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 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more