Dorset weekly round-up: 18 December - 23 December 2023

Graham Windsor said being reunited with his fixed bear was "one of the best Christmas presents"

A restored teddy that spent nights with its owner in air-raid shelters during World War Two was among our most read stories this week in Dorset.

A variety of local issues featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Solent and South Today.

We have picked five stories to keep you up to date.

Santas race to catch Christmas pudding for charity

Dozens of Santas took part in a pre-race warm-up

In the Christmas lead-up, festive jollity has spread across the county, hence dozens of Santas racing along a beach to try to catch a Christmas pudding.

The charity race saw about 200 take part in the 5km (3.1-mile) route along Weymouth beach.

The event, which also features a shorter 2km (1.2-mile) "elf race" for children, was held to raise money for the Will Mackaness Trust.

Festive fleet of Santas take to water for charity

The group of paddleboarders dressed as Santas, elves, reindeer, snowmen and Christmas puddings

Santas also took to paddle boards along the River Stour to raise funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Partners Neil Wood and Sam Arnold, who run the community group BH Activity Junkies, organised the annual event.

Ms Arnold said: "It was amazing to see so many people out on the river taking part but also the supporters on the banks cheering us on and collecting donations."

World War Two tattered ted restored for Christmas

Sam Peacefullday spent two weeks restoring the bear for Mr Windsor

A teddy bear that provided comfort to its owner during World War Two air raids has been given a new lease of life in time for Christmas.

The bear, Big Ted, was a gift to 87-year-old Graham Windsor from Dorchester in 1939.

Thread-bare, lacking in stuffing and missing an arm, the treasured ted took a specialist two weeks to restore.

Girl's transplant hope over hospital doll campaign

Laura Gilbert's daughter Sophie needs a double lung transplant

The mother of a 10-year-old girl who needs a lung transplant is hoping a hospital doll based on her daughter could inspire life-saving organ donations.

Sophie Joscelyne, who lives in Poole, has been waiting for a matching organ since May.

In November, the NHS placed hundreds of dolls in hospital waiting rooms, representing more than 230 UK children on transplant waiting lists.

Christmas social media posts help teen battle anorexia

Megan Shaw created a "fear food advent calendar" to continue challenging her eating disorder in the run-up to Christmas

A 19-year-old whose anorexia recovery videos have gone viral has created a "fear food" advent calendar to continue challenging her eating disorder at Christmas.

Megan Shaw, from Bournemouth, has taken to TikTok to publicly commit to Anorexia Nervosa recovery, educating and inspiring hundreds of others along the way.

Her page has more than 75,000 followers and she has received more than 3.5 million likes on her recovery-related content.