Dorchester Quaker Local Meeting
All events take place in the Meeting House in Holloway Road unless otherwise specified. Please see other pages of the website for directions to the Meeting House.
Meeting for Worship each Sunday in the Meeting House 10.30am All Welcome.
Please note that the worship includes Friends on zoom who are unable to get to the Meeting House – this is known as blended meeting.
Worship for one hour is followed by shaking of hands, notices and then informal time together over tea and coffee in the kitchen at the meeting house.
October
October 5th is World Quaker Day (a marketing opportunity created by Friends World Committee for Consultation in 2014) and there are a number of online for Friends to participate in.
October 5th Meeting for Worship at 10.30 followed by Local Quaker Business Meeting from 12 noon till 13.00 Mike and Alison G are at the table as Clerks for this meeting. (Marigold is part of the European Peace & Service Network for Quakers and their gathering is in Paris 3/4/5th October and so gives her apologies).
October 7th Dorchester Poverty Action Annual Open Meeting 7pm at the Dorford Centre. The speaker is Jon Sloper of the Dorset Council funded “Help and Kindness” website. Refreshments provided.
October 9th Area Quaker Meeting online details from clerk@dorsetandswiltsquakers.org.uk
October 11th Christian Aid walk to the river Jordan. Fundraising and community walk to Bowleaze Cove. See poster in the Meeting House for more details or ask our rep on the Christian Aid Committee, Dave. Please do your best to support Christian Aid in these difficult times for international charities.
October 12th Meeting for Worship at 10.30
October 13th Dorchester Churches Week of Prayer– and week designed by the Churches Together Group in Dorchester. Monday 13th Service at the Storehouse Church 7.30pm Wednesday 15th Service at St.George’s Fordington 9.30am followed by coffee and pastries. Thursday 16th Lunchtime Service at St. Peter’s. Saturday 18th Service at the Salvation Army in Trinity Street 9.00 am followed by breakfast. Sunday 19th Evening Service at the United Church in South Street.
October 14th Tuesday What does Quaker Socialism mean to me? A Quaker Socialist Society Discussion Meeting 7.30pm, online All Friends are welcome, please bring your ideas. Chair: Ian Martin Ruth Kettle-Frisby: Socialism is an effort of the will spurred by the truth. Christine Green: Quaker testimonies, the gospel message, socialism – one and the same? Jesus would have been a socialist! Chris Newsam: Creatively is there a vision for our time in Quaker Socialism? Discussion. Everyone is warmly invited to share their views. Summary including speakers’ comments on the discussion and close.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84106406871?pwd=2DJaJj9OHyaqcutQHF6qqsdGlwGhXD.1
October 15th Mid Week Meeting for Worship 12.30 to 1 followed by shared lunch ending at 2pm (bring food to share) led by the Eldership and Pastoral Care Friends. After lunch Friends are encouraged to stay and help with simple garden tasks such as weeding the paths and the car park, making sure that the gravel is not on the pavement but in the car park, picking up any rubbish in the car park, watering any pots and the bird bath and walking on the grass free lawn. Thank-you from the gardening team.
October 19th Meeting for Worship at 10.30
October 25th Bournemouth Coastal Area Meeting ( the AQM geographically alongside ours) would like to invite Dorset & South Wiltshire AM and Hampshire and the Islands AM, to a meeting. The program is attached. There will be time to get to know each other and consider what we could do together to simplify our meetings, deepen our spiritual life and enjoy each other’s company. It will be on Saturday 25th October 2025 at 10:30 for coffee and a 11 am start. The meeting will end by 4pm although there will be drinks available then for those who wish to chat. Participants are asked to bring a packed lunch for themselves. Drinks, cake and fruit will be provided at lunch time. The meeting will take place at Poole Meeting House 52 Wimborne Road Poole BH15 2BY. There is very limited parking on site but a paid for car park at Poole Stadium (£7 for 7 hours) or the bus and railway stations are within half a mile walk.
It would be helpful to know the number of people expected to attend – please let the AQM Clerk know if you plan to be there.
October 26th Bring and Share Breakfast and discussion meeting hosted by the Eldership and Pastoral Care Group at 9.15 followed by Meeting for Worship at 10.30.
October 29th Defibrillator Training at 6pm in the Meeting House. All welcome. Please tell neighbours and friends in Fordington that they are welcome to attend.
November
November 1st Christian Aid market in the United Church Hall from 10am to 12 noon followed by ploughmans lunches from 12 to 1. Please let Dave have quality items to sell on the Quaker stall on this day in order to raise as much as we can for this important charity.
November 1st Saturday 10-16.30 in the Meeting House. Learning day George Fox on Spirituality, Community, Witness, & Hope – see below for the programme of the day. Please let Jane know if you would like to attend. She will bring a sign up sheet to Meeting for Worship each Sunday.
November 2nd Meeting for Worship at 10.30
November 9th Meeting for Worship at 10.30 followed by a presentation from the Book Group about their reflections on what they have read on the subject of life after doom, then a vegan lunch “green feast” (vegetables, fruit and grains – nothing from animals or chemicals and either local or fair traded food). More details to follow from the Book Group.
November 14th Christian Aid street collection from 9.30 to 4.30 pm. Volunteers are needed for the hour long slots throughout the day. Please let Dave M know if you can offer some time on the day.
November 16th Meeting for Worship at 10.30
November 19th Meeting for Worship mid-day 12.30 to 1 followed by Bring and Share lunch led by Elders and Pastoral Care. After lunch Friends are encouraged to stay and help with simple garden tasks such as weeding the paths and the car park, making sure that the gravel is not on the pavement but in the car park, picking up any rubbish in the car park, watering any pots and the bird bath and walking on the grass free lawn. Thank-you from the gardening team.
November 22nd (From Bournemouth Coastal AQM) On Saturday, 22nd November there will be a presentation of Faith and Play from trained friends . Faith and Play is a Quaker adaptation of Godly Play- a reverential way of story telling in a circle with times of silence as spiritual reflection leading to exploring questions together. Central Offices in Euston, London, Friends House, now has resources, books and experienced Friends who can train others. It is primarily aimed at children so would interest those who are or maybe holding children’s meeting. However, it could be used with adult friends and sounds a powerful way to deeply consider our foundations and testimonies. Please let me know it your meeting would like further details. In Friendship Penny E. Bournemouth Coastal Area Meeting Clerk
November 23rd Bring and Share breakfast meeting at 9.15 led by Elders and Pastoral Care followed by Meeting for Worship at 10.30
November 30th Meeting for Worship at 10.30
Local Quaker Business Meeting
These are held as needed and all are welcome to attend. Next Area Quaker Meeting will be online on October 9th. The Clerking team is currently Marigold as Clerk and Mike as Asst. Clerk with Alison learning the ropes. Please contact Marigold if you have an item which you want to be included in the agenda for LQBM. Minutes are taken at these meetings so please ask an Elder or Pastoral Care Friend if you would like to see them.
For those who ask about the donation to Britain Yearly Meeting, please see the Charity Commission website which illustrates the finances of BYM which can be found under charity number 1127633.
If you want to explore more about Quakers, Kindlers might be for you. Visit the website www.thekindlers.org.uk email admin@thekindlers.org.uk
Every Monday at 19.30 there is an online JUST… meeting called One thing you can do this week for peace and justice in Palestine, Lebanon, Israel. Based on the AFSC format, American Friends Service Committee Action Hour, we witness… a minute silence remembering ONE event or person Learn… what’s going on – UPDATE Act…. ONE letter or petition to write or sign Share…what is happening in your area that counts as a small WIN Friend Nicola Grove spends about one day every week gathering and preparing resources for the meeting. You can join on https://www.campain.org/post/join-just-campain-s-weekly-action-for-peace-and-truth-in-the-middle-east
https://www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/international-work/responding-to-the-current-situation-in-israel-and-palestine is also useful
Church events in Dorchester (Our representative on Churches Together in Dorchester is Sarah)
Please remember to contribute to the Food Bank by dropping items off at the Dorford Baptist Church in Bridport Road.
Firm Roots is a Christian cancer support group. Dorchester Family Church Office: 2 Red Cow Business
Park, Long Bridge Way, Dorchester DT1 1YD Join us for friendship, encouragement, reflections, refreshments and prayer for anyone affected by cancer.
Everyone welcome. Email: dorsetfirmroots@admin
Please also get in touch if you would like to go on our prayer list and our group will pray for you.
www.firmroots.org.uk
Acorn Christian Healing Foundation Dorchester Hub The Quiet Space Poundbury DT1 3RG
Second Wednesday and Third Friday of each month 10.30-12.00 All very welcome, any faith or none
OTHER EVENTS OR OPPORTUNITIES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN
Individual Quakers are involved in a range of social action activities and some are mentioned here.
Quakers are part of the World Wide Family of Quakers and the Around Europe Newsletter has articles from various aspects of Quaker activity across the Europe and Middle East Section latest issue of Among Friends. https://fwccemes.org
For those interested in the demonstrations and protests in relation to Israel and Palestine, there is a Dorset Palestine Solidarity Campaign which can be followed through these links.
Facebook: https://fb.me/e/awqc2ZXll
Twitter/X: https://x.com/dorsetpsc/status/1851643419065532557
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBwPIBxNFoB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Contact dorsetpsc1@admin or dorsetstopthewar@gmail.com
The Quaker Socialist Society meets online from time to time – and had a meeting on how we promote Quaker values in state schools and private Quaker schools. Prof Francis Green spoke about his book on private schools: Engines of Privilege. See the Quaker Socialist Society website for further details. Also, a lecture on George Fox by Graham Taylor, which quotes some of Fox’s unpublished work, is on https://quakersocialists.org.uk/
We encourage Friends to see a Lecture by Revd Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian on https://quakersocialists.org.uk/.
In June at Salisbury International Arts Festival on Friday June 6th this year, Friend Michael Mears with Riko Nakasono performed THE MISTAKE – see below from Michael.
It’s 80 years since atomic bombs were dropped on two Japanese cities.
I’m Michael Mears, actor/playwright and pacifist and I attend Wandsworth Quakers in southwest London.
In 2023 I toured THE MISTAKE, the play I wrote about Hiroshima and the first atomic bomb, around the UK, with no public arts funding – just the enthusiastic support of crowdfunders and one or two small organisations. The play was performed by Japanese actor Riko Nakazono and myself. This year, the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings, I feel compelled to take the play further afield to the USA and to Japan.
We will be touring in the USA for six weeks from the start of April, and it’s an expensive undertaking, though in order to help the tour proceed, I have chosen to be unpaid myself, as part of my witness for peace.
Potential sympathetic funding bodies in the UK won’t fund a project that goes abroad. So will you help us bring THE MISTAKE to the USA, to share the urgent themes and message of this play with a wider, American, audience? Join us in our efforts to enlighten, to illuminate, to change hearts and minds, through the emotional power of theatrical storytelling?
Any donation however small will make a difference and help us. Here is a Crowdfunding link for donations which will give you a lot more information, with photographs and reviews.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/taking-the-mistake-to-the-usa
George Fox on Spirituality, Community, Witness, & Hope
Saturday 1 November 2025, 10:00-16:30
Quaker Meeting House, Dorchester
Throughout his life, George Fox provided valuable guidance to the early Quaker community, offering hope and encouragement in difficult times. In our day together, we will explore four well-known passages written by Fox that reflect this aspect of his ministry. We will also listen to the words performed in plainsong by Paulette Meier. What did these messages mean in the 17th century? What do they mean for us today?
| 09:30 | Arrivals |
| 10:00 | Opening worship |
| 10:15 | Session 1 – Be still and cool in thy own mind and Spirit |
| 11:30 | Morning break |
| 11:50 | Session 2 – Meet together in that which is eternal |
| 12:50 | Lunch |
| 13:50 | Session 3 – Be patterns, be examples |
| 14:50 | Afternoon break |
| 15:10 | Session 4 – An ocean of darkness and death and an ocean of light and love |
| 16:10 | Evaluation and Closing worship |
| 16:30 | Finish |