Wednesday 12th September

Thursday, 12 September 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Community Foundation says it is looking to find new ways to fund its Surviving Winter Campaign. The National Farmers' Union is warning that its ambition to make UK farming ‘net zero’ by 2040 is in doubt. A newly refurbished play park in Queen Camel is being officially opened today...and more.

Somerset Community Foundation, which each year asks people to donate their winter fuel payment if they don't need the money, has said it’s looking to find new ways to fund its Surviving Winter Campaign after the government voted to stop paying the winter fuel allowance to millions of pensioners. Over the years, Somerset Community Foundation has raised more than one-and-a-half million pounds for the Surviving Winter Campaign.

The National Farmers' Union is warning that its ambition to make UK farming ‘net zero’ by 2040 is in doubt. The NFU says a lack of investment in climate-friendly agriculture has made the target much harder to deliver.

A newly refurbished play park in Queen Camel is being officially opened today. The old play area on the village playing fields has been re-equipped with two play towers, new swings, a roundabout, a trampoline, and several sensory-based play items. The refurb, costing £125,000, has been paid for through community fundraising, the National Lottery, and the National Highways’ Social Value Fund. Today's opening event takes place at 4 pm.

A local Vet practice is holding an open day for people to see how it cares for people’s pets. Isle Valley Vets in Stoke-sub-Hamdon is opening its doors on Saturday, September 21st, with visitors given tours of the building, including the operating theatre, kennels and cattery, and a new dental suite.

A Naval officer based at RNAS Yeovilton is planning to set a new world record for lifting the most number of weights in 24 hours. Rob Guest, a Flight Commander with 815 Naval Air Squadron, will be fundraising for the Armed Forces charity, Help for Heroes, when he attempts to lift a total of 600,000kg over 24 hours on Saturday, November 9th.

A Somerset man, Chris Copeland has achieved his target of raising £100,000 for the RNLI through skydiving. Chris, who’s 81, has completed 100 free-fall jumps over the past 10 years, raising £100,000 through sponsorships and donations.

More from News

Friday 8th November

The Leader of Yeovil Town Council is calling on the public to treat the town centre with more respect. Somerset Waste Partnership is asking householders not put blister packs or, pill packets as they’re called, out for recycling. Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash near Ilminster in which a learner motorcyclist was seriously injured .... and more
Thursday 7th November

Somerset Council says 900 miles of the County’s roads will be gritted on a regular basis this winter. Work will start soon to strengthen Chard Reservoir to protect local communities from flooding. The first advent calendar produced by the charity Mind in Somerset has gone on sale...and more
Wednesday 6th November

St Margaret's Hospice says increased employer’s national insurance contributions will cost them an extra £300,000 a year. A man has been arrested after more than 200 cannabis plants were found in a Yeovil property. Voting will take place on November 21st in the Blackmore Vale to fill a vacant seat on Somerset Council...and more
Tuesday 5th November

The A303 between Ilchester and Sparkford can now be used as a dual carriageway for the first time. People living in rural parts of South Somerset may not get high-speed broadband until 2027. Plans have been submitted to build 150 new homes on the site of the former Horlicks Factory in Ilminster...and more
Monday 4th November

Farmers in Somerset are warning of increased food prices and farmers going out of business as a result of last week’s budget. Police have released pictures of items stolen in a raid on Montacute House. A Somerset man has completed the 630-mile-long South West Coast Path, raising money for the RNLI...and more.
Friday 1st November

Somerset Council is looking at new ways to ease traffic congestion on the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton. Bridgwater and Taunton College and Strode College in Street have announced plans to merge. The Westland Entertainment venue in Yeovil is selling tickets at £3 to make its shows more affordable for low-income families...and more
Thursday 31st October

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is raising new questions about closing the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council Leader Bill Revans says yesterday's Budget failed to address local government's financial challenges. Chard High Street will be closed to traffic this evening for a trick-and-treat event to be held...and more
Wednesday 30th October

Somerset Council is facing a seven-and-a-half million-pound overspend on providing children’s services. The South West has one of the highest rates of underage smokers in England. A helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton has gone on permanent display at Portland Marina....and more.