The mayor of Bridport says his 'eyes have been opened' as he praises a new service that will help combat loneliness.

Weldmar Hospicecare's Community Outreach Vehicle visited the town and Cllr Ian Bark had the pleasure of finding out more about the service that will allow the hospice charity to reach even more people with help, advice and information.

He welcomed the vehicle to Bridport for the first time after it was launched last month.

Cllr Bark explained that before the visit, he wondered why a hospice needed such a vehicle, assuming everything was delivered at the hospice itself and his only previous contact with Weldmar Hospicecare was its charity shop in East Street.

He said: "We all know that Dorset is an incredibly beautiful county to live and work in. But it also has its problems. For example, around 47 per cent of Weldmar Hospicecare's patients live in rural locations. This means that they can easily feel isolated with little support around them. For some of their patients, the only people they will see during the week is a member of the Weldmar Hospicecare team of outreach care professionals.

"It is a comfort to know that if the need arises, Weldmar Hospicecare will be there to provide specialist end of life care for people in need across Dorset. They have a dedicated team of nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers and counsellors.

"My eyes have been opened to the range of support available both in the hospice and the wider community. I have nothing but the greatest respect for the work Weldmar Hospicecare staff deliver.

"To find out more and how you can support them to ensure they will be there if and when you need them to visit their website ."

The Community Outreach Vehicle was funded by money raised in Weldmar Hospicecare's 2019 Christmas Appeal and a donation from the Werth Foundation.

Keep up-to-date on where the vehicle is visiting at Weldmar Hospicecare's website