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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Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.