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December 2021 December 2021

technology; and the impacts of the Covid pandemic have also been felt. This
POETRY CORNER consultation seeks to look to the future of Dorset’s libraries – how can they best
meet the needs of local residents and communities, now and over the next ten
years? If anyone requires paper copies of the consultation, please contact Laura.

Zulu King St Mary’s School site in Shaftesbury
(Goodwill Zwelithini 1948-2021) Katie Charles has been appointed as the Headteacher of Dorset Council’s new
school for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The

new school is a cornerstone of the Dorset Centre of Excellence project which is
Goodwill was planted, as seeds are sown in Spring. taking shape on the former St Mary’s School site in Shaftesbury. It is in a
development phase with fantastic facilities being created to improve the lives of
That is a rite of passage, on the death of a Zulu king. Dorset children with SEND, and to reduce future costs. It will open in 2022, with an
initially small cohort of children, which will grow to around 280 students over the
I stand in admiration, of those who can believe, next five years.
And who have the eyes to see, that this is not a time to grieve. The Dorset Centre of Excellence

For a man who was revered, as the leader of a nation, will also offer training and courses,
making use of state-of-the-art
This is not a time to mourn, it is a time for celebration. facilities, including provision for
arts, culture, music and sport. The
This changes my perception, of the dying and the dead. school will be recruiting staff as it
grows. Jobs will be advertised on
As a nation comes together, it paints pictures in my head. the Dorset Council Jobs website in
the coming weeks. Dorset Council
Every day I seem to learn, of better ways to think. took the step of securing the
extensive site to meet the growing
Passing on is not a thing, from which, a man need shrink. need for more high-quality special education provision. The new school is part of
I hope one day to be planted, in my designated spot. the council’s wider £37.5 million plan to improve the lives of Dorset children with
SEND. More provision is also being created at existing special and mainstream
I haven’t found one yet, but it will be an appropriate plot. schools.

What else can be uttered, after all is said and done?
South Walks House
My life will go on, through my daughter and my son.
Dorset health organisations are working with Dorset Council to create a space for
Paul J Openshaw (March 2021) rapid access clinics in South Walks House, Dorchester, as part of a county-wide
effort to tackle NHS waiting lists. The ‘Outpatient Assessment Centre @ Dorset
Health Village’ will operate out of the ground floor of the former council offices for
six months, opening in the next few weeks. The initiative is being led by Dorset
County Hospital in partnership with NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group,
Dorset HealthCare, LiveWell Dorset and Active Dorset, and will bring together a
range of outpatient services under one roof in the town centre location. It also
provides a (temporary) good use for a building which we are currently not using
and are working to dispose of at some time in the future.

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