Local News Thursday 10th June

Thursday, 10 June 2021 06:00

An urgent call has been made for more people to volunteer as stewards at Covid vaccination sites in South Somerset. Changes are being recommended to the Yeovil Parliamentary constituency. Pubs, farms, and stately homes in South Somerset have joined with a national campaign for a relaxation of the rules on temporary campsites. Organisers of Yeovil Pride plan to hold a march in the town again this summer. A Sherborne man has donated his lifetime collection of postage stamps to charity.

An urgent call has been made for more people to volunteer as stewards at Covid vaccination sites in South Somerset. NHS Volunteer Responders says demand for stewards has soared in recent weeks, with higher numbers of people attending for the Covid jab.

Changes are being recommended to the Yeovil Parliamentary constituency. The constituency, that currently returns Conservative Marcus Fysh as Member of Parliament, would see the villages between Podimore and the northern edge of Yeovil moved into the Glastonbury and Somerton parliamentary constituency. The Boundary Commission has now started an eight-week public consultation on the changes which will take effect at the next general election.

Pubs, farms, and stately homes in South Somerset have joined with a national campaign for a relaxation of the rules on temporary campsites. Temporary campsites are allowed to open for 56 days a year only. The ‘Carry on Camping’ campaign wants the limit extended to six months, to help owners recoup lost income from the past year.

Organisers of Yeovil Pride plan to hold a march in the town again this summer. The LGBT+ event had to be held online last year due to the pandemic. Chairperson of Yeovil Pride, JK Doran, says the march is planned for August.

A Sherborne man has donated his lifetime collection of postage stamps to charity. John Firmin started the collection, which includes hundreds of first-day covers and a rare half Penny Black when he moved to Sherborne in 1960. His collection will be auctioned with proceeds going to the Bone Cancer Research Trust.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more