Local News Wednesday 9th February

Wednesday, 9 February 2022 06:00

A bus service run by Somerset County Council to support people who don’t have access to a car or public transport is being expanded. South Somerset Citizens Advice says people on pre-payment energy meters are already struggling to pay their bills. People in South Somerset are being encouraged to use pharmacists for dealing with minor illnesses and injuries rather than seeing a GP. Volunteers at the Repair Café in Wincanton have just completed one of their more unusual tasks...and more.

A bus service run by Somerset County Council to support people who don’t have access to a car or public transport is being expanded. Slinky Buses are to start running a service between South Petherton, Crewkerne and Yeovil. It will also add extra stops on the route between Martock and Langport.

South Somerset Citizens Advice says people on pre-payment energy meters are already struggling to pay their bills. The rise in the energy price cap has put up bills to around £2,000 a year with families on pre-payment meters paying around £50 more than that.

People in South Somerset are being encouraged to use pharmacists for dealing with minor illnesses and injuries rather than seeing a GP. Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group has launched a new service where appointments to see a pharmacist can be booked online. Health bosses say the new booking service will save on GP appointments.

Volunteers at the Repair Café in Wincanton have just completed one of their more unusual tasks, putting a ventriloquist’s dummy back into working order. The mechanism that allows the mouth of the dummy to open had broken. Owner, Pam Gower says thanks to the Wincanton Repair Café the dummy is now functioning normally again.

Organisers of Somerset Day are asking for nominations of interesting places to visit in Somerset. It’s to set up a visitor trail, representing the best buildings and landscapes in the County, as part of Somerset Day 2022.

Animal lovers can now take their pets shopping at the Wilko store in Lower Middle Street in Yeovil. The retailer has introduced a new policy that will see pets welcomed for the first time at all of Wilko’s 248 stores nationwide.

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