The centre wants to understand better who currently uses it, and who doesn’t yet but might do in the future. They also wish to understand the levels of demand for different types of activities and are asking people to take part in a consultation survey. A spokesperson for the Dorset History Centre said: "We need your thoughts and opinions to help shape our bid for funding this autumn. "Our consultation survey is open until Friday, October 10 and will take only a few minutes to complete." The centre is the official archives and local studies service for the whole of Dorset and is open to the public free of charge for research.