
Contacts & Key Partners
Steve Poynton - Committee Chair
01460 30417 - stevepoynton@live.co.uk
Andrew Willoughby - Committee Vice Chair
01460 30658 - andrewbwilloughby@gmail.com
Melanie Pierce-Butler - Bookings Secretary
01460 30822 - tpiercebutler@gmail.com
Sandra Ballisat - Secretary & Key Holder
01460 30882 - s.ballisat@gmail.com
Pauline Holt - Treasurer
01460 30428 - pauline@papan.eclipse.co.uk
Key Partners
Thorncombe Village Shop
Thorncombe Environmental Group
Thorncombe First Responders
See Below
Thorncombe Parish Council
Thorncombe Sports and Social Club
Thorncombe Arts Week Artists
See Below
Thorncombe Community Responders
Thorncombe Community First Responders were literally that! They were the first rural village community group established in the country in April 1998 and the brainchild of Rosemary Walley the then Village Postmistress, who was awarded the MBE for her outstanding work. Since then, literally dozens of Thorncombe residents have trained and become Responders over the years.
When it can take quite some time for an ambulance to get to rural locations, the local first responders can move quickly and offer their help until it arrives. This is particularly valuable at the present time when the Ambulance service is under such pressure.
Responders have the full support of the South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWAST) and are offered good quality first aid and life support training, supplemented by the use of specialist equipment such as defibrillator, oxygen, Entonox (pain relief) and even a specialist self-rising ‘chair’ that helps get poorly people off the floor. They have a sponsored car with full SWAST livery, although rely very heavily on local donations to keep themselves on the road (all contributions very welcome!).
New recruits are very important and essential to keep the service going. After many years of 24 – 7 coverage, numbers are lower at the moment as Covid and training issues have slowed the process down. Everything is back in action at the time of writing so PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING THE TEAM! For a chat about what is involved please ring Richard Holt on 0146030428 or speak to any of the team.
Thorncombe Environmental Group
Thorncombe’s Village Trust has had a long and effective lifespan, and their website has a wealth of information about Thorncombe’s history, geography and geology, environment, nature and much more. Their gallery of the local area, principally from Rachael Whitbread is excellent and local walks and places of interest are illustrated. There is news however:
‘At a well-attended AGM on 19th May 2022, Thorncombe Village Trust was officially relaunched as Thorncombe Environment Group with a new committee elected and a revised constitution voted in. This better reflects the new environmental focus of the group whilst still retaining the original TVT aims to protect Thorncombe and the Parish. ‘
All of which is very exciting, so ‘watch this space’!
Thorncombe Artists
In May 2022 ten local artists came together to display their work in the Village Hall as part of the Dorset Art weeks programme. It was a great success and their work greatly complemented the Hall itself. Their numbers can be added to within the parish as there are some very talented people in our area:
Rose Richards
Acrylic and mixed media paintings.
Organiser and painter of the Village Hall Mural w/ Julie Shelley.
Commissions undertaken.
Email: rosejr6789@gmail.com
Rachael Whitbread
Photographer of a wide-range of subjects, including local landscapes.
Email: snappermad48@gmail.com
More details to follow - watch this space!
Rose Richards.
Rachel Whitbread.