uses a ‘milk-source’ heat pump, theguardian.com (Sep 17, 2026)
White storks: why introducing non‑native species in rewilding projects can be a good idea, theconversation.com (Jun 05, 2026)
Citizens’ Assembly to invest £100,000 in West’s culture, westofengland-ca.gov.uk (Jan 16, 2026)
Firefighters voice growing concerns over water supplies to tackle UK wildfires, theguardian.com (Oct 21, 2026) — Housing development recognised as one of a number of pressures increasing demand on an already stretched water network
Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low, theguardian.com (Oct 15, 2026)
We need a UK movement for self-rule... and it's a more like a massive national play, with a cast of 70m [The Ecologist/Clare Farrell], Daily Alternative (Oct 14, 2026)
Citizens need to power Europe's future, demnext.substack.com (Oct 02, 2026) — The EU can enable new democratic institutions: in European countries; with a European Citizens’ Assembly as a 4th branch of government, and by legally enforcing the Global Citizens’ Assembly on AI, Claudia Chwalisz and Another Democratic Future
Reclaiming the streets: the architects clawing back Europe’s car-centric spaces, theguardian.com (Sep 09, 2026) — The European Prize for Urban Public Space’s shortlist highlights projects helping people cope with climate crisis
We’re the mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix. The heat crisis has us all facing the same question, Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego, theguardian.com (Sep 07, 2026) — Our three cities are learning from each other about how to protect residents. These climate policies are also public health measures
Giving £2 a day to people in the Amazon helps protect rainforest, pilot project finds, theguardian.com (Oct 20, 2026)
From Protesting To Worldmaking, Alternative Editorial (Oct 18, 2026)
Hunter Valley community group wins landmark high court climate change case over coalmine, theguardian.com (Oct 07, 2026) — Ruling on Mount Pleasant coalmine shows ‘we cannot continue to dig up coal … and pretend the consequences have nothing to do with us’, group says
Networks and sustainability initiatives
[edit | edit source]This section has been AI aided: AI Overview from a Google search, 09:36, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
- Langton Planet Action on dorsetcan.org, group in the Purbeck area that works with other local environmental groups to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability. added 10:58, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
- Sustainable Dorset, website of Dorset Agenda 21, county wide sustainable development charity based in Dorchester
- Sustainable Bridport, Building a Resilient, Fair and Low Carbon Bridport, added 16:59, 10 April 2023 (UTC), link checked 11:01, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
- Transition Bournemouth
- Transition Town Dorchester
- Transition Town Christchurch
- Transition Town Poole
- Transition Towns Weymouth and Portland
CDC videos
[edit | edit source]Each week 3 different short videos from across the UK or world.
Community action/United Kingdom/Cycling activism, Community action/South East England/Saving water / ...This week's featured Global videos / ... read more about Cosmolocalism
Events
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Mar 14, 2026 (Sat) — The Big Swim, Dorset, pinknicky.com
Regular events
see also: Dorset Eco Calendar, TTWP.NET
UK events
Nov 9 - 15, 2026 (Mon - Sun) — Living Wage Week, livingwage.org.uk
Nov 13, 2026 (Fri) — Kindness Day UK, Nov 13 annually, aiming to increase the value of kindness in society as well as increase the amount of kind acts that take place, making kindness a greater part in our daily life, kindnessuk.com
Nov 15 - 21, 2026 (Sun - Sat) — Road Safety Week, brake.org.uk
Nov 21 - 29, 2026 (Sat - Sun) — National Tree Week, The Tree Council's annual tree celebration. People across the country planting thousands of trees to mark the start of the winter tree planting season. "Trees and hedgerows are some of the most powerful tools we have in the fight against climate change.", treecouncil.org.uk
Global or international events
Nov 05, 2026 (Thu) — Media Liberation Day, Change the Media, Change the Future, mediarevolution.org
Nov 13, 2026 (Fri) — World Kindness Day, Nov 13, annually, highlighting good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness for good which binds us, randomactsofkindness.org
Nov 15, 2026 (Sun) — World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, third Sunday in November each year, worlddayofremembrance.org
Nov 16, 2026 (Mon) — International Day for Tolerance, Nov 16 each year, fostering respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human, unesco.org
Nov 19, 2026 (Thu) — International Men's Day, Nov 19, annually
Nov 27, 2026 (Fri) — Citizen Friday, actionism.space
Nov 27 & 28, 2026 — Buy Nothing Day, en.wikipedia.org
2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events
Dorset video
[edit | edit source]Community and voluntary action
[edit | edit source]- Community Action Network, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, added 08:22, 27 April 2021 (UTC)
Food activism
[edit | edit source]Research
Can you help with NuFEAST?: send us your top tips for eating sustainably research.bournemouth.ac.uk, (2016)
Community energy
[edit | edit source]This section has been AI aided: AI Overview from a Google search, 09:36, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
- Dorset Community Energy, not-for-profit society that finances and installs solar PV on schools and community buildings to provide them with low-cost electricity. It also offers local investment opportunities and has a community fund for projects that reduce carbon emissions.
- Energy Local Bridport on dorsetcommunityenergy.org.uk. The first Energy Local Club in England, this group allows residents to buy electricity at a lower cost directly from local renewable sources, such as the 50kW wind turbine at Salway Ash.
Community resources
[edit | edit source]- The Power House, Poole, added 08:21, 27 April 2021 (UTC)
- Help And Kindness, for Dorset, added 08:49, 27 April 2021 (UTC)
Climate action
[edit | edit source]This section has been AI aided: AI Overview from a Google search, 09:36, 3 November 2025 (UTC)
- DorsetCAN, Dorset Climate Action Network. Network of community groups and individuals across Dorset that works toward a sustainable future. It supports local groups and actions aimed at climate change.
Cycling activism
[edit | edit source]Maps:
- Interactive cycle maps, dorsetforyou.com
Biodiversity
[edit | edit source]Rewilding
[edit | edit source]- Beavers at Little Sea, Studland, project of nationaltrust.org.uk, added 10:32, 1 March 2025 (UTC)
- Wild Woodbury, dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk, community rewilding project at Bere Regis. added 16:03, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
- Wilder Dorset, project of Dorset Wildlife Trust: "plans for transforming the landscape from being intensively managed to letting nature take the lead will be developed in conjunction with the surrounding community, giving local people more opportunities to connect with nature while also benefitting local wildlife."...wildlifetrusts.org.
Trees, woodland and forest
[edit | edit source]- Wareham Forest on forestryengland.uk, added 15:11, 16 April 2024 (UTC)
News archive
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The ‘bin-novative’ approach to rubbish that’s slashing beach litter, positive.news (Feb 16, 2023)
Hundreds march in Dorchester in protest at housing plans, BBC News (Apr 03, 2022) — protest at plans to build 4,000 houses on open land and "desecrate" the Thomas Hardy countryside
- England's first community rewilding project launches in Dorset, Sep 6, 2021...wildlifetrusts.org
- The activist entrepreneurs running zero-waste shops, Aug 6, 2021...bbc.co.uk/news
- Support growing for National Park bid (which could bring £90m funding to Dorset), May 18, 2017...dorsetecho.co.uk
- Dorset organisation wins national award for innovative health project, Nov 10, 2016...dorsetecho.co.uk
- Bournemouth is a step closer to becoming world leader in green economy, Oct 6, 2016...bournemouth.gov.uk
- New seafront recycling campaign launched, Aug 2, 2016...bournemouth.gov.uk
- Bournemouth's getting a weekly food market... sort of, Jul 13, 2016...bournemouthecho.co.uk
- Bournemouth's first ever Street Kitchen to help town's homeless, May 14, 2016...bournemouthecho.co.uk
- Bournemouth and Poole become the world's first Sustainable Fish City, April 17, 2015...Sustain
- Test run for Poole Harbour heat project, July 21, 2016...Transition Free Press
About Dorset
[edit | edit source]Dorset ( DOR-sit; archaically: Dorsetshire DOR-sit-sheer, -shər) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south-east, the English Channel to the south, and Devon to the west. The largest settlement is Bournemouth.
Over half the county is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
| Authors | Phil Green |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
| Cite as | Phil Green (2014–2026). "Community action/Dorset". Appropedia. Retrieved October 22, 2026. |





