Friday 16th August

Friday, 16 August 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Eye surgery under general anaesthesia is now available at Yeovil Hospital for the first time. There's been an increase in the number of students in Somerset getting an A star or A grade at A level this year. Staff at the Jones building group in Yeovil are taking on a cycle challenge, raising money for Children’s Hospice South West...and more.

Eye surgery under general anaesthesia is now available at Yeovil Hospital for the first time. It follows the opening of a new state-of-the-art day theatre replacing the need for patients to travel to the Yeatman Hospital in Sherborne for general anaesthesia for eye surgery.

There's been a rise in the number of students in Somerset getting an A star or A grade at A level this year. The number of passes is up 26.5 percent on last year, with 82 percent of students getting places at their first choice university. Students at Holyrood Academy in Chard achieved a 100 percent pass rate in grades A star to E. At Sexey’s school in Bruton, 71 percent of students won a place at the university or college of their choice. Somerset’s FE colleges say they’ve seen more students choosing not to go to university but take up an apprenticeship or employment with training.

Chard councillor, Connor Payne, is urging the government to support a new railway station for Chard in the face of a review of major infrastructure projects. He says the new Labour government is giving mixed signals over its plans for building new railway stations, including plans to return a station on the main line through Somerton and Langport. Councillor Payne has written to the new transport secretary, Louise Haigh, asking her to commit funding to take the Chard project forward.

A new dance group from Ilminster, preparing for their first carnival season, is raising funds for sound equipment and lighting. The Ilminster Icons Carnival Dance Team are planning several fund-raising events over the next few weeks.

Staff at the Jones building group in Yeovil are taking on a cycle challenge to mark the start of a five-year partnership, raising money for Children’s Hospice South West. The cycle challenge which starts on September 25th, and is open to anyone wanting to take part, starts from the Little Harbour Children’s hospice in St Austell and finishes at Yeovil Rugby Club, a circuit of 280 miles.

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