Thursday 23rd November

Thursday, 23 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The South Western Ambulance Service is asking people to use its services responsibly as it prepares for a challenging winter. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Yeovil Hospital, is contacting people after hospital records were inappropriately accessed. Chard Ladies Rugby team is taking on a new challenge, climbing to the top of the National Three Peaks for charity...and more.

The South Western Ambulance Service is asking people to use its services responsibly as it prepares for a challenging winter. South Western Ambulance says increased flu cases, colder temperatures, and higher numbers of 999 calls, will exacerbate the challenge this winter. People are being asked to only call 999 in life-threatening situations, and not call back unless things worsen or an ambulance is no longer needed. For non-life-threatening emergencies, they're asked to call 111, their GP or local pharmacies.

Police are advising people to be at home when parcels are delivered this Christmas, to avoid them being left outside the house. It follows figures showing that in the Avon and Somerset force area, police dealt with 489 thefts of parcels from outside properties between August 2022 and July this year. They say porch thefts are difficult crimes to solve, with the majority of cases going unsolved.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is contacting up to 200 people after some of its hospital records were inappropriately accessed by a member of staff.

Somerset Council has been recognised as a leader for the way it has responded to the climate emergency. The Council has been given an A rating by the environmental charity, CDP, for its contribution to mitigating climate change. The A-rating was based on the council’s climate-related projects including expanding Somerset’s network of electric vehicle charging points and encouraging the uptake of ‘retrofit’ home heating systems

Members of the Chard Ladies Rugby team are taking on a new challenge – climbing to the top of the National Three Peaks. The team will attempt to scale Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon in just 24 hours next year, helping to raise funds for grassroots rugby.

All designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Somerset have officially been renamed 'National Landscapes' from this week. The team who manage the Mendip Hills - now categorized as a National Landscape – have welcomed the change of name. They say it's a better reflection of the area’s national importance.

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Wednesday 5th February

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, says they had no choice but to ask the government to allow them to lift the 5 percent cap on raising Council Tax. Two teenagers have been released on bail following the stabbing in Yeovil. More than six thousand pounds has been awarded to local groups by Chard Carnival Committee...and more.
Tuesday 4th February

Somerset has been permitted to increase its Council Tax share by 7.5 percent. An Ilminster man, forced out of his house by last week's floods, says he doesn't know when he will be able to return home. Ilminster Literary Festival has launched its annual children’s writing competition, designed to encourage local children to write creative literature...and more.
Monday 3rd February

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested in connection with a stabbing in Yeovil. Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP... and more.
Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more