Could You Help ?

These are the role profiles for the Gardening and Maintenance volunteer roles at RSPCA West Hatch:

https://volunteer.rspca.org.uk/opportunities/19121-gardener-west-hatch-taunton-2021-06-15

https://volunteer.rspca.org.uk/opportunities/19419-maintenance-volunteer-2021-07-06

Somerset Sight asked the parish council to assist us in promoting this service to help us recruit more volunteers, so we can carry on providing this valuable service along with the others ones we offer.

Somerset Sight is a local charity that has been supporting sight impaired people across Somerset for over a hundred years and in 2019 we proudly won the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.

One of the various services we offer is the Volunteer Visiting Service, whereby volunteers are matched locally with a sight impaired person for regular visits for company and support and to alleviate their loneliness and isolation.

Volunteer visitors/befrienders help with a variety of tasks such as reading, correspondence, making appointments, going out for a drive or just a cup of tea and a chat. Many volunteers get great satisfaction and enjoyment from their voluntary work, many friendships are formed and the people they support very much look forward to their visits, some telling us that it is the highlight of their week. Full training is provided and we cover all reasonable expenses.

We have over 3000 service users and just not quite 300 Volunteers.

However, we currently have a number of visually impaired people in all areas who would welcome a volunteer visitor, but they are on a waiting list as we do not have enough volunteers to match them with. Not all our volunteers or service users come from Somerset, some live just over the county borders of Devon and Dorset but our services are more local to them, and are all very welcome. We are especially looking for volunteer visitors in the Yeovil area.

I have attached a poster and other information if you would be interested in helping us to promote our recruitment drive. It is greatly appreciated.

I have also attached more information about us and the other services that we offer as information. Being a local rather than national charity, we do not have the same resources for promotion/campaigning as others so we hope that you are able to help us in some way.

Many thanks for your assistance.

Kind Regards

Joanne Thorogood

Office Manager
Somerset Sight
Tel: 01823 333818
Direct Dial: 01823 366143
Email; joanne@somersetsight.org.uk

My working hours are Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm

Somerset Council intend to place a temporarily closure order to restrict access to the Rights of Way T19/17/1, T31/30, T19/17 and T19/24
in the parishes of Thurlbear and Orchard Portman from the 18th March 2024 for 6months.

The purpose of the restriction is due to danger to the public due to forestry operations. See notice below. 

PARISHES OF ORCHARD PORTMAN AND WEST HATCH Temporary Closure of Bridleway’s T19/17/1, T19/17/A, T19/20/1 and T31/30 as well as part of footpaths T19/24, T19/17 and T19/20 

 TAKE NOTICE that in pursuance of Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984, as amended by the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991, the Council of Somerset has made an Order prohibiting all traffic from proceeding along Bridleway T19/17/1, T19/17/A, T19/20/1 and T31/30 through Thurlbear Wood’s for a total length of approximately 1375metres as well as part of footpaths T19/24, T19/17 and T19/20 from their junction with T19/20/1 for a total length of approximately 675metres until their junction with T31/31. 

The extent of these closures is shown on the map below. 

The closures are needed for public safety due to forestry operations. 

 The Order became effective on18th March 2024 and will remain in force for six months, or until completion of the works. 

 ALTERNATIVE ROUTE 

Whilst the closure is in place alternative route will be available FOR WALKERS as seen highlighted blue on the map below. There is NO alternative route for equestrians. For information about the works being carried out please contact Mr David Lloyd at the Forestry Commission on 07500 577510

Forestry England will be beginning tree thinning operations in Thurlbear Woods, starting on 15th March 2024 and continuing for 6-8 weeks. Part of the woods will be closed during this period, as indicated by the yellow shaded area on the map. A higher resolution version of the map is available in Additional Documents below.

For further details, please see: https://www.forestryengland.co.uk/forest-planning/blackdown-hills-forest-plan

Parish Information Sheet: Changes to recycling and collection days in 2024

Covering message sent to our Parish Council Clerk

Please find attached some important information from Waste Services regarding changes to recycling and collection days, which will be phased in next year.

Full details are outlined in the briefing, which I have been asked to circulate.

You will note I have also attached a poster and list of towns and villages affected by the changes.

Thank you, as always, for helping us reach into our communities to spread the word.

Ally Laing

Communications Lead – Members and Stakeholders

Somerset Council

+447989 078188

ally.laing@somerset.gov.uk

Attachments:

See below

Fostering in Somerset is launching a new campaign to recruit more urgently needed foster carers.

The new campaign launch includes a promotional video titled ‘Willow’s Story’ as the lead element to feature on television screens across the county.

Watch Willow’s Story here: https://youtu.be/nObh67fPpC4

Please find below a briefing document about the campaign, with ideas on how you can support it.

The Somerset Council Report for October 2023 is now available.

Neroche Parish Council, in association with the Community Council for Somerset, has conducted a Community Review to ensure that its future plans reflect what matters most to parishioners.

The survey is now completed and the report written.

The report was discussed and approved at the Parish Council Extraordinary Meeting of Neroche Parish Council on 15th August.

An article by the Chair of the Parish Council, Mark Palmer, and the Executive Summary, may be read in the Autumn Neroche Villages Newsletter.  Click here  to go to Newsletter page and then click Autumn 2023 edition.   It starts on page 7.

The Neroche Community Review, The Executive Summary, and the Action Plan and Prioritisation Plan are also on the Neroche  Neroche Parish Council News page of this website.  Please click here to go to the page.