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Author: ParishClerk

Join Get Outside in Somerset for the Active Autumn Challenge

 

The nights are drawing in and temperatures are cooling off, but Somerset’s great outdoors is still open and getting our daily dose of fresh air during autumn is more important than ever.

To help encourage people to stay active and keep moving in October, the Get Outside in Somerset project is launching the Active Autumn Challenge. The challenge encourages participants to mix up their daily local exercise with a range of different ideas to help them have fun and stay healthy.

Time spent moving outside can help boost your mood, sharpen your focus, reduce stress, and improve sleep.

Anyone who fancies having a go can download the Active Autumn Challenge calendar here: Full Pack – Active Autumn (getoutsideinsomerset.co.uk). Ideas include something for all ages and levels of fitness, from paddleboarding to blackberry picking, to having a ‘leaf confetti’ photoshoot.

People are being encouraged to share their Active Autumn Challenge photos and videos on social media using #GetOutsideActiveAutumn.

The Get Outside in Somerset project is a joint initiative from Somerset Activity and Sport Partnership (SASP), The Community Council for Somerset (CCS), Spark Somerset, and Somerset Wildlife Trust, funded by Somerset County Council Public Health.

Jane Knowles, SASP Chief Executive Officer said: “It’s tempting to let the cooler days allure you into hibernation. But there are lots of activities best done in Autumn, from stargazing to pumpkin picking, and crafting to wildlife spotting.

“That’s why we have created the Active Autumn Challenge, there is a different activity to enjoy every day, or mix things up if the activity doesn’t suit you on that day.”

Cllr Clare Paul, Somerset County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “The Active Autumn Challenge is a good way to get inspired into keeping fit and includes activity ideas that work for families, groups or individuals. Being outdoors and exercising is so important for our mental and physical wellbeing, and this is a great initiative to promote those benefits.”

Visit the website www.GetOutsideInSomerset.co.uk to meet the Get Outside local ambassadors for tips, inspiration and guidance on how and where to get active outdoors. The website includes regularly updated information about activities in Somerset, and you can narrow down your search by location or the type of activity you are interested in. From yoga in the park, fishing and geocaching to cycling, climbing and forest bathing, there is something for everyone.

If you are going to Bridgwater Fair….

Every year Sedgemoor District Council hosts a historic outdoor travelling funfair and market near the centre of Bridgwater, Somerset. The funfair on St Matthews Field, TA6 7HD is organised by the Showman’s Guild with Sedgemoor District Council organising the market elements of the event. Bridgwater Fair attracts crowds from far a field and is recognised as the largest fair in the South West with roughly 40,000 visitors each year.

This annual event, which dates back to the Charter of King John, is now almost 800 years old, the last 600 years of which have been spent on St Matthews Field.  The Charter decreed that the four day fair was to start annually on the last Wednesday in September.

  • 2021’s Bridgwater Fair will start on Wednesday 29th September and ends on Saturday 2nd October.

Opening times:

Opening and closing times for the fun fair are usually:

  • 11:00am to 11:00pm Wednesday;
  • 1:00pm to 11:00pm on Thursday;
  • 1:00pm to 11:30pm on Friday and
  • 11:00am to 11:00pm on Saturday.

The West Street market usually opens:

  • 10:00am to 10:00pm Wednesday;
  • 10:00am to 10:00pm on Thursday;
  • 10:00am to 10:00pm on Friday and
  • 10:00am to 10:00pm on Saturday.

Following tradition, the Fair will be officially opened on ‘Fair Wednesday’ at 11:30am by Sedgemoor District Council’s Chairman and the Mayor of Bridgwater.

Road closures and prohibition of on-street parking:

Detailed road closure information is displayed in the notice section of the Bridgwater Mercury at least twice in the run-up to the event, usually late August and mid-September.

Road closures come into place at 9:00am Tuesday 28th September 2021 and are lifted at 10:00am on Sunday 3rd October 2021. West Street, Milton Place, St Matthews Green, Westover Green and St Matthews Field are affected by road closures. Diversion routes will be in place.

Prohibition of parking (and traffic coning) will be in place along many surrounding streets including Northfield, Durleigh Road (to the junction of Woodbury Road), Park Road and Albert Street from 8:00pm on Monday 27th September 2021 until 10:00am on Sunday 3rd October 2021.

Westfield Close and Halswell Close will be residents permit only.  If residents park without a permit then they are  liable to a parking fine.

Car parking:

As in previous years limited parking will be available Thursday to Saturday of fair week, with the Rotary Club of Bridgwater which is located on the Fairfield and costs of £5.00 per vehicle.

 

Additional public parking is usually available at the YMCA in Friarn Avenue and at Bridgwater Cricket Club on Durleigh Road.

Please note there are additional car parks within the town centre but these are not operated by Sedgemoor District Council.

West Street and Fairfield Markets:

The markets we know today, with their stalls set-up through West Street, as well as the one-day horse and goods market held at the top of St Matthews Field, are very different to the original fairs of 800 years ago. The West Street market runs from Wednesday morning to Saturday evening. The Fairfield market runs all day on ‘Fair Wednesday’ (the last Wednesday in September).

Traders from across the UK attend the West Street and Fairfield markets with products ranging from clothing and shoes, rugs and cushions, bulbs and plants, china and pottery, as well as culinary delights such as the famed welsh cakes, brandy snaps, preserves and jams and much more.

Please see a map highlighting the locations of the West Street and Fairfield Markets and the parking days for the Fairfield Market.

Toilets:

Temporary cabin toilets, provided by Sedgemoor District Council, are available behind the One Stop shop next to West Bow House, behind Westfield House on West Street and behind the Horse and Jockey Public House on Fairfield. Temporary cabin toilets, including disabled accessible toilets, are also provided behind the Horse and Jockey Public House on Fairfield.

First Aid:

First Aid during the event is provided by St Johns Ambulance. This service is situated in Westfield Church car park, West Street, from Wednesday to Saturday of fair week. First Aid provision is funded by Sedgemoor District Council.

Alcohol at the Fair:

Visitors to the Fair should be aware that West Street, St Matthews Field and most of the surrounding area are covered by the Council’s Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).  This is an Order designed to tackle nuisance arising from people acting antisocially through drinking excessively in public places. The Order gives the Police and PCSO’s the power to confiscate alcohol within the PSPO area. These powers will be vigorously enforced and anybody bringing alcohol into West Street or St Matthews Field especially can expect to be challenged and may be required to surrender their alcohol. Only alcohol in plastic cups purchased from the hatch at the Horse and Jockey and consumed within the vicinity will be permitted.

 

 

 

 

Vaccination Buddies are still here to help people to make informed decisions about their COVID-19 vaccination

Vaccination Buddies are still here to help people to make informed decisions about their COVID-19 vaccination; they can even help Portuguese and Polish speakers!

In Somerset, the majority of adults have now had both their Covid-19 jabs, but there are some people who don’t feel comfortable with the vaccination. Have you encountered people who have questions and concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine that you haven’t had the time or knowledge to answer? Or maybe you have some questions yourself? We can help!

Our team of Vaccination Buddy volunteers can offer 1-2-1 advice over the phone to anybody in Somerset who is worried about having the vaccine, or maybe their second jab.

Vaccination Buddies come from all walks of life and can speak a range of languages including Dutch, Portuguese, German, Polish, Italian and French. They have undergone full training from Public Health at Somerset County Council. They cannot however, offer medical advice.

You can request a phone call with a Vaccination Buddy VIA THIS FORM. (Referral forms also available in Polish and Portuguese. )We will then get in touch to arrange a suitable time.

New type of lateral flow test

A few weeks ago, Public Health stated that there would be two different lateral flow device kits in circulation – the Orient Gene kit and the Acon Flowflex kit – both nasal only kits that provide a result in 15 minutes. Due to stock availability issues, the Innova nose and throat kits will be returning until at least mid-September. This kit requires swabbing of both the tonsils and nostrils and the result takes 30 minutes.

Please be aware of this change, and make sure that you always read the kit instructions before you do your test, as they will differ slightly.

You are reminded that if you have previously received a positive Covid PCR test result, you should not re-test yourself by either using a rapid lateral flow kit or by having another PCR test within 90 days of the first positive result unless you develop any new symptoms of COVID-19.

If you’d like to know more, a video which shows you how to use the new kit can be viewed here. By testing yourself regularly you are helping to reduce the spread of the infection.

Grants to enable access to horse therapy sessions

Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) has launched a new fund supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Somerset, to access horse-facilitated therapy sessions.

The new grants from the Horseshoes and Handprints Fund will cover 50% of the cost of a course of horse therapy sessions up to a maximum of £250.

Horse therapy – or equine assisted therapy – is provided in a horse-based environment to promote physical, occupational, and emotional growth for people with needs arising from, for example, ADHD, anxiety, autism, Cerebral Palsy, dementia, depression, developmental delay, PDA, Down Syndrome, brain injuries and behavioural/abuse issues.

Please click here to find out more. Deadline for applications is 5 November 2021.

Apply now for School places from 2022

Somerset parents and carers are being urged to apply for school places online and on time.

Whether your child is starting school for the first time, or transferring to their next school, applications need to be made through Somerset County Council’s website: www.somerset.gov.uk/admissions

For secondary school places, applications opened on (Monday 13 September 2021) and must be submitted before Sunday 31 October 2021. This applies to all children moving from primary to secondary school, or middle to upper school, in September 2022.

For primary school places, applications must be submitted between Monday 27 September 2021 and Saturday 15 January 2022. This applies to all children starting school for the first time in September 2022, as well as those moving between infant and junior or first and middle school.

Shortly before the deadlines reminder emails and/or letters will be sent to parents on the Council’s database who have not yet applied but the responsibility for getting applications in on time lies with parents and guardians.

Councillor Clare Paul, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Public Health, said: “I urge parents and carers to check schools’ websites or social media for further information about virtual and face-to-face events and open days. This can help them decide where they would like to attend next year and which three schools they will include in their application.

“It’s an important decision and I would urge everyone to submit three preferences, including their local school as one of those preferences. In recent years, some applications have only included one preference for a non-local school.

“If demand is high for that single school, it can mean that students and parents must wait longer for a confirmed placement at a different school, making the experience all together more stressful. Once you have chosen your three schools, it is essential that applications are submitted before the deadline to avoid risking missing out on a preferred place.

“31 October is the deadline for those transferring to secondary or upper schools next year and 15 January for those starting school for the first time.  I’d encourage all students, parents and guardians to start looking at what is involved and which schools they are interested in now.”

All schools have been reminded of the application deadlines and asked to send information to parents within newsletters. As well as linking to an online application form, the webpage www.somerset.gov.uk/admissions holds a wealth of related information including a directory of schools, catchment areas and admissions policy.

Last year’s school admissions figures show that 98.5 per cent of the 5,365 Somerset children who entered primary school were offered one of their top three choices. 94.58 per cent received their first choice.  97.65 per cent of the 4,654 Somerset children going to secondary school were offered one of their top three choices. 91.87 per cent received their first choice.

Road Closure – Castle Street, Stogursey, 13th to 17th September 2021

 

Wessex Water are intending to close Castle Street for water main works from Monday 13th to Friday 17th September.

All affected residents should have received written notification.

For information about the works being carried out please contact Wessex Water on 0345 600 4600 quoting the reference number ttro457379

Free emergency preparedness training for Somerset residents

Free emergency preparedness training for Somerset residents

Somerset’s residents are invited to sign up to free, interactive online training with emergency responders and volunteer organisations throughout October, organised by the Somerset Prepared partnership.

The fourth annual Resilience event starts with live talks on Monday 4 October and aims to help communities become better prepared for emergencies as well as looking at wider preparedness measures that anyone can take.

Anyone who registers will receive an information pack, event pack and weekly emails signposting to videos and toolkits on a variety of subjects. Interactive training sessions with national training provider Communities Prepared are on offer, alongside live online presentations from emergency and community organisations, as well as national flood resilience expert Mary Dhonau.

Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Community Infrastructure, said: “Interactive events like this are an excellent way to raise awareness with local communities and individuals and help them to take vital steps in preparing for an incident, which could ultimately save lives.

“The sessions will cover a range of subjects from how to use social media in emergencies to food resilience and crime prevention.

“It’s a great opportunity for groups to hear from each other, share their experiences and ask the experts. The training workshops are focussed on topics we often see raised by communities, including recruiting volunteers, how to assess risk and insurance.”

As well as the online training, face-to-face events include an open evening for Langport and Huish Episcopi Flood Group, and Avon & Somerset Police beat surgeries around the county. Sessions will be led by a range of organisations including the Environment Agency, South West Ambulance Service Trust, Communities Prepared, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, Avon & Somerset Police, Somerset Rotary, Somerset Civil Contingencies Unit, Spark, and Community Council for Somerset.

Participants are encouraged to share their experiences throughout October by tweeting Somerset Prepared (@SomersetPrepare) and using the hashtag #ImSomersetPrepared

To attend this free event, people can register their interest and book training sessions on the Somerset Prepared website www.somersetprepared.org.uk.