Police called to an incident at Bournemouth University was a hoax

Some of the lecture theatres in Poole House were closed and police received the report at 2:19pm.

People were denied entry to Poole House and asked to go around the outside of the campus.

Students received an announcement saying “Due to a safety concern we have had to close some of the lecture theatres” whilst all other buildings remained open.

Police arrived at the scene and said they identified the person who sent the electronic communication and stated there was “no evidence to indicate the threat was genuine.”

Dorset Police have said they take hoaxes very seriously as they divert police away from genuine incidents.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

Dorset police also thanked the students at the university for their cooperation during the evacuation.

Whilst the investigation is ongoing all the building will be open as usual tomorrow.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR NEW YEAR’S FITNESS RESOLUTIONS

In the approach up to Christmas, motivation dwindles away, and we indulge on yummy food. As January approaches lots of us start to think about our resolutions and ways to better ourselves, with the most popular resolution being the aim to be healthier.

42% of gym membership sign-ups are in January, over half of those are unused after only 24 weeks.

For a long time I was one of those people, I managed to break the rut at the beginning of 2022, I was determined to not quit and better myself, for an entire year I went to the gym every weekday, only taking a break around Christmas time, and come 2023 I could not wait to get back into my routine. Here’s my advice for changing your mindset and not giving up.

TIP 1: MIX IT UP

In previous years one common reason I gave up is I simply got bored. I did the same routine which made going to the gym not fun. In 2022 I set out a new way of doing things. Monday: Arms Tuesday: Legs - Quads Wednesday: Cardio and Core Thursday: Legs - Hamstrings Friday: Full body (shorter, only 30-40 mins) Each of these are the same routine each week, however, for me it’s different enough for it not to get boring.

TIP 2: NEVER BREAK ROUTINE

Now and again, it is easy to break routine, we get an injury, we fall ill. Obviously if you are bed ridden don’t go, but if you are well enough to go to the shop or work, then you are well enough to go to the gym. Rather than not go, adapt your routine, if you are unwell, go easy on yourself, lower the wait you are lifting, go slower during cardio or even do a bit less, instead of 30 mins on the treadmill, do 20 mins. Regardless of how you adapt, you’ll be happy you went and proud of yourself. The only workout you’ll regret is the one you didn’t do.

TIP 3: FOCUS ON YOURSELF

It’s easy to look around the gym and get discouraged by other people who have been going to the gym longer than you have. Sometimes this can lead downgrading yourself or pushing yourself to give up, believing you can’t get there. But the key part is to remember they have been going longer than you, you just started, of course you won’t be where they are. Instead of focusing on what you aren’t, focus on what you have achieved, take progress selfies that show you just how far you have come, this keeps track of the fat loss/muscle built, and for me seeing the visible change is what kept me going, at the beginning the weighing scales helped a bit but once I started building muscle I naturally put on weight, and this didn’t help my mindset. I stopped weighing myself and focused on the visible changes for motivation.

TIP 4: KNOW YOUR LIMITS

It’s important to know when to push yourself further and remain at the level you currently are. If you find you aren’t needing a 1 minute between sets, whether cardio or weights, that shows you are stronger/fitter and you can up the amount you lift/push yourself/increase resistance but don’t go beyond your limits. Your workouts are entirely personal to you. Only you know when it’s time to push yourself further, and when this time comes, you’ll be proud of yourself.

TIP 5: HAVING POSITIVE THOUGHTS

The most popular reason for anyone to start working out is for the physical benefits, but it does help our mental health too, for me it helped my anxiety and my self-esteem. At the beginning of my journey, I had so many negative thoughts, and I found these discouraged me sometimes. Telling yourself “I hate my body and that’s why I need to push myself” not only makes yourself push further you should but it makes the gym a negative place for you. Instead think about how you feel afterwards, such as, “Going to the gym makes me feel energised and proud”. Your mind and your body are a team, and a combined effort will make your personal project easier.

TIP 6: REWARD YOURSELF

“Reward yourself” has a different meaning to everyone, for me this is dessert, for others this means your rest days can be a proper lazy movie day. Whatever this means to you, these rewards are important for re-motivating and recharging yourself, which will keep you going. However, it’s important to remember these are rewards, and not to overindulge yourself otherwise these rewards lose their meaning.

YOU GOT THIS, DON’T GIVE UP!

Don’t care what others think, this is your journey and no one else’s, push yourself to do your best without going beyond your limits.

#MovementIsMedicine

Overflow vs. Release! Sewage in the sea of the ‘Coast with the most’

Contaminated water in more than 10 areas around Dorset and Southbourne are deemed ‘unsafe’ to swim in by environmental charity, Surfers Against Sewage.

Miles Hodgson, a local protester and surfer said: “You can always tell when there is a sewage release, the water tastes metallic, if there is rainfall it is worse.”

Richard Smith, an employee at Sorted Surf Shop said: “It has made a lot of customers ill, lots of them stop by the shop afterwards, if they aren’t surfing, they aren’t coming in.”

He added: “We have had to refund cancelled lessons when it’s been too contaminated.”

Mr Hodgson said: “For the first time in my experience there was a release in the summer, if this keeps happening it is going to stop tourists wanting to come to Bournemouth.”

Bournemouth has an award-winning beach, and a recent study showed it is the fourth greenest city in the UK.

Bournemouth’s tourism industry brings in over £500million per year and supports over 12,000 jobs.

Kate, from London, said: if the beach is “spoilt a stroll along the seafront I would be unlikely to spend any length of time there.”

Janette, from London, said: “It makes the beaches unpleasant and for the water companies to ruin Bournemouth’s beach is a crime.”

Matt Wheeldon, Director of Assets at Wessex Water, said: “We get accused of releasing sewage when actually it is an overflow due to rainfall not being separated from sewers.”

Wessex Water have plans to combat overflows at the source and are prioritising low-carbon solutions.

Wessex Water are working with BCP Council to develop “a real-time water quality sensor to measure bacteria levels” said Mr Wheeldon.

The sensors first went live in Poole Harbour in 2020, recently a search for a business partner to help expand the project to Boscombe Pier has been launched.

Mr Wheeldon said: “Reduced overflow means reduced wildlife, bacteria is essential to life, we must find a balance between environmental health and public health.”

Mr Wheeldon said: “We can all do a bit by collecting rainwater and returning it to the environment, before allowing it to connect to the sewer and causing an overflow.”

This can be as simple as a water-butt, then using what is collected to water plants.

If enough surface water from your property avoids the sewer you could be entitled to a reduction on your sewage charge.