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They are in very close touch (virtually) with a large number of artists, both solo and Over £100m paid to Dorset businesses in grants
companies, of various kinds, as well as with bodies like the Arts Council, the
The Revenues and Benefits team in Dorset Council recently achieved a major
National Rural Touring Forum, Action With Communities in Rural England and
milestone with the payment of over £100M to local businesses. This is a huge
Dorset Community Action. They are doing a lot of hard thinking about possibilities
achievement and has provided a vital lifeline to support the local economy
for when this situation gradually eases.
during this challenging time. This was a completely unprecedented job for
Thanks to them, many village halls have been alerted to the Retail and Hospitality Revenues and Benefits, and something that’s been done on top of ‘business as
Grant of £10,000 available from Dorset County Council. Now, they are asking for usual’.
contributions to a project called ‘Tales from the village’, a series of articles about
our rural Dorset villages: their past, their present, and their future. They are looking
for photos (old and new) of your village, its people, buildings and history. They Local outbreak management plans
want to hear fun facts, tall tales, folklore, points of historical interest, and true stories
of your village and community. If you’d like to be involved with this project, please Dorset Council (DC) now have to develop local outbreak management plans by
send relevant photos of your village/village hall with any accompanying stories or the end of June and have now received £1.3m to the Public Health budget from
text to nicole@artsreach.co.uk along with your name, the name of your village government for this work. The plans will set out in detail how we will respond to
and any other details you'd like mentioned in the article by 8th July 2020. potential local outbreaks, including care homes and schools, high risk settings
Alternatively, send an email to the address above expressing your interest and (hostels, workplaces with particular risks), testing and tracing, intelligence and
Nicole will be in touch to hear your stories. surveillance, and ensuring adequate local skills and capacity to respond. The
plan will be delivered through a local COVID19 outbreak board, overseen by a
Sarah Ryan, Artsreach volunteer promoter in Milborne St Andrew
public engagement board with local political leadership. DC will use the Health &
Wellbeing Board to undertake this role. The plans will ensure we remain vigilant for
any changes in local COVID-19 transmission, and that we have local ability to
respond quickly to any outbreaks, working with our partners.

Redeploying staff to other teams through COVID-19

The current COVID 19 crisis has seen almost 250 Dorset Council employees take
up temporary new roles to support frontline services. From delivering essential
supplies and supporting registration services to helping Household Recycling
Centres and contacting those who were shielding, the employees have made a
big difference. They have temporarily left their non-critical roles to provide
support where it is currently most needed.
As soon as the crisis hit, the council identified its critical services and matched
employees working in lower priority services to provide much needed cover – to
either deal with increasing demand or fill in for colleagues who were shielding.
All employees were invited to complete a questionnaire so the best use could be
made of their skills. Once they were matched with a suitable role, an induction to
their new place of work was provided, including training to help them do their
new role. These colleagues have made a great impact, and they have learnt
the ropes incredibly quickly during this unprecedented time. The crisis has meant
everyone has drawn on a determination to succeed and the council has been
able to flex its resources to meet demands never seen before. I am confident this
sharing of skills, together with a practical approach will stand us in good stead for
the future.

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