THERE WILL be a Teddy Bears’ Picnic from 2 until 5pm on Saturday, July 13 in Maiden Newton Village Hall. Activities will include games, face painting, a treasure hunt, a balloon raffle, music and lots of arts and crafts. There will also be tea, coffee and cake available. Entry costs £1 for adults. Children under 12 go free. All money raised will go to the Weldmar Hospice Trust.

MAIDEN Newton will hold its Open Gardens event on Sunday, July 14 from 11.30 am to 5.00pm.

There will also be ploughman’s lunches, special cream teas at Manor Farm House (grateful thanks to Gill and Alan Plummer), a quality raffle and a range of stalls.

A BLUE Cross Tea Party takes place on Wednesday July 10 between 2 and 5pm at Broomhill Cottage in Rampisham.

Entry costs £5 per person and all proceeds will go to the Blue Cross. The will be plants and cakes for sale. In the event of bad weather, the venue will be changed to the village hall.

THERE will be Hymns and Pimms at Evershot Church from 6pm on Sunday July 14. Choose your favourite hymn and share in this celebration with a glass of Pimms!

If the weather is fine, the service will take place in the churchyard.

Please let Sheelagh know your choice of hymn at least a few days beforehand.

EVERSHOT Village Coffee Mornings are a great way to get together with other people in the village and catch up on all the local gossip!

The next of these will be held at 11am on Monday July 22 at the Bensons’ in the Old Police House. Everyone is welcome to come along.

CHILDREN of Fiji charity will once again be holding a mass balloon release in order to raise funds to help disadvantaged children in the Fiji Islands. This year’s event takes place on the afternoon of Sunday, July 14 in Cattistock Playing Field. Do contact us if you would like to ‘buy’ balloons in advance (£1.50 each) or if you would like to ‘sell’ a sheet of 10 or 20 balloons to family and friends.

The prize for the person whose balloon travels the furthest is a hot air balloon ride for two (or cash equivalent).

SARAH, our local Police Community Support Officer will be in the Fox and Hounds, Cattistock, between midday and 1pm on Tuesday, July 16 and in the Coffee Shop in Maiden Newton on the last Tuesday of the month (Tuesday, July 30). If you cannot make it but would like to talk, then please call 01305 226815 Do come along and discuss any issues that are concerning you. Or simply pop in to say hello to Sarah and share a coffee with her!

MELBURY MEN’s Breakfast will hold its next meeting on Saturday, |July 20, when there will be a Hot Potato discussion time with questions put by members of the group.

Meetings are held at the Southern Counties Shooting Club Cafe on Wardon Hill (A37), starting at 8.30am and finishing at around 9.45am. The cost of the breakfast is £7. There is a vegetarian option for those who require it, as well as a lighter breakfast for those who do not wish to have the ‘full English’ Please contact Paul Wilcock on 01300 321112 or p.wilcock@virgin.net for more information or to book a place. New members are always welcome.

A RITZ Tea followed by Songs of Praise with the Rev. Graham Perryman will be held in Melbury Osmond Village Hall on Sunday July 21. Please come along at 4.30pm.

Request your favourite hymn and join in the singing. Please come along and invite friends, family and visitors to share in the atmosphere.

There will be celebratory cards (designed by Lesley Fawcett) available for sale.

Money raised from the sale of cards and teas will go to St Osmond’s Church.

STRATTON Annual Boules Tournament takes place at 6pm on Friday July 26 at the Stratton Boules Piste. There will be pairs’ competitions and boules will be provided. There is a limit on the number of teams, so do book early. The cost to enter a team is £5.

Barbecue food will be available, but please bring your own drinks.

For further information, you need to contact Mick Rignall on 07766221998