Some years ago, I came across an interesting counter-example.  Utterly brilliant scientists and engineers created what was called global personal mobile communications. This ultra-tech system involves walking [...]]]> There is a considerable tendency to imagine that progress consists in moving from low tech to high tech – and, often enough, this is perfectly true.  But not always.

Some years ago, I came across an interesting counter-example.  Utterly brilliant scientists and engineers created what was called global personal mobile communications. This ultra-tech system involves walking around with a mobile phone connected to a satellite.  Billions of dollars were invested in hundreds of dazzlingly clever satellites.

The results, however, were not exactly dazzling.

The reason that most readers of this column will probably never have heard of global personal mobile communications despite the billions spent on it is that handsets were enormously large and enormously expensive, and they didn’t work indoors.  They were unceremoniously driven out of the market by ordinary mobile telephones.

In short, a lower tech item beat the living daylights out of the higher tech item.

But there is an even more extreme example of this phenomenon occurring before our very eyes, right here in England – and indeed in West Dorset.

Time was when people who wanted to get from one place to another mainly walked – unless they were rich enough to afford a horse or a horse and carriage.  Then trains and bikes came along.  Then the internal combustion engine, and finally the jet engine and its exotic counterpart, the rocket.

But, lo and behold!  What is now happening is that the medics are teaching us that our very lives depend on reverting to the low tech solutions.

It turns out that walking, riding and cycling are a great deal better for us than all the high tech apparatus.

So I was delighted to see recently that Sustrans is making progress and is drawing more and more Dorset schools into its net – with the aim of persuading more and more Dorset school children to take up cycling on safe roads.

In both the literal and metaphorical sense, the wheel is turning.

This week, I can reveal another such effort about which I recently learnt for the first time. This is the Mind Your Head Challenge.

The concept sounds positively science-fictional. [...]]]> Any regular reader of this column will, I hope, derive from it some additional information about the many remarkable voluntary activities that go on in and around Dorchester.

This week, I can reveal another such effort about which I recently learnt for the first time. This is the Mind Your Head Challenge.

The concept sounds positively science-fictional. It’s aim is to create “brain cells” across Dorset.

On inspection, however, I discovered that “brain cell” is merely an eye-catching term for activities that involve the mind and also create social relationships.

A classic example of a “brain cell” is a chess club, or a computer club – or, for that matter, a competition involving crosswords or “university challenge” general knowledge quizzes.

The idea is that the brain is somewhat like a muscle and that the more it’s used, the less likely it is to decay. Hence, if those of us over 50 take part in mental stimulation of this kind (or indeed any other kind) we are less likely to find ourselves losing our mental capacities as we grow older.

One of the most remarkable features of the whole operation is that it is being supported by a huge range of bodies, from the charity The Brain Trust to NHS Dorset and the University of the Third Age.

At a time when the various forms of dementia have been increasing at a positively alarming rate as we all live longer, nothing could be more welcome than an effort to keep us all thinking and keeping our brains in the best possible condition into old age.

One of the wonderful things about all of this is of course that – compared to providing care for those unlucky enough to suffer a decline in their mental capacities – this voluntary effort is astonishingly cheap. 

Given the severe constraints on our national resources, that is another huge advantage. And it points the way to a larger lesson: often enough, community action to prevent a problem turns out to be vastly better and vastly more affordable than trying to deal with the problem once it has arisen.

As so often, proverbs turn out to contain distilled wisdom. A stitch in time saves nine.

I have never  been able to work out how it happens that, on a certain day in a certain year, fashion for or against a particular type of clothing starts and then spreads like wildfire only to be replaced by another.  And, of course, it isn’t just a matter of [...]]]> Fashion is a very strange thing. 

I have never  been able to work out how it happens that, on a certain day in a certain year, fashion for or against a particular type of clothing starts and then spreads like wildfire only to be replaced by another.  And, of course, it isn’t just a matter of clothing. 

There are fashions in lifestyles, cars, music, architecture, and just about anything else you care to mention – like it or not, we are all fashion-conscious.

Last week, I was reminded of the strangest fashion of all – the fashion in disease.

The amazing fact is that, at any given time there are certain diseases that are fashionable, not of course in the sense that it becomes fashionable to acquire them, but in the sense that it becomes fashionable to think about them, invest in research to counteract them, talk about them, raise money for curing them, and so forth.

Not very long ago – certainly within my own lifetime – cancer of all sorts was very unfashionable.  We all dreaded it so much that we didn’t even want to talk about it.

In those days, if you got cancer you could just about bet on it that you wouldn’t admit the fact to anyone except your nearest and dearest; and you could just about bet also that no-one else would mention it to you.  Somehow, it seems indelicate to admit the gruesome reality of what was so often expected to be a rapidly approaching death.

Mercifully, as a result of massive advances in this part of medicine, it has now become much more fashionable to admit that you have cancer, and for other people to address the subject. 

I am sure this is a huge step forward, since it is vastly easier to deal with these challenges if you are not doing so in semi-secret. 

What is more, the change in fashion has, I am sure, hugely increased the ability and willingness of charities and foundations to raise money for cancer research and to ensure that cancer treatment is given the place it deserves within the NHS.

But cancer is not just one thing.  There are, as we all know, many different kinds of cancer – and they are not all equally fashionable subjects for conversation, debate and public attention.

I discovered recently that pancreatic cancer, which is still a real killer for the small number of people who are so unfortunate as to get it, doesn’t receive anything like as much attention as some other forms of cancer do.

I think it is right, therefore, for all of us to do our bit in raising its profile, so that the right amount of attention is focused on research, treatment and early diagnosis.

I hope that, in a small way, this column may contribute to that collective endeavour.

But George [...]]]> Events like the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics (not to mention last year’s Royal Wedding) serve to remind us all of the way that glamour can be life enhancing.  It would be a dull world indeed if we didn’t have these marvellous, enormous events to lift us out of ourselves and into special worlds.

But George Herbert was also right to remind us that noble motives can make drudgery divine – and we surely ought to reserve a particular place in our hearts for those silent heroes who make lives better without the slightest hint of glamour.

I reflected on this when I visited the Learning Centre in Sherborne recently.

There is definitely nothing glamorous about the idea of a learning centre.  This is where pupils go when they have been excluded from school or have difficulties which make it impossible for them to be at school – and there is nothing glamorous about that.

But the delicate and challenging business of helping a youngster back into the mainstream when they are in danger of falling by the wayside is about as important as anything gets.  If successful – and the Sherborne Learning Centre has a remarkable degree of success – this constitutes nothing less than the rescue of a young life and, while we are at it, a huge benefit to the rest of society.

All evidence suggests that what happens to people in their early years and in their school days has a profound and lasting impact on the kind of adults they grow up to be and hence not only on their own prospects but also on the prospects of everyone around them.  So bringing children back from the brink is a huge contribution to their well-being and to social welfare in general.

As I was talking to the remarkable man who runs the Learning Centre, I reflected on what it is that leads someone of his talent to devote their lives to such a cause.

Of course, in one sense, the job satisfaction must be immense.  No-one can do anything more evidently useful than this – and the sense of achievement must be huge each time one of the pupils make good.

But the sheer effort involved, allied to the emotional intensity and the complete lack of glamour all call for an exceptional cast of mind.  This is not a job which, in the immortal words of the wedding service is to be undertaken lightly or inadvisedly.

And yet there are people who do these jobs, day in day out, with enthusiasm and dedication – and we should raise a glass to them more frequently than we have a tendency to do.

This week, I can report on two exciting elements which illustrate the cultural and social vibrancy that marks out the town.

On the cultural side, [...]]]> One of the great things about West Dorset is that, amidst our peaceful rural setting, there is actually a lot going on – and Bridport is no exception to this general rule.

This week, I can report on two exciting elements which illustrate the cultural and social vibrancy that marks out the town.

On the cultural side, I am delighted to say that Ian Gillan (one of Dorset’s most prominent musical figures) has nominated the Electric Palace cinema for an award in Rock the House 2012 – the second annual Parliamentary live music competition. 

I have been an enthusiastic supporter of the Electric Palace for some years, so I am naturally glad to see them nominated in this way.  But there are plenty of other strong competitors in our area, and I encourage them all to seek out information on the competition at www.rockthehouse2012.com

Anyone who wants to enter can send in a nomination for this year on behalf of another group to me at letwino@parliament.uk and I will then pass on the nomination to my colleague, Mike Weatherley, who is the inspiration behind this competition.

But this week has also seen progress in another, very different domain.

Some while back, various of us came together to establish a jobs club in Dorchester.  Given the current economic background, jobs clubs (which provide practical help for people who are having difficulty finding jobs) are more necessary than ever.  And I am very happy to be able to report that there are now signs of considerable progress towards establishing  a jobs club in Bridport as well.

The jobs club in Dorchester has already proved to be a great success, helping people who have been out of a job for a long time back into the market, with some splendid results even after just a few months of operation.  And the club is now generating radical and exciting ideas about how we can create more apprenticeships in the Dorchester area.

So it is very good news that there is now every prospect of being able to replicate this success in Bridport.

A vibrant cultural life, combined with strong voluntary efforts to help those most in need are both important elements of the Big Society – and it is good to see them both moving forward in Bridport.

Of course there is much more to Bridport than just business.  The cultural and social life of the town is just as important.  But there is a danger of forgetting that the underpinning of Bridport’s success [...]]]> One of the wonderful things about Bridport is the sheer exuberance of the multitude of small businesses that it generates.

Of course there is much more to Bridport than just business.  The cultural and social life of the town is just as important.  But there is a danger of forgetting that the underpinning of Bridport’s success over the last decade has been its businesses.

I have come across two examples of this just in the last week.

One is the five new jobs that have been generated by the award-winning Hive Beach Café.

There are remarkably many excellent restaurants in Bridport – as I can testify, having eaten at most of them.  But none have done better than the Hive Beach Café which enjoys a uniquely privileged site right on one of the most beautiful beaches in Britain – and which has earned, through the excellence of its cuisine, an accolade as the best beach café of 2010 and has reached the finals of the Coast magazine award this year.

The great thing about the success of this and many other local restaurants is that they don’t only delight the palate and provide a much needed source of local employment, but also often purchase locally sourced food, thereby strengthening one of West Dorset’s most import industries.

This point about localism comes out in the other case I came across this week.

It seems that Harveys, the nationwide furniture suppliers, concluded that their Bridport branch was not viable, despite the views of the local management.

Now, very excitingly, the former retail manager has put his energy and money behind his own more optimistic assessment and, together with a local investor, is preparing to open the Bridport Furniture Warehouse on Saturday.

As he points out to me, the new business will not only be creating employment for local people, but will be giving local people an increased ability to buy furniture locally – cutting down on travel and increasing convenience.

I am intending to visit this new shop myself as soon as I can – and I think we should all celebrate this splendid, further sign of vitality and enterprise in Bridport.

We are lucky to have a much lower rate of unemployment here than almost anywhere else in the country. Nevertheless, I have found myself increasingly involved in helping young people find jobs, and others in the public, [...]]]> At the start of the New Year, I am reporting on my activities in 2011 as your constituency MP.

We are lucky to have a much lower rate of unemployment here than almost anywhere else in the country. Nevertheless, I have found myself increasingly involved in helping young people find jobs, and others in the public, private and voluntary sectors who are taking very welcome steps to provide the training and opportunities that young people need.

The foundation of the jobs club in Dorchester was a highlight – and I look forward to helping with the creation of further jobs clubs.  I have also been delighted to see the way in which our three colleges – Yeovil, Weymouth and Kingston Maurward – have been moving forward, and I am glad to have played a small part in helping BLAST (a remarkable local charity for young people) to found with Yeovil College a splendid new skills training centre in Bridport.

One theme that has been constant is the need for high speed rural broadband – and I am delighted that we are now moving firmly towards a full-scale roll out of high speed broadband in West Dorset on the basis of co-operation between the County Council and central government.

Next year, the Olympics at Weymouth offer the prospect of a boost for the businesses which depend in one way or another on tourism – but we are now engaged in a rearguard action to keep the Search and Rescue helicopter at Portland.  I am just about to have meetings jointly with the MP for South Dorset in order to lobby the Department for Transport about this.

Two similar topics have arisen in the second half of 2011 – preserving outpatient services at our community hospitals, and ensuring that there is proper inpatient provision for mental health.  I am optimistic that we will succeed in obtaining a new set of contracts to ensure that the outpatient services remain in our community hospitals.

Following a series of meetings with users of the mental health service and supporters, I am now engaged in ensuring that people can recuperate from mental illness in an appropriate environment without having to travel large distances.

As every year, I have had a large number of approaches from parish councils, community groups, schools and individual constituents – each raising particular problems.  I have been able to contribute to the solution of some of these – helping Thomas Hardye School to become an academy, helping to raise funds for a range of community groups, helping several parish councils with the preparations for neighbourhood planning, and helping individuals to deal with various bureaucracies.  One of the most satisfying aspects of constituency work is the moment when a particular bureaucracy unblocks a blockage and commonsense is allowed to prevail.

But local people do not just have problems.  I continue to be impressed by the remarkable range of enterprise, goodwill, neighbourliness and voluntary activity in West Dorset. This is a part of the world that continues to be blessed not only by its natural environment and architectural heritage but also by the energy and spirit of its people.

It only remains for me to wish all my constituents a happy Christmas and a successful New Year.

Under these circumstances, it is worth reminding ourselves of the many good things that can nevertheless be [...]]]> The New Year has arrived – and the signs so far are that it may prove rather windswept, both physically and metaphorically.  Certainly the global and, in particular, the European economic climate looks set to be chilly and testing.

Under these circumstances, it is worth reminding ourselves of the many good things that can nevertheless be achieved – not only in the short term but also for the future. 

Hard times, as they say, are good times to be building a brighter future. And right here in West Dorset, we have plenty of examples of just this kind of thing going on.

For many years now, Lyme Regis has had a splendid Development Trust which has done (and continues to do) remarkable work in the town.  The Fossil Festival, the Hub for young people and the planned Field Studies Centre for the Jurassic Coast are three notable examples – but there are many more besides.

The Lyme Regis Development Trust is a tiny social enterprise. Its inspirational director and very small staff work their wonders using space and financial resources that would be regarded as ludicrously inadequate by most public bodies.  But imagination, energy, flexibility and charm more than make up for the lack of resources.

Watching the activities of the Development Trust in Lyme Regis over the last few years, and working alongside them in a number of endeavours, I have become an enormous admirer not only of their particular work but also of the whole idea of development trusts. 

So it is very good news that a development trust has more recently been established in Bridport under the aegis of the indefatigable Charles Wild.
And it’s even better news that the Bridport Development Trust is now hard at work putting together a really serious plan for the revival of the Bridport Literary and Scientific Institute.

This marvellous old building is deeply connected with Bridport’s industrial and technological history. It definitely deserves to be restored to its former glory – and that is just what the Development Trust is now hoping to do.

I hope that everyone in Bridport and the surrounding area will enthusiastically support this splendid project.

I was reminded of this when I was approached by the [...]]]> Over the years I’ve become accustomed to the ingenuity and determination shown by the people of Dorset and it never ceases to amaze me how many local heroes there are who are more than willing to roll up their sleeves and address problems head on.

I was reminded of this when I was approached by the charity ‘Clean Sheet’.

Clean Sheet is the brain child of the ever industrious Jane Gould, who also pioneered Job Clubs (of which ours in Dorchester now is thriving and doing great things to help unemployed people find work).

The aim of Clean Sheet is simple and complementary– to assist ex-offenders find work.

However, whilst the aim is simple, the implications of success are much broader.

Work is one of the essential building blocks of a normal life. Without it, anyone can struggle to support those things that are most important, such as family and a sense of belonging within wider society.

For ex-offenders, finding work is especially important if they are to successfully reintegrate in to society.

If we’re able to help them into the work place, it is much more likely that they won’t reoffend – a benefit not only to themselves but also to society and the taxpayer.

Such rehabilitation is crucial if we’re to reduce the overall cost of crime – emotionally, physically and financially.

But finding work is particularly difficult if you’re an ex-offender.

That’s where Clean Sheet steps in.

Clean Sheet engages with business in an effort to create job opportunities for ex-offenders. They establish links between businesses and ex-offenders looking for work and employers can sign up to the Clean Sheet Register, which signals that they would consider employing an ex-offender.

Of course, this is just one part of a huge national effort that is now, at last, going into rehabilitating ex-offenders.  But it is an enormously encouraging and important part of the jigsaw – both here in Dorchester and more widely.

So, if you’re an employer or ex-offender interested in the work of Clean Sheet, do get in touch via the website www.cleansheet.org or by emailing Jane: Jane@gbjobclubs.org

Three cheers for Clean Sheet!

Answer: it is a farm designed to provide much needed occupation and care for people who need it – in this case, people with learning disabilities.

The farm itself is beautifully laid out, and it was wonderful to [...]]]> Last week, I found myself visiting a “care farm” near Dorchester. What, you might ask, is a “care farm”?

Answer: it is a farm designed to provide much needed occupation and care for people who need it – in this case, people with learning disabilities.

The farm itself is beautifully laid out, and it was wonderful to see the evident enthusiasm of those working there, as well as the manifest pleasure of its clients in being there.

There are several examples of operations roughly like this in West Dorset – all of which share the characteristic that they use nature to provide tranquillity and interest and therapy.

It is difficult to put one’s finger on exactly why but I think there is something emotionally obvious about the proposition that both animals and a peaceful rural setting can be a balm to the spirit and a source of huge interest to people who are in one way or another vulnerable.

I am pretty convinced that, under the right circumstances, having a pet is a considerable tonic for large numbers of children – in a way that toys and electronic gadgetry are not and there is something very special about growing up in the countryside.

Perhaps part of the point is that relationships with animals and with nature is less complicated than our relationhips with one another, operating at an emotional and aesthetic level without the overlay of speech and thought and judgement that makes human relationships so complex. The child who worries about criticism from parents need not have any fear of criticism from a pet; and, after a rough day, a landscape or even a garden gives its beauty in a way that is comfortingly unconditional.

In any event, whatever the explanation there is no doubt that care farms and the like provide an invaluable service – and we should welcome this imaginative use of our rural assets.