Welcome to Creating Health and Harmony in the Community:
The Dorset Journey

About Harmony

In 2022 the High Sheriff, Mr Michael Dooley, now His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, decided to celebrate the amazing organisations he had encountered in the county during his year in office and try to create a ‘golden thread’ that would link them together. He was influenced by the 2010 publication ‘Harmony- a new way of looking at the world’ written by the former Prince of Wales, now HM King Charles lll.

Michael connected with a few key players in the community to take the idea forward and ‘Creating Health and Harmony in the Community’ (CHHC) was born. This website provides information about our aims, the principles of harmony, who we are, how we work and where you can find out more. We hope you will find something here of interest and inspiration and will think about how best you can join our journey. You are most welcome!

Creating Health and Harmony in the Community

Our Values

Definitions of harmony include ‘a state of mutual agreement between individuals where they live together peacefully without conflict’ and ‘a pleasing arrangement of parts’.

The essence of harmony is:

H – Health and happiness
A – Active mind and body
R – Reflection
M – Membership of society
O – Oneness
N – Nature and nutrition
Y – You and your team

This underpins the key values that the Dorset harmony group aspires to, the ‘golden thread’ that holds us together creating ‘a pleasing arrangement of parts’. We want a healthy and optimistic community that:

Takes the collective good as its goal
Shares good practice to improve wellbeing
Celebrates positivity and success
Welcomes all, embracing diversity and uniqueness

Our Aims

‘It would serve us well, as the rest of life on Earth, if we considered taking a step back from our present course and thinking again about the sort of world we want to live in- the sort of world we want our children and grandchildren to live in.” – HRH The Prince of Wales

This quote encourages us to stop, think and reflect on how best to take things forward. Implicit in it is how we can create harmony, wellbeing and a positive environment in which people will thrive and blossom. It is the basis of the network we call CHHC.

CHHC aims to:

Promote good health and harmony within the community
Connect and inspire individuals and organisations
Share good practice and learning points
Identify joint ambitions to benefit all

How We Work

The past three years has been an exercise in bringing groups and individuals together so we can learn more about who is doing what in Dorset and there are many people doing wonderful things! It has been the start of the ‘golden thread’ our founder has wanted to create. Our most significant outcome so far has been the organisation of three one day free conferences held at Bournemouth University (BU) in 2022, 2023 and 2024 with inspiring speakers and good attendance (click on ‘find out more’ below for details). These have been highly successful, generating interest in the concept and bringing people together from across the county. The fourth conference is taking place on June 4, 2025 at Talbot Campus, BU. A link to Eventbrite will be available shortly after Easter for those interested in attending to learn more about the opportunities Harmony offers to all.

In 2025 we will also be starting online webinars that will be open to all. The topics will cover a range of issues that relate to achieving balance and wellbeing, taking forward positive initiatives together. Look out for the programme coming soon.

A Steering Group based on the ‘fire starters’ meets periodically in person or online to plan events, visits to organisations of interest and coordinate the conferences. The most frequent communication is via a WhatsApp group that keeps members engaged and informed. We are always looking for more people who can contribute to our important agenda; please send in an email to the CHHC address below if you are interested.

Who We Are

The ‘Creating Health and Harmony in the Community’ team in Dorset comprises a number of committed individuals who have been branded as ‘firestarters’, those with the passion and enthusiasm to light the touch paper of success. This is a fluid group that changes as new people join and others move onto different challenges, anyone with the right values is more than welcome to become involved. Currently the team includes His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and one of his deputies, a leader in the Bournemouth Chamber of Commerce, local Councillors, a Justice of the Peace, an expert trainer in women’s safety, a consultant psychiatrist, SEND experts, Chairman of the Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch Indian Community Association and the secretary of Soroptimist International Bournemouth. Quite an eclectic mix of talent and energy!