Welcome For Heroes in Dorchester
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Stories about the work of our armed forces and their heroic deeds are never out of the daily news. They work in difficult conditions far from their home and family, and wouldn’t it be good to express our admiration for their work regardless of our views on the war in question. With that in mind, the DBID in partnership with the Town Council (DTC) proposed the idea of Dorchester giving a warm welcome and a little quiet acknowledgment to members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces who are doing a difficult job in dangerous circumstances.
Heroes Welcome in Dorchester Initiative
The Heroes Welcome initiative is part of a national scheme showing support for British Armed Forces personnel. The scheme is simple, all participating shops and businesses in Dorchester will display the ‘Heroes Welcome’ sticker (available FREE on request from DTC and DBID) showing their appreciation and support of our armed forces at home and overseas.
The ‘Heroes Welcome in Dorchester’ sign alerts service personnel and their direct dependants that there are either discounts, special offers or at the very least a special and warm welcome awaiting them in these participating stores and businesses. If you are a local shop or business, you can decide at your own discretion what discounts or special offers are made available to qualifying service personnel and their dependents.
The BID has created a ‘Welcome for Heroes’ webpage on our website that includes a list of the participating shops and businesses, it includes local museums, restaurants & cafés and retail shops. The names will also appear on posters displayed at a number of local barracks and garrisons in the area. If you would like your business to be included on the website and poster and wish to support this worthy cause, please email Phil Gordon at philg@dorchesterdorset.co.uk.
Phil Gordon, Project Director at DBID says
”It’s certainly about time that the silent majority stood up and showed how much support and appreciation there is for what our brave service men and women are doing for us during difficult times. I am delighted to be putting Dorchester firmly on the ‘Heroes Welcome’ map (the first in the South West of England) but we follow in the footsteps of many other towns across the UK. There is a rapidly growing list of Dorchester businesses offering a warm welcome and wanting to show their support.”
Roy Dean, Secretary Dorchester Royal Naval Association said
“Dorchester Royal Naval Association is delighted that the town has adopted this scheme. This simple method for communities to show support for our Armed Forces has been a great success elsewhere in the UK and it is heartening that local businesses are eager to establish a Heroes Welcome in Dorchester”.
The Mayor of Dorchester commented:
‘Heroes Welcome’ gives us all an opportunity to thank our service men and women by welcoming them to our town and to show our support for all that they do for us by backing the scheme and supporting the shops and businesses who are taking part”.
To benefit from the offers at participating business, all service personnel and dependents will be required to show their ID as confirmation of their eligibility for a ‘Heroes Welcome’ discount or offer.
For more information on Welcome For Heroes please contact The Dorchester BID by email or telephone 07799 494886.
