Team re:connection

It's early days and we have only just started building our team.

We're organising ourselves into three groups for the development phase. Our Board of Directors share legal responsibility for the governance of the Community Interest Company. The board need a range of different complementary skills in business, finance, engagement, partnership building, business planning, governance, heritage, buildings, design and more - and we are still recruiting.

Not everyone will want the responsibility of directorship. So our Advisory Panel will include those wanting to volunteer their professional or other expertise and experience, to be on hand with advice or support as and when, or at Panel meetings, which are likely to be quarterly.

Similarly, we are building a Stakeholder Panel consisting of organisations who are interested in how working in partnership with re:connection might contribute to their own objectives through shared programmes or use of premises.

Finally, we have a very flexible 'working group' which includes all those contributing to a specific stage of the project! At the moment, that's an options appraisal on the sites we are researching.

Rob Hattersley

Founder and Managing Director

Rob founded re:connection Dorchester and is currently acting as its voluntary Managing Director.

He has a background in primary teaching, safety and life skills education, most recently as CEO of Dorset's SafeWise charity which ran education centres in Weymouth and Bournemouth. After work at a national level in community rail, and for civic societies, he is now working freelance for charities on projects and strategy.

He is especially passionate about supporting young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to navigate the 21st century, and is also rather keen to see communities adapt positively to prepare for now inevitable climate change and its impact on food, weather, housing, water and business.

"I want to see a hub where Dorchester residents become friends, part of a bigger community able to solve problems together, and one in which we meet people who think differently to us and break down barriers and division."

"I'm also keen to support moves to re-invent our high streets as vibrant places for social connection, health, entertainment, culture and business, as well as local food and retail."

Joe Doak

Non-Exec Director (Heritage & Planning)

Joe is a retired Associate Professor of Urban Planning & Development who retains links with the University of Reading through his position as Visiting Fellow with the Department of Real Estate & Planning in the Henley Business School. He is currently Vice Chair, Planning Lead and Social Media Manager for Dorchester Civic Society and sits on the town’s Joint Heritage Committee and Tourism Partnership.

Joe was a corporate town planner for forty five years working in UK local government and planning academia at the universities of the South Bank (London) and Reading. He held various management positions in the Henley Business School and was awarded the Distinguished Volunteer Award for his work in schools outreach through the ‘Pathways to Property’ initiative. He holds an undergraduate degree in Geography, an MPhil degree in urban planning and a doctorate in urban history.

Joe has spent most of his extra-curricula life contributing to community and government projects that seek to build sustainable places. As a former town planner he understands that the well-being of people underpins place-making and that the quality of the built and natural environment are integral to that.

Joe says: "re:connection Dorchester provides an opportunity to build integrated and socially progressive approaches to some of the key problems faced by local people and the town more generally. I hope my contributions will draw upon this experience focusing on strategic and site planning, brownfield redevelopment, heritage conservation and interpretation, and public outreach and education."

Les Fry

Non-Exec Director (Community)

Les was a sheep and dairy farmer on a family farm in West Dorset, before joining Dorset Police and serving for almost 28 years. He was the Section Commander based at Dorchester & Sherborne for a good part of his career, developing excellent links in the community.

Les retired from Dorset Police in 2018 and joined Dorset County Council as a planning enforcement officer. He resigned in 2019 to stand as an Independent candidate for both Dorset Council and Dorchester Town Council and was elected at the May elections. He was re-elected in May 2024 with an increased majority, and is Dorchester Mayor for 2026-27.

Les is currently the Vice Chair of Dorset Council and brings to Reconnection valuable community contacts and knowledge.

Les was awarded the British Empire medal in the New Years honours list of January 2022 for his considerable community work. You will often see him helping out at Dorchester Park Run in the Great Field.

Les says: "Supporting and bringing various sections of the community together is why this project is so exciting for me. I see it a further initiative to revitalise our Town centre and offer a wide range of help and support to a wide range of community groups together."

Michael Gravelle

Non-Exec Director (Finance)

Michael has a varied background, largely in the public sector, and most recently at NHS Dorset where he led on system financial planning ,and estates and capital strategy. In Spring 2026 he started work as head of finance at the national charity Butterfly Conservation Trust, which is based in Dorset.

Michael qualified as a Chartered Public Finance Accountant in 2012 and has worked in senior roles at Dorset Police and the Dorset NHS since then. He has worked closely with partner organisations to plan services and delivery across the South West, including commissioning for the ambulance service, working with local authorities to support out of hospital care and supporting the improvement of local primary care estate with our GPs.

His early career included an environmental and ecological background before moving into data and IT as well as business analysis.

Michael says: "Having lived in the Dorchester area for over twenty years and raised a family here, I am keen to support the improvement of the local community, especially helping to connect people and support them whilst bringing some much needed facilities into the town and high street."

Advisory Panel

Wendy Allwood

Accessibility and Inclusion

Wendy has over 20 years experience working in adult social care, supporting adults with disabilities, long term health conditions and older people. She has specialist knowledge and understanding of access needs, particularly those who have a visual or hearing impairment, a learning disability or who are neuro divergent. She has been an active member of Dorchester Access Group for many years and is keen to improve access and inclusion across the town.

Wendy is passionate about organisations and individuals working together to benefit everyone. She hopes that a new community hub for Dorchester will bring people, business and community groups together, providing a safe space for collaboration, connection and to celebrate our community.

Wendy has personal lived experience of disability and understands the access barriers people face on a daily basis to physical space, online services and even to their community. Wendy hopes to be able to work with partners and our community to ensure that Dorchester’s community hub is accessible, inclusive and welcoming to everyone.

Ashleigh Boreham

Health in the High Street

Ashleigh is Deputy Chief Officer for Strategy and Transformation at Dorset NHS. He is an experienced healthcare specialist in hospitals & health care, skilled in workforce planning, operational design and system delivery across demanding environments. Ashleigh has a Master of Science (MSc) focused in Emergency Planning from University of Leicester, a Master of Arts (MA) in Defence Studies and is a Fellow with the Institute of Healthcare Managers.

He is particularly interested in opportunities for moving preventative health interventions out of medical settings and into the high street, so that good health is more easily accessible and more of a normal part of people's lives.

Steve Bulley

Business & Media

Steve is passionate about business, engagement and adult training and is a former Managing Director in the media industry.

He is currently President of Dorchester Chamber for Business, a voluntary group founded in 1916 promoting networking and support for organisations based in and around the town. He hasn't been President for all that time.

At weekends Steve volunteers as a radio presenter on Dorchester's own Keep106, and you'll sometimes find him inspecting tickets at Swanage Steam Railway.

Ian Cardy

Options Appraisal and Architectural

Qualified as a Chartered Architect for 25 years, Ian has worked in a variety of sectors from public to private, housing to hospitals, with schools, art galleries, one-off dwellings and professional witness work along the way. He is now Associate Senior Architect at SPASE Design based at Athelhampton House, Dorchester.

He says: "Being a Dorchester resident and enthusiastic about the town, its community and heritage, re:connection is a perfect opportunity for being able to contribute in a tangible way to these elements. It is an exciting project that is a true privilege to be involved in."

"Naturally, it would be wonderful for SPASE to be formally engaged in the later stages of the project on a professional basis, but in the meantime I am eager to support and guide the brief and options appraisal as we have been doing with the team.

Laura Delage-Pandeli

Interior Design & Heritage Renewal

Laura is an interior designer who has opened a flexible design-focussed co-working space in Dorchester South Street called Olive & Wilde Interiors.

She is especially interested in how heritage buildings can be redesigned and brought back to beneficial use for business and community.

Laura has also designed and continues to manage several holidays lets in Dorset through Olive & Wilde Stays.

Katie Gravelle

Interior Architecture

Katie has recently graduated from Arts University Bournemouth with a BA in Interior Architecture and Design.

She is initially helping the team to imagine and visualise the potential internal options for the premises we are investigating.

Hollie Hyde

Neurodivergency and inclusion

Hollie is the founder and organiser of Neurodivergent Dorchester, a place (online through Facebook, or in person) for people in Dorchester to connect whether they themselves are neurodivergent, suspect they might be, or have friends, family or colleagues who are.

Hollie will be helping us on the design and management of Reconnection to ensure it is a place where everyone feels safe, welcome and valued, and is able to grow.

Gary Jarman

Video and community engagement

Gary Jarman is a Dorset-based filmmaker and the founder of Pageant Productions, specialising in community-focused storytelling. Working with the voluntary, public and arts sectors, Gary has led projects that amplify underrepresented voices and support organisations to communicate their impact with clarity and authenticity.

He says: 'I'm interested in Reconnection because its values strongly align with my own work and ethos. Through my filmmaking and community work, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of connection, inclusion and creating spaces where people feel comfortable to engage. I’m particularly interested in how we can think more holistically about what a “hub” is—not just a physical building, but a network of relationships, communication and trust.'

Fiona Kent-Ledger

Community development

Fiona is a Dorchester Town Councillor. In her day job she works in community development at Dorset Council in West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland.

She helps to create and support local activities and opportunities for older people, identifying needs and assessing what opportunities there are in their community. The idea is then to work with suitable partners or bodies to develop an activity to bridge or fill that need.

She believes something like Reconnection is greatly needed in town to build community connections and resilience, and is looking forward to using her experience to support the project as it moves forward.

Carole Lawrence-Parr

Health, governance

Carole is the Chief Commander and acting Chancellor at St John Ambulance.

She has spent spent her career in healthcare as a Director in the NHS with responsibility for GPs, pharmacists, dentists, community hospitals and community nurses, and latterly healthcare in prisons and police custody.

Carole has held directorships in private healthcare and is currently a management consultant with a particular speciality in start up businesses supporting them to obtain regulatory requirements, develop organisational structures and obtain contracts.

Carole is keen to support Reconnection in her home town especially around health outcomes and in helping us to develop strong governance systems and partnerships.

Michelle Markham

Food resilience and health

Michelle has over fifteen years of media and events experience in the UK and internationally, including music and film festivals, broadcast news and charity.

She's been supporting local community projects for the past four years including Dorchester Community Farm in Poundbury.

Michelle was born in the Far East and has called Dorset home for 40 years, interspersed with London and international roles.

She says: "A new Community Hub in Dorchester would provide a great venue in the centre of town with the opportunity to improve food resilience and health through the sharing of skills and resources, bringing more people of all ages together to grow food, cook and eat well."

Kate Parish

Developing youth provision

Kate is a qualified youth worker and the Development Team Lead at Dorset Youth.

She co-founded the UK Youth Parliament and was its Head of Programmes between 2001 and 2008.

Kate is an experienced youth and family worker, having delivered both targeted youth work and run open access provision(s).

She is currently working for Dorset Youth to develop a Youth Service at Dorset County Hospital.

Kate says:- "I am interested in Reconnection Dorchester because I believe in the power of community engagement and the changes that people can make when they come together. I share Reconnection Dorchester’s ambition to create a friendly and inviting multi-use space that can be accessed by those in need and those who want to make a difference to other people’s lives. I am particularly keen to support a space that is welcoming to young people and can help them identify their potential and achieve their aspirations."

Mark Tattersall

Creative Arts & Health

Mark is the Artistic Director at Dorchester Arts. He started his career as a musician and then spent 15 years working for CBS Records/Sony Music with artists such as Bros, Oasis, Suede and Gipsy Kings. He moved into the visual arts, running his own gallery in France and then as CEO and later Chair of The Art Academy in London. He took up his current post in 2012 where he has overseen a major expansion of activities and led a major 5-year capital project at Dorchester Corn Exchange.

Mark says "As a firm believer that town centres need to reinvent themselves and that this change should be driven by need and demand within the local community, the aims and objectives of Re:Connection excited me from the day I heard about it. I aim to bring my experience in the charitable, business and creative sectors to the project, as well as finding synergies with Dorchester Arts and other local creative organisations.

Emma Teasdale

Sustainability

Emma is a Susrtainability Project Officer at Dorset Council and also works as the Co-ordinator for Litter Free Dorset. Emma manages the Dorchester Repair Cafe. Founded in 2019, this is a band of dedicated volunteers who love to share their skills helping people to save money and get more use out of the things they already own.

Emma has experience in catering, managing a popular cafe in Poundbury for nearly 8 years, and is a former secondary school teacher.

Her passion now is to reduce the waste which ends up in our seas, rivers and streets. She is helping Reconnection plans ways in which these objectives can be included in the operations of the new hub.

Giles Watts

Climate and adaptation

Giles is Chair of Dorset Climate Action Network (DCAN) and Secretary of Dorchester Transport Action Group (DTAG), with a professional backround in geophysics including carbon capture and geothermal energy.

He says: "There is a strong need for a community support project that provides multi-purpose space for people living in and around Dorchester, the county town."

"DCAN and DTAG would like to work with Reconnection to explore how this space can tackle local issues related to our environment and climate change - particularly projects relating to transport, renewable energy, soil recovery, biodiversity, home insulation and access to social housing."

Perwina Whitmore

Construction & property

Now retired, Perwina has a background in property and construction management both in national roles and more locally as Capital Programme Manager for Poole.

She is supporting Reconnection as we look at premises and capital funding options.

Lorraine Wong

Health, wellbeing and inclusion

Lorraine is Head of Commercial Services at Dorset NHS, and loves being part of the work that helps shape healthcare for the people who live here.

Dorset is home for her, so being able to contribute to the wellbeing of the community means a lot.

She says: "Giving back has always been important in my life. I’m an active Rotarian, and I volunteer with my GP surgery’s Patient Participation Group, where I serve as Treasurer. I also hold the Treasurer role as a trustee of the South West Dorset Multicultural Network — a group I care deeply about because of its focus on connection, inclusion, and supporting people from all backgrounds."

Across my work and my volunteering, I’ve been lucky to be involved with organisations that genuinely want to make life healthier, fairer, and kinder for people in Dorset. That sense of purpose is what keeps me motivated every day."