Fresh Beginnings in Dorset: New Activities and Classes to Elevate Your Year!
Fresh Beginnings in Dorset: New Activities and Classes to Elevate Your Year!
A new year, a new chapter. Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions is to try something different or pick up a new hobby. From becoming a whiz in the kitchen to joining a community theatre group, our guide is bursting with workshops and activities across the county to push you out of your comfort zone, increase your skills and make new friends.
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Learn a New Sport
If you’re keen to enhance your golf skills, many clubs in Dorset offer professional lessons, including Came Down Golf Club in Dorchester, Weymouth Golf Club, Broadstone Golf Club, Remedy Oak in Wimborne, Ferndown Forest Golf Course and Moors Valley Country Park.
Pickleball is an increasingly popular sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. You can give it a go with Dorchester Dinkers Pickleball Club, Bournemouth Pickleball Club, Pickleball Weymouth – Jurassic Coasters, and Sherborne Tennis Club, as well as many gyms or leisure centres across the county.
Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy offers sailing and watersports lessons for all abilities. Take to the waters and enjoy the thrill of exploring the stunning Jurassic coastline.
Get Crafting
The Crafty Cuppa is a community-focused crafts café in Dorchester that regularly organises crafting sessions and workshops. Check their Facebook page for opportunities to learn new crafts in a friendly and supportive environment.
Pots N Pints runs ‘Pottery in the Pub’ events to get imaginative (and perhaps a bit messy!) with clay. You can create whatever you like – plant pots, jewellery dishes, sculptures and candle holders are popular makes. Held at The Belvedere pub in Weymouth, the ticket price includes a drink. Pots N Pints also offer private pottery parties and inclusive community workshops.
All Fired Up in Bournemouth runs paint-your-own pottery sessions. It’s a lovely place to catch up with friends and family over a cuppa and unleash your creativity.
There is a huge choice of jewellery making workshops across the county. Emma Leonard hosts workshops to make a variety of rings, pendants and bangles from her studio in Poole. Jenny Greenhow runs silversmith jewellery making classes at Duck Farm Craft Workshops in Dorchester. Suitable for all abilities, Jenny offers one-off Saturday workshops or weekly classes.
Try your hand at painting or drawing with The Studio Art School in Weymouth, Jools Woodhouse in Lyme Regis, Jo Wells Art Studio in Poole, or the Classical Art Academy in Bournemouth.
Start a Fun Activity
Bridport Arts Centre is a hub for artistic expression, offering a year-round programme of workshops and activities, including visual arts, theatre, dance, and writing.
South West Skaters is a fun community rollerblading group that meet regularly at Redlands Sports Centre in Weymouth. The group welcomes people looking for a new hobby and those who are passionate about skating.
Aerial Arts Dorset in Wimborne offer a range of aerial arts classes including pole fitness, aerial hoop and aerial hammock for all abilities. Polzapart runs pole fitness and aerial fitness classes in Bournemouth, Ferndown and Parkstone.
Improve Your Baking or Cooking Skills
From cupcakes to wedding cakes, Rachel makes the most beautiful edible masterpieces from her studio, Rachelle’s, in Dorchester. You can certainly be fooled by the cake flower bouquets! Whether you’re a complete novice or looking to start your own bakery business, Rachelle’s has an online Cake School with a variety of tutorials that can be watched from the comfort of your home. Rachel also runs private masterclasses for one-to-one tuition with accommodation available.
If you’re looking to sharpen your culinary skills and whip up a delicious meal to impress family or friends, there are some renowned cooking schools in Dorset.
• Run by a team of experienced professionals, at WhitePepper Chef Academy in Poole you can gain culinary qualifications or take part in a variety of cooking workshops, from French patisserie to learning how to prepare fish
• The Olive Tree Cookery School offers a range of speciality cookery courses, including Mediterranean or Indian, for mixed abilities
• Learn to cook Italian dishes at Peppina in Poundbury or head to Lesley Waters Cookery School in Shaftesbury to take part in a pasta making, tapas or souffle making workshop
Join a Community Theatre or Performance Group
Joining a community theatre or performance group is a great way to increase your confidence and expand your social circle. Whether you’re interested in acting, singing or dancing, or all three, there are plenty of welcoming community theatre groups across Dorset.
• Wessex Musical Theatre in Weymouth puts on an annual musical at Weymouth Pavilion. Highly regarded, the group held their first performance in 1921
• Wimborne Community Theatre holds performances in unusual places that reflect local stories, both real and fictional
• Poole and Parkstone Productions are an award-winning amateur musical theatre, choir and drama company. With over 150 members, the group performs at venues across Dorset and Hampshire, and it’s recently launched a non-auditioned community choir
• BBLOC, an amateur musical theatre company in Bournemouth, stages an annual production at the Pavilion Theatre in Bournemouth and performs concerts in the area throughout the year
There are many choirs across the county and often they don’t require any experience or an audition to join. Dorset choirs include Just Sing in Wimborne and Poole, Weymouth Choral Society and Sound of Soul Choir in Bournemouth.
Learn About Our County’s Rich Heritage
If you’re keen to expand your knowledge of Dorset’s heritage, there are local history societies in most areas, including Wimborne, Sherborne, Bournemouth, Blandford, Shaftesbury, Poole and Dorchester. The British Association for Local History has a fantastic directory that allows you to search by county.
Dorset Museum is a treasure trove of local history. Joining historical talks and events organised by the museum and local history groups can provide valuable insights into Dorset's fascinating heritage.
Relocate to our beautiful county for the ultimate fresh start!
As we welcome a new year, consider embarking on a transformative journey by moving to Dorset. The promise of a clean slate becomes even more enticing against the backdrop of Dorset's enchanting landscapes and welcoming communities. Picture rolling hills, charming villages, and a captivating coastline that stretches as far as the eye can see. Dorset's rich history and cultural tapestry add depth to the experience, providing a unique blend of tradition and modernity.
With the turn of the calendar, the opportunities for personal growth, adventure, and a renewed sense of purpose are limitless. Whether you're keen to explore historic sites, indulge in local cuisine, or simply stroll along rugged cliffs, Dorset offers a canvas for reinvention, making it the perfect destination to kick off the new year and craft the life you've been dreaming of. So, get those bags packed!
With offices across the county, expert local knowledge and over 30 years’ experience, get in touch and we can find the property for you.
Added: 28th December 2023
