Local News Thursday 26th January

Thursday, 26 January 2023 06:00

St Margaret's Hospice has admitted to losing one-million pounds in a failed business venture. A Yeovil shop owner is asking to be compensated for the loss of customers that she claims is due to the disruption caused by the improvement works to the town centre. A Somerset mother has set up a website to help other parents protect children when they're on their phones... and more.

St Margaret's Hospice has admitted to losing one-million pounds in a failed business venture. The Somerset-based charity bought into a franchise, opening funeral shops and offering funeral plans but after 5-years of trading the business closed after running up huge debts.

A Yeovil shop owner is asking to be compensated for the loss of customers that she claims is due to the disruption caused by the improvement works to the town centre. Speaking to members of South Somerset District Council, Rachel Charles, who owns Sports of Bond Street, described the Yeovil Refresh Project as a “terrible disaster” and asked the council to compensate her and other independent businesses for the loss of trade. Portfolio holder for Yeovil Refresh, Councillor Peter Gubbins, said no money was available within the Refresh budget to compensate businesses and claimed the drop in footfall could be due to other factors and not just the disruption caused by the town centre improvements.

A Somerset mother has set up a website to help other parents protect children when they're on their phones. Miranda Wilson was shocked by what she was hearing from friends about online abuse and decided to act.

Somerset Community Foundation says donations to its Surviving Winter Appeal have risen to £150,000, taking the total donated since the appeal launched in 2010 to over one million pounds. Money is donated to the Appeal by people who receive the government’s Winter Fuel Allowance and who feel they don’t need the payment.

A group of Yeovil Town supporters has launched an appeal to pay for the headstone on the grave of former player Johnny Hayward to be restored. Johnny Hayward holds the record for being Yeovil’s highest goal scorer, having netted 548 times during his 20-year career with the Glovers.

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