Community invited to meet shortlisted candidates for Pride in Place chair role

Residents and workers in Littlemoor and Broadwey are invited to meet the three shortlisted candidates for the role of Chair of the new Neighbourhood Board, being established as part of the Government’s Pride in Place programme.

Littlemoor and Broadwey are set to receive up to £20 million over the next ten years through the UK Government scheme, which supports long-term investment to build stronger communities and create thriving neighbourhoods. A new Neighbourhood Board will be set up to lead this work locally and agree priorities for how the funding is used.

Following an open recruitment process, three candidates have been shortlisted for the independent Chair role: Steven Dyer, Kevin Hodder and Simon Raynes.

Local people are invited to meet the shortlisted candidates at an informal community café session at Littlemoor Community Centre Café on Friday 1 May, from 11am to 12pm. Anyone with an interest in the Pride in Place programme is welcome to attend. Young people from Wey Valley School Council will also visit the café to meet the candidates and ask their own questions.

The session forms part of the recruitment process and will be followed by formal interviews during the week commencing 5 May, with the aim of appointing a Chair in the week beginning 11 May.

Dorset Council opened applications for the voluntary Chair role in early March and has run a programme of community engagement events throughout March and April to encourage local people to apply. Information was sent to every household in Littlemoor and Broadwey, and the opportunity was promoted online, including via a Facebook Live session. Six expressions of interest were received, from which three candidates were shortlisted.

Cllr Ryan Hope, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Customer, Culture and Community Engagement at Dorset Council, said:

“We were delighted with the level of interest in this role, which will be critical to the delivery of the Pride in Place programme. The funding represents a huge opportunity for Littlemoor and Broadwey, and the Neighbourhood Board and its Chair will be central to making sure it delivers real benefits for the community.

“We received a very strong set of applications and I would like to thank all six candidates for putting themselves forward. We are keen for the community – including young people – to be involved in the next stage of the process, and I would encourage anyone who is available to come along on Friday to meet the shortlisted applicants.”

Applications are also currently open for Neighbourhood Board members. Anyone who lives or works in Littlemoor or Broadwey and is interested in helping to make meaningful local change is encouraged to apply. Previous board experience is not required, but experience of community involvement, an understanding of local issues, and the ability to work collaboratively would be beneficial.

The closing date for Neighbourhood Board member applications is 22 May 2026.

Both the Chair and Board Member roles are unpaid voluntary positions, with reasonable expenses reimbursed.

Find more information and apply.