70 Miles Down, Dorset Still to Go - Join Sheriff Helena Conibear in August
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
When we first told you about Helena Conibear's extraordinary County Line Walk in June, she was lacing up her boots for the first stage in Charmouth. Two stages and seven walking days later, the numbers are impressive.
Seventy miles walked. Over 100 people who've joined her on the route. More than half of her £12,000 fundraising target already reached — and the summer is only half over.
For those who missed our first story: Helena is Dorset's High Sheriff and the founder of the Talk About Trust that is based here in Poundbury at Pips Café on the Great Field. She is walking the entire boundary of Dorset — 216 miles in five stages, through summer and into autumn — to raise awareness of county lines drug exploitation and funds for ten local charities that support vulnerable young people across the county.
County lines activity involves criminal networks using and grooming young people — often through social media and gaming platforms — to move and sell drugs. It happens in rural Dorset as much as in cities, and it is far more present in our communities than most of us realise.
The welcome she has received along the way has been remarkable. The Discovery Centre in West Bay, the Mayor of Bridport, the D-Day Museum in Castletown Portland, the Front Skate Park, the Focus Café and Centre, the Mayor of Swanage, Allsorted and The Etches Museum in Kimmeridge have all given amazing welcomes . Walkers have included students and teachers from The Studio School and Atlantic Academy, The National Coastwatch Institute, Purbeck Rotary, Band of Brothers and so many lovely people, a reminder of just how much goodwill there is for this cause across the county.
Now Helena is heading into Stage 3 — and she'd love some Poundbury company: Through August, the route takes her from Sandbanks to Sixpenny Handley, with some special stops along the way. On 5 August there's a chance to visit the YMCA homeless shelter in Bournemouth, and on 6 August the route takes in Ferndown Community Centre who are providing a delicious cream tea and a chance to meet local charities.
The full August schedule runs:
5 August — Sandbanks to Christchurch
6 August — Christchurch to Ferndown
7 August — Ferndown to Alderholt
8 August — Alderholt to Sixpenny Handley
You don't need to walk the whole stage: joining for a day, or even part of a day, is warmly welcomed. To get involved, please email highsheriffofdorset@gmail.com.
There are two other ways to support this initiative:
Donate — every pound goes directly to local charities protecting young people in Dorset: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/walking-county-line-of-dorset-for-county-lines
Follow and share — Instagram: dorsetcountylinecharitywalk | Facebook: @dorsethighsheriff
The beneficiary charities include the Talk About Trust, YMCA Bournemouth, Escapeline, the Front Skate Park, the BYCC, Future Roots, and more, all doing vital work to keep young people in Dorset safe.
Every step helps protect a vulnerable young person in Dorset. Please share this with anyone who might want to walk, donate, or simply spread the word.