Events archive
2023
26 January 2023
Brexit – Where now? A Conversation with Mile Galsworthy
Catch up with our event, Brexit – Where now? A Conversation with Mike Galsworthy, hosted jointly with Salisbury for Europe on 26th January 2023.
European Movement ambassador and co-founder of Scientists for EU and Healthier IN the EU MIKE GALSWORTHY spoke passionately on the impacts of Brexit for the UK science and education sectors. He also answered questions on strategies for rejoin, the state of UK politics and the ways in which local pro-EU groups can re-energise and direct their campaigns.
Watch the entire event On YouTube below.
Watch Mike’s informed summary of the direct and devastating impact of Brexit on UK science and education in the following clip.
Are you disheartened by the impacts of Brexit or do you feel like giving up on campaigning to rejoin? Watch the clip below for Mike’s advice on how to stay focused and positive during these tough times for political and pro-EU campaigning.
25 March 2023
National Rejoin Day of Action
Dorset for Europe held 3 events to mark the National Rejoin Day of Action on.
Our Dorset for Europe Pop-up Street Stall took place in the morning near Beale Place, in Bournemouth town centre. Several of our volunteers chatted with passers-by about the current state of the country and its politics.
Our trusty ‘Opinion-o-meter’ proved a good draw, with most people telling us how dissatisfied they are with the Tory government and the current state of the NHS. A clear majority were in favour of rethinking our relationship with the EU, amidst ongoing economic difficulties and the loss of important collaborative programmes, like Erasmus and Horizon. The desire for voting reform is also gaining in popularity.
(despite the date at the top – oops!)
Dorset for Europe volunteers also handed out leaflets encouraging people to register to vote and reminding everyone of the new legal requirement to show photo ID when voting in the upcoming local elections on Thursday 4th May.
Many people of all ages stopped to chat with us and to share their views, whether pro or anti-Rejoin, in a productive and non-confrontational manner. House of Commons – please take note!!
We also offered information on joining the European Movement for those who expressed an interest in becoming more involved with campaigning to get the UK’s EU star back.
In the afternoon, Hattie Miles again hosted her popular 90-minute ‘European Connections’ Walk around Bournemouth.
The walking talk followed a leisurely route revealing some of the town’s many links to Europe. From Isaac Gulliver, whose smuggling business brought wines, lace and silks from the continent and made him into one of the wealthiest men in the west, and a fourteenth-century pirate, who still warrants an annual day of celebration, to Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian inventor and electrical engineer, whose experiments in the town led to the creation of the first wireless system. Participants also discovered stories about an Austrian Empress, a pair of lions from Vatican City, a German Count with a very long name and a Victorian hotel that imported water for its baths from Auvergne.
Click here for information on Hattie’s fascinating walking talks.
Our new Dorchester Euro Café also met up in the afternoon at Vivo Lounge, in Brewery Square, with a good crowd turning up for coffee, cake, chat and plenty of pro-European camaraderie!
Please read this recent article on the event in the Dorset Echo.
The Dorchester Euro Café has been so well attended for its first 2 meet-ups that we are hoping it can become a regular event, so that like-minded Europhiles in west Dorset can meet up socially in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Please visit our Euro Café page for more details.
3 July 2023
Webinar with Albert Kemp, author of Brexit Unmasked
Watch our event video below:
We were delighted to welcome 96-year-old local author Albert Kemp to talk to us about his recently published book, Brexit Unmasked: The memoirs and opinions of a nonagenarian.
Watch the book’s promo video below:
8 July 2023
Meal at Strawberry Tree, The Old Mill, Lyme Regis
Despite the deluge that hit west Dorset that Saturday, we all enjoyed wonderful tapas and good company at the Strawberry Tree, part of historic and beautifully converted Old Mill complex in Lyme Regis.
It was a great opportunity for Dorset and Devon for Europe members to get together, and for those who travelled from East Dorset, it was certainly well worth the trip.
Thanks to Lyme Regis Green Party Councillor Belinda Bawden for organising this event at the unique Strawberry Tree restaurant.
10 September 2023
Coastline litter pick
Several stretches of beach at Bournemouth have received the prestigious Blue Flag award for beaches that meet strict criteria for environmental (including water quality) standards, educational programmes, safety and access.
In coordination with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and BCP Council, several members of Dorset for Europe met up at Boscombe beach on the afternoon of Sunday 23rd September to conduct a beach litter pick. Altogether, approximately 2 kg of waste was collected and logged on the MCS volunteer survey.
Well done and thank you to all who took part!
Dating back to 1985, the Blue Flag programme started out as a pollution-monitoring initiative by French schoolchildren, with the idea of an award for pollution-free beaches adopted by the European Union in 1987 as part of its Bathing Water Directive. In 1998, the European Blue Flag became an independent organisation and since 2001 it has expanded its reach beyond Europe to become the International Blue Flag. The Blue Flag programme is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Find out more about the history of the Blue Flag scheme in this video:
23 September 2023
National Rejoin March II
The National Rejoin March 2 was a lively, peaceful and colourful event. Approximately 30,000 people marched to a rally in Parliament Square along a now familiar route. Many pro-EU groups were represented with their local flags, and the banners we saw were as inventive as ever.
Dorset for Europe members travelled up to London by Excelsior coach and, despite the disappointing but unsurprising lack of national media coverage, we felt the day was a positive mechanism to advance the Rejoin cause and revitalise solidarity among pro-Europeans.
Check out the NRM II page for replays of the Parliament Square speeches.
23 & 24 September 2023
Dorset for Europe stall at the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth
Dorset for Europe supporters who were unable to go on the National Rejoin March joined a street stall outside the Bournemouth International Centre over 2 days during the Lib Dem conference. Flags and stickers were given out and outreach engagement done with Lib Dems and the general public with our reasons for why Brexit is damaging the UK and for why we need to begin the journey to rejoin the EU.
2024
23 March 2024
National Rejoin Day of Action
Our volunteers invited members of the public in Dorchester town centre to participate in our ‘Happiness Index’ – a measure of how ‘happy’ they were feeling about different aspects of life post-Brexit, from the NHS to the economy. And, on a lighter note, locals were asked to take our survey on favourite European holiday destinations.
Our team also took the opportunity to raise awareness of voter registration and valid forms of ID for the upcoming local and national elections, provided information on membership of European Movement UK and promoted our Dorchester and Bournemouth Euro cafés.
Despite the inclement weather, our team of volunteers had a great day, with lots of public engagement and positive feedback on our campaign to promote Rejoin.
18 May 2024
Bournemouth Street Stall
Our volunteers helped to host another successful street stall with lots of public engagement on topical issues which will no doubt be of concern to voters in the run-up to the General Election.
21 & 22 July 2024
Tolpuddle Festival
Well done to our dedicated team of volunteers for hosting a stall at this year’s Tolpuddle Festival!
This is the first time that Dorset for Europe has attended the Tolpuddle Festival and it was a great success, with loads of positive discussions with passing members of the public on the benefits of closer ties with the EU. Our team also promoted European Movement UK’s Face the Music and Erasmus+ campaigns.
This time, the focus of our Opinion-o-meter was on how the new government should deal with a series of EU-related issues, including food standards, Erasmus+ and agreements on climate change and defence. The question of rejoin was not on our initial agenda, but was added by popular demand at the request of members of the public!
Our team was overwhelmed by the positive responses to building a closer overall relationship with the EU. A surprising number of people were willing to admit that Brexit had not brought the benefits they were promised. As national opinion polls are increasingly confirming, the results of our survey showed that a majority of people are in favour of rejoining the EU when politically feasible.
The following photos are © Neil Lawrence Photography: Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival 2024 Flicker:
Video: Dorset for Europe’s Tony Afanasiew speaks to trade union festival-goers on the merits of EU membership in relation to workers’ rights, consumer rights and human rights:
28 September 2024
National Rejoin March III
