Wednesday 29th November

Wednesday, 29 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The head of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance says they’re busier now than they have ever been. Housing charities in Somerset say there's been a big rise in the number of people being evicted from private housing, through no fault of their own. A teenager from Ilton has been chosen as the St John Ambulance District Cadet of the Year...and more.

The Head of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance says they’re busier now than they have ever been. In the past five years, the number of emergencies attended by the air ambulance has more than doubled. Charles Hackett, CEO of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance says as demand grows, they will need more funding and more resources.

Campaigners in Yeovil fighting to keep open the stroke unit in the town say they need to see the details of new plans to create a countywide stroke care service based at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. As part of the revised plan, NHS Somerset says it would retain the provision of longer-term stroke recovery beds at Yeovil Hospital.

Housing charities in Somerset say there's been a big rise in the number of people being evicted from private housing, through no fault of their own. So-called no-fault evictions are at their highest level in seven years in Somerset.

Plans have been passed to build nine houses on the site of a former garage at Horton, near Ilminster. A mix of three, four, and five-bedroom detached properties will be built on the land off Shave Lane, with the former garage being demolished before construction begins.

A teenager from Ilton has been chosen as the St John Ambulance District Cadet of the Year. Corporal Sami Bowen, aged 15, who attends Holyrood School, in Chard, was selected following a competition day involving cadets from Somerset, Avon and Bristol. Sami, who’s a member of the Ilton Cadet Unit, now goes forward to compete in the national competition, where she could be crowned National Cadet of the Year.

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Wednesday 20th May

People in Somerset are being encouraged to get their cholesterol checked to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with using threatening behaviour. A gardener from Somerset has won a silver award at the Chelsea Flower Show... and more
Tuesday 19th May

A Somerset car boot business says it will no longer accept twenty-pound notes after being handed counterfeit notes.Taunton Flower Show is warning this year’s event could be its last. Numatic, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, have invested one-and-a-half million pounds installing new solar panels at their factory in Chard... and more
Monday 18th May

The RSPCA is investigating after eleven newborn puppies were abandoned in Snowdon Park in Chard. Major funding has been announced for a new two-year arts programme in Yeovil. Plans have been unveiled to improve sports facilities at Somerton Recreation Ground...and more
Friday 15th May

A fire that damaged two vehicles in Chaffcombe near Chard is being treated as deliberate. A road in Hardington Mandeville is set to re-open today after being closed for three days. Friends, family and colleagues of a Royal Navy officer based at RNAS Yeovilton are taking on a 630-mile coastal challenge in her memory... and more
Thursday 14th May

Somerset Council has defended spending nineteen million pounds on consultants over the past three years. A new clinic specialising in sexual health has opened in Yeovil. RNAS Yeovilton has been in the TV spotlight this week after featuring on Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr...and more
Wednesday 13th May

Concern's been expressed that too many of the 580 new council homes being built in Somerset will be clustered around Taunton and Bridgwater. Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman died following a crash on the M5. Haynes Motor Museum has been awarded £180,000 by The National Lottery to transform its Red Room gallery... and more
Tuesday 12th May

A member of Yeovil Town Council has appeared in court charged with two counts of assault. Health professionals in Somerset are urging people to take up the offer of a free NHS health check. Organisers of Somerset Day have welcomed the name Dunkery given to the dragon on the county flag...and more
Monday 11th May

New figures show a sharp increase in reports of drones interfering with critical air ambulance missions. The Liberal Democrats have retained the Mendip Hills seat on Somerset Council following a by-election. A woman from Chard has been recognised for her contribution to the community with an invitation to the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace... and more