Monday 20th January

Monday, 20 January 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council says a government review of adult social care could cause the Council to go bankrupt. A pilot scheme in Somerset aimed at cutting hospital admissions to A&E by the most vulnerable patients has shown a 50 per cent reduction in visits. Somerset celebrity chef Josh Eggleton is converting a double-decker bus to help promote healthier eating in schools...and more.

The lead member for Adult Services at Somerset Council, Councillor Sarah Wakefield, says the government’s planned reforms of adult social care will take too long to complete and could cause Somerset Council to go bankrupt. The government has promised a further review of the sector that will take three years to report. Councillor Wakefield says with 80 per cent of Somerset Council's annual spending going on adult social care, they need more funding now.

Avon and Somerset Police has added more items, including a picture, jewellery, coins, and collectables, to an online gallery of stolen property and is urging the rightful owners to claim them back. The items, stolen in burglaries at properties across Somerset and on the Blackdown Hills, can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset website.

A pilot scheme aimed at reducing local hospital admissions to A&E by the most vulnerable patients has shown a 50 per cent reduction in visits. The NHS High-Intensity Use Service was set up in August 2023 and works by providing the most vulnerable patients with more home support.

Plans have been submitted to change the former White Post Inn at Rimpton into a house. The change of use application comes after the White Post closed as a restaurant last year, and the owners failed to find a buyer to take it on.

A Somerset woman who works with young people with special educational needs has been named as one of the UK’s most impressive female entrepreneurs. Jenn Hodge, who runs Rama Life at Frogmary Green Farm in South Petherton was singled out for recognition by Small Business Britain for supporting families and young people unable to attend a mainstream school due to high anxiety.

Somerset celebrity chef, Josh Eggleton, is converting a double-decker bus to help promote healthier eating. Josh says once converted, the bus will tour schools and local events to promote a better understanding of food and where it comes from.

More from News

Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more
News Friday 24th January

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more
Thursday 23rd January

Yeovil Town Council has defended its decision to increase its share of the Council Tax by an average of £80. A man who drove an e-scooter in Yeovil while disqualified from driving has been jailed for six weeks. According to new data, the Yeovil driving test centre is the 12th easiest in the UK to pass a driving test...and more
Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.