joining instructions

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Welcome to the first Dorset community-led COP. Thank you for booking and we sincerely hope you enjoy the day. 

This information will help you plan your day. If you have any questions, please contact us at dorsetcop@gmail.com.

QUICK REFERENCE - WHAT TO BRING: 

A drink when you arrive - our catering will not be available until mid-morning. You are welcome to bring covered cups / mugs into the Main Hall. There are a few take-away coffee options in the main shopping area opposite the Corn Exchange.

Lunch or money for food, snacks, reusable cup for hot drinks, water bottle, name badge (optional), a small pile of publicity leaflets from your group and/or banner if pre-booked. 

1. Venue

Dorchester Corn Exchange

High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset

DT1 1HF

https://www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/cornexchange/

2. Programme

Start time: Registration from 9am

Finish time: 5pm

Please go to the Dorset COP website for details of the programme: https://dorsetcop.info/

3. Photography/filming

We will be making video and photograph recordings of the event. This is being done to give a wider audience access to the proceedings via live streaming, to explore issues that arise from the days' discussions, to create visual material for participant groups to promote themselves, and to provide a permanent record of the event.

If you strongly object to being photographed, please speak to either a member of the video crew or volunteer on the registration desk as soon as you can after arriving at the Corn Exchange. The video crew member will discuss ways in which we can minimise your discomfort. We will advise you about positioning yourself out of the line of sight of the cameras and occurrences where we will be doing general shots of the audience.

If you don't let us know of your concerns we will assume you have consented to being photographed.

4. Access to the building

Please use the main Corn Exchange entrance off the High Street. The accessible Town Hall entrance is at the side of the building off North Square where a volunteer will help direct you to the registration desk.

5. Building layout

The attached plan shows the layout of the building and the location of the talks, workshops, toilets and catering.

6. Registration

Please bring your e-ticket on your device to the desk along the corridor from the main Corn Exchange entrance.

7. Fire alarm

If the fire alarm goes off it will not be a test! Please do not panic! Evacuate the building by exiting from the nearest fire exit following the fire exit signs that are on display. On activation of the fire alarms the lift to the first floor will automatically return to the ground floor and the doors will open. No attempt should be made to use the lift once the fire alarms have sounded. The Town Hall Caretaker on duty will be on hand to assist in the evacuation of the building. The nearest safe assembly point is at the Town Pump, Cornhill, across High East Street opposite the buildings. Please make use of the pedestrian crossing outside the museum if necessary.

For those that might require assistance in evacuating the building, such as people with disabilities or who use a wheelchair, please let the person on the registration desk know and they will advise you of the location of the emergency exits and fire alarm points. If appropriate they will also show you where the refuge point is located on the first floor (by the lift) for those people who require assistance evacuating the building.

8. Help on the day

We hope you have a great experience but recognise sometimes you may need some help. There will be a number of volunteers (wearing fluorescent jackets) around the Corn Exchange on the day. Depending on the question, they should be able to help you or find someone who will be able to help. Please be respectful of them - they are volunteers and are there to help. We will not tolerate any verbal or physical abuse of our volunteers and will ask anyone who does so to leave.

9. Use of the lift

The lift is located by the stairs by the accessible entrance off North Square. To use the lift hold down the button at all times - releasing the button will stop the lift. Please do not touch the sides of the lift. The lift will be shut down in the event of a fire (see below).

10. Health & welfare

The Corn Exchange is an old building and there is no air conditioning. We will open doors to let in fresh air, as the programme allows. Please take care of your health, for example by bringing a fan and drinking water.

Covid

Please remember that Covid is still out there so please respect other people's space and if you exhibit any symptoms before the event please do not come. We will be live streaming the event for ticket holders on the day, so you will still be able to enjoy the COP from your home.

11. Help for those with hearing difficulties

Dorchester Corn Exchange is now equipped with a modern system that will help those with hearing impairment to enjoy all of the events taking place there.

MobileConnect is an assistive and personal listening solution that streams live audio content via WiFi to any iOS or Android phone in the room. There are two different ways to connect to the system, which are explained below.

● Using the MobileConnect App on your own Smartphone
If you have a smartphone (both Apple and Android) you can download the Sennheiser MobileConnect app from the Apple Store or Play Store.

On arrival, you will need to first connect to the WiFi network called Corn Exchange Tech using the password enlightened2628.

You will find a QR code on the wall which you can scan from the app, which will allow you to access the sound from the event or performance taking place in the Corn Exchange.

You can then connect your hearing device to your smartphone in a number of ways, depending on its design and features - e.g. Bluetooth, via headphones, or via an induction neck loop (using the T setting on your device).

We have four neck loops available and you can book one of these in advance by contacting Sam Wood at enquiries@dorchesterarts.org.uk

● Using one of the Corn Exchange portable Android devices
We have four Android devices that are already loaded with the MobileConnect app and automatically connected to the relevant WiFi network.

You can book one of these in advance by contacting Sam Wood at enquiries@dorchesterarts.org.uk

You can then link to your hearing device in one of the ways listed above. If you require a neck loop as well, please specify this at the time of booking. 

12. Toilets

There are toilets [men’s, women’s & one accessible (please bring your Radar key)] by the Town Hall entrance. There are also two women’s toilets and one unisex toilet off the main hall. There are also public toilets in the town (https://discoverdorchester.co.uk/your-visit/toilets/).

13. Food & drink

 Please bring a water bottle with you.  Drinking water is available in the Magistrates Room, Council Chamber & Town Hall.  Please note access to the Magistrates Room and Council Chamber will be restricted when workshops are in progress.

Complimentary tea/coffee is included in the ticket price.  Please bring a reusable mug with you. Cakes will also be available.  Donations gratefully received.

The following vegan / vegetarian food options will be available. Cash payment preferred but card payments also accepted:

Wrap options:

Chickpea 'Chuna', capers, Dill & vegan mayonnaise with crisp seasonal salad leaves (GF available)

Roasted marinated courgettes & roast peppers with Goat's Cheese & seasonal salad leaves 

(GF available)

Salad option:

British grown quinoa with seasonal vegetables, drizzled with tahini five-spice satay sauce served with quick pickled carrots

(GF)

You are welcome to bring your own food with you (but please take any food waste/rubbish home with you for recycling).

14. Travel & transport

Please try and follow the travel hierarchy when planning to attend the COP.

i) Walk/Cycle

Secure cycling parks can be found here: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/-/cycle-parking-in-dorset

There are two cycle hoops in the Corn Exchange car park.

ii) Public transport

For buses go to:

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/wessex-dorset-south-somerset

https://www.morebus.co.uk/services

For trains, there are two stations in Dorchester (South & West). Both are about a 10 minute walk from the Corn Exchange. For details of trains go to https://www.southwesternrailway.com/

iii) Car

There are no accessible parking spaces at the Corn Exchange. Drivers are advised to park on the double yellow lines on North Square by the Corn Exchange where the road widens, opposite Kwik Fit.

You can find details of car parks with disabled parking here: https://discoverdorchester.co.uk/your-visit/parking/

Other car drivers:

Please try and car share if possible. If you would like to join our dedicated car-sharing WhatsApp Group by contacting 07801 240103 (by WhatsApp) to be added. 

Details of car parks are here: https://discoverdorchester.co.uk/your-visit/parking/

EV charging points can be found here: https://discoverdorchester.co.uk/your-visit/e-car-charge-points/

15. Publicity leaflets / banners

We will have some space on a table by the Town Hall door for you to leave some leaflets from your group if you wish to do so. We also have very limited space for stand alone banners. To book space a banner, please email us at dorsetcop@gmail.com. Please take your banner and any left over leaflets home with you. For further information please see the FAQs here: https://dorsetcop.info/faqs

16. Internet access

Free wifi is available. The network is: Corn Exchange Guest and the password is: guestwifi.

17. Rubbish and recycling

We are trying to minimise the amount of waste produced at the event. There are general waste bins and a hard plastic recycling bin around the building. We encourage you to take any rubbish home with you so you can reuse/recycle it.

18. Feedback from the day

You will receive a short feedback form to complete and we would love to hear what you thought of the day so we can learn lessons and plan an even better event next year.