Each week we shine the spotlight on a member of Dorset’s business community and ask him, or her, for answers to our part fun/part serious questionnaire. This time…

The best bit of his job are the clients, his favourite place in Dorset is the top of Golden Cap, he gets angry at house prices and chooses Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise as his childhood hero.

Boldly going where, in truth, quite a few folk have been, Jonathan Dixon, Head of Grant Programmes for GetSet for Growth in Bournemouth, occupies the 20 Questions’ hot seat.

Question: What is your favourite TV show?

Answer: I don’t tend to watch a lot of TV but this year I’ve really enjoyed coverage of the Tour de France and the track cycling at the Olympics. I’m a keen road cyclist and am in total awe of the riders’ strength, courage and endurance.

Q: Who would you like to share a car with?

A: David Sedaris – he has a unique way of spotting the absurd in the everyday things we all do just to get along. I really enjoy his writing.  Check out his monologues on Radio 4.

Q: The best bit of my job is…?

A: The clients! The people that build and run small businesses are the heroes upon which our economy is based – and for many, the last year and a half has been tough. When I’m asked to help write a plan or raise funds to support a growth project, it’s a privilege to be involved. YTKO and GetSet for Growth East Dorset offer 1:1 mentoring, workshops and events to businesses in the BCP and wider Dorset region for free. You can find our latest free business events by clicking here.

Q: And the worst…?

A: We have a lot of rules and regulations to deal with. We work hard to ensure that our clients don’t have to!

Q: Who was your childhood hero?

A: Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise. He boldly went where no man went before.

Q: What’s your favourite smell?

A: Sweet peas.

Q: Where’s your favourite place in Dorset?

A: On top of Golden Cap, with a pint of Palmers to follow from the Anchor.  Life is sweet in this county!

Q: What advice would you give to anyone starting out on a career?

A: Be bold and think big. Don’t be afraid to contribute to conversations. Often the view of a newcomer can provide a refreshing new perspective that us oldies can miss.

Q: What was your first record/CD?

A: The Rezillos. I was into new wave music in the 1970s and still am.

Q: What gets you angry?

A: House prices. I’d like to see more low-cost and shared-ownership housing developments to enable younger people to stay and raise families in our villages.

Q: Do you have a favourite piece of music?

A: I’m learning to play the saxophone and am beginning to master Aretha Franklin’s  ‘Say a Little Prayer for Me’. They don’t write songs like that anymore.

Q: What are the qualities you look for in a new employee?

A: A smile and a positive outlook. We spend a lot of our lives in work – it should be fun.

Q: What’s your favourite food or dish?

A: A spice and rice curry from Ali and Fran on Bridport Market. Any type, it doesn’t matter. They are all delicious and best enjoyed on the street.

Q: Steamed sponge pudding and custard or a plate of melon?

A: No contest. Sponge pudding on any day of the week…

Q: Name the best thing about living/working in Dorset?

A: Waking up to the call of woodpeckers, fresh air, green rolling hills, clean beaches, great people.  Err sorry, that’s five things…

Q: If you were Prime Minister for the day what would be the first thing you do?

A: I would fund our NHS properly so that it – and its people – can keep pace with inflation.

Q: What are your biggest frustrations?

A: Short-termism. I’ve been working in business support and economic regeneration for 30 years. We must do more to plan for the long term and invest in people that can deliver real progress and a contribution to the Dorset economy. We should be pooling resources to deploy in bigger, targeted and recyclable investment that can help Dorset businesses to flourish and attract and retain bright people to set up new technology ventures in our beautiful county.

Q:  Where’s your favourite holiday location?

A: I bet everyone says this but when you live in Dorset, you’re already on holiday! Just think about the countryside, the phenomenally varied coastline and our unique culture and history.  We haven’t been anywhere else for the last ten years!

Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

A: I was born and raised in this area but have since spent 30 years in South Yorkshire. I came back in 2017 and I’m so happy here, I can’t see myself anywhere else. In ten years, I hope to have completed the South West Coastal Path, something my wife and I started before lockdown and are now trying to find the time to cover the Devon and Cornwall stretches.

Q: What would you like to be remembered for?

A: My rendition on tenor saxophone of ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ and that I was always happy to stop playing when asked by my long suffering neighbours!

• getsetforgrowth.com/east-dorset/