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Notices

Somerset County Council’s Outdoor Centres – Online virtual tours and booking

Vital children’s activity service launches brand new digital front door

Somerset County Council’s Outdoor Centres (SSE Outdoors) provide memorable experiences to thousands of young people every year.

Now, thanks to an engaging new website booking them is just a click away.

Over 14,000 young people visit the four centres each year and even throughout the Covid-19 crisis Support Services for Education (SSE) Outdoors has continued to run holiday day camps giving vulnerable children and young people the chance to enjoy safe outdoor activities.

The new website – www.sseoutdoors.co.uk  – created by Somerset County Council’s Web Team offers a vivid insight into what the service offers with stunning images and video, and a new digital booking service means activities and holidays can now be booked simply and easily online.

“Our centres, run by SSE Outdoors, provide such rich and valuable experiences for so many children and young people from across Somerset and beyond, including me a few decades ago” said Cllr Faye Purbrick, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education.

“During the Covid crisis the team and centres have been a lifeline for so many vulnerable young people and some who are at risk of becoming involved in criminality. The new site is a fitting shop window for the great range of activities and holidays available.”

SSE Outdoors Service Manager, Daniel Moncrieff added: “The new website, created in-house, showcases the work of the team wonderfully and makes it really easy for schools and organisations to book activities and holidays by cutting out the need for phone calls and paperwork.

“That’s really important as it saves time for teachers and social workers who are supporting young people.”

A new lake is under construction at Kilve Court in West Somerset, which will add water sports to the wide list of current activities that include abseiling, climbing, cycling, caving, camping, hiking and canoeing.

SSE Outdoors is also pleased to be involved in the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme to support disadvantaged children in staying healthy and active.

As well as Kilve Court there are three other centres – The Outdoor Centre at Kilve, The Great Wood Centre, set in the Quantocks, and the Charterhouse Centre in the Mendips, near Cheddar Gorge.

  • The centres put on 7,600  activity sessions for young people over the current crisis.
  • The team has worked with the Council by making freezable meals for people across Somerset, totalling over 2,100 Christmas meals and over 4,500 evening meals.
  • SSE Outdoors is preparing for schools residentials to start taking place after Easter, following on from a recent Government announcement.

New Community Noticeboard for Stogursey

The new magnetic noticeboard paid for by the Parish Council was installed at The Gravel on the 7th December 2020.

It is open and free for all to use. Magnets, not pins, are used to hold Community Notices in place.

 

 

Slinky Bus service returns to the Parish

The “Slinky” bus service has restarted in Somerset. Slinky is an accessible bus service for people who can’t use conventional transport.

Stogursey is to be serviced on a Wednesday only, provided by Mendip Community Transport. Somerset County Council will be monitoring the usage, depending on the take up, the service may be extended.

The phone number for users appears to be 01749 880948, but there is a form to be completed and sent back prior to a user booking the service. You can download the form from this link:  Sedgemoor-Slinky-Registration form

Their website is not up to date as there are new leaflets to be produced outlining the areas covered, etc.

https://www.travelsomerset.co.uk/slinky-services-demand-responsive-transport/

Hopefully we will be supplied with the updated information, but we would suggest any potential users make direct contact with Mendip Community Transport.

Contrary to their out of date website information Stogursey Parish is not being classed as West Somerset for this service, but “Sedgemoor South” and Mendip Community Transport cover Sedgemoor South.

The service can be used for a variety of purposes, including getting to health appointments, visiting friends and relatives, going shopping and as a link to other public transport.

You can use the Slinky bus if you do not have access to a public bus service, due either to location, or accessibility issues. The Slinky service can be used by people of all ages.

If you are eligible you will first need to register as a member of the scheme. You must fill in a registration form and return it to the booking office before you use the service for the first time.

You can then book a journey by contacting your booking office at least 24 hours before you want to travel. Trips can be booked up to two weeks in advance.

For journeys up to 3 miles
Single: £2.50
Return: £4

For journeys over 3 miles
Single: £3.50
Return: £5

There is a 50% fare for English National Concessionary Travel Scheme passes on all SLINKY services within Somerset. You will need to show your pass every time you travel.

Half fares will be:

£1.30 for a single journey up to 3 miles – £2.00 return

£1.80 for a single journey over 3 miles – £2.50 return

Somerset Student County Tickets are also valid on Slinky services.

Play Area, Paddons Farm

In recent correspondence a resident was advised by a Planning Officer of Somerset West and Taunton Council in respect of the lack of accessible play area  on the Paddons Farm estate as follows:-

“The Council does expect Strongvox to maintain and make available the existing play space  for use by  children until such time  as the new play area becomes available. This is a requirement of the Section 106 legal agreement variation that facilitates the development.

As there are only a limited number of enforcement officers in the Council area we are , to an extent, reliant  upon the public to  contact us  with details of breaches of planning permissions that irk them. I would advise you , and/or your neighbours , to contact the Council  (with specific  dates and times , if possible) if you notice that the play space is closed and none is available for use.”

The Somerset West and Taunton Council online reporting system is available via this link

https://my.somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk/service/General_enquiry

You can enrol for an account or continue without an account, at the following screen choose Planning and Development, then complete the questions, if you have photographs, you can add them to the entry and then submit your report.

 

Picture containing a view of Paddons Farm Play area, extract from Google Street view dated 2011