Dress down council staff raise funds for Children in Need

DISTRICT council staff in West Somerset dressed down to raise more than £70 for Children in Need on Friday, November 14.
Council chairman, Councillor Eddie May, acting head of paid service Adrian Dyer, and corporate director Bruce Lang, clubbed together to offer prizes for staff who made the best -or worst - of the dress down theme.
Visitors to the council offices in Williton were surprised to be welcomed by the likes of witches, bath-time belles, and men dressed in shocking pink, but it was taken in good heart because it was for a great cause.
Councillor May, who selected the prizewinners, said: “It is great to see the staff having some fun and dressing down to raise funds for such a worthwhile charity.
“They really entered into the spirit of the day and while it was difficult to choose the winners the ladies really made a special effort, so they deserved to win.”
Councillor May is pictured with the prizewinners.

Free seafront fireworks display for November 5 festival

A FREE fireworks festival on Minehead seafront gets underway at 4.30 pm next Wednesday, November 5.
The new community initiative by Butlins holiday centre in partnership with West Somerset Council also offers free fairground rides (subject to the weather), an arts and crafts market, street entertainment, and fun for all the family.
The fireworks finale to the evening will be lighting the skies at 7 pm.
Butlins resort director Julian Highfield, said: “The people of Minehead have supported us throughout the year and the festival is our way of saying thank you.
“Family fun is high on the agenda at Butlins and we want to share this with the local community.
“We hope lots of people will come along and enjoy the entertainment.”
A variety of refreshments will be on sale including whole hog roasts, hot dogs, traditional toffee apples, and popcorn.
The market will be stationed on the Warren Road upper car park opposite the BlueSkies building, which will also be the best vantage point for the fireworks being set off from the beach.
Visitors can use the free parking at the nearby Butlins West car park.
Council’s community portfolio holder Councillor Neil Parbrook said: “Butlins has put a lot of work into organising this for the community and we are delighted that we have been able to help.
“We are hoping for good weather as fireworks night is great time for families to get together to enjoy these events.”
Collections will made for Children in Need in advance of a pillow fight record breaking attempt at Butlins on Friday, November 14, in conjunction with BBC’s Children in Need appeal, which will be broadcast live on BBC Points West.
More information is available by calling Butlins on 0845 070 4760.

Christmas shoebox gifts bring joy to needy children

GIFT-filled shoeboxes given by people in West Somerset are among a total of 230,000 from across the county which are being sent for Christmas to needy children in Eastern European and African countries.
Operation Christmas Child is this year helping children in countries such as Belarus, Bosnia, Romania, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Liberia, Mozambique, and Swaziland.
The appeal is one of the main annual projects run by Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid charity.
Volunteers collected the shoeboxes at drop-off points across the South West before they were checked and packed for transportation at warehouses prior to shipment to their final destinations.
Founded in 1990, Operation Christmas Child is now one of the UK’s largest annual charity programmes.

Regional manager Roger Fenton said the charity wanted to say an official ‘thank you’ to everybody in West Somerset who had helped make this year’s appeal such a success.
Mr Fenton said: “We have been extremely pleased with how the campaign has gone this year and we have been overwhelmed by the number of people from West Somerset who have participated.
"It is a massive operation, but it all comes down to one simple act of kindness - filling a shoebox with gifts for a child who has little at Christmas.
“We have collected over 1.25 million boxes nationally this year, which means there are many needy children who will see that there is somebody who is thinking of them this Christmas.
“The impact that a shoebox containing some simple gifts has upon a child with nothing - and their family - cannot be over emphasised.
“Many experience challenges most of us would find hard to imagine, and the toys and other gifts brighten difficult lives, particularly at this time of year.
“The thought that goes into each shoebox is special, because it is one person choosing gifts for a child who is living a very different life from that which we enjoy in this country.
“These are gifts from somebody in Britain direct to a child who greatly appreciates what he or she receives.”

Pudsey Bear takes Children in Need bus to West Somerset

PUDSEY Bear took a bus ride to West Somerset to promote this year’s BBC Children in Need appeal, which takes place on Friday, November 16.
He visited children attending Stogursey Primary School on Tuesday, November 13, before climbing aboard the BBC Somerset bus to tour other schools and shopping areas around Somerset.
This year, Pudsey has been revamped with a fresh new look and is encouraging everybody to ‘do something different’ for the charity and make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.
BBC Somerset Sound journalist, Andrew Enever said: “It is great to be able to take Pudsey out and about to meet people in the local community.
“He is a huge hit with the kids and we are really looking forward to taking him into local schools and shops to meet everybody raising money and donating.”
Children in Need is in its 28th year and aims to positively change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.
Organisations which have received funding from the charity all work with youngsters aged 18 and under, who may have mental, physical, or sensory disabilities, behavioural or psychological disorders, or are living in poverty or situations of deprivation, or suffering through distress, abuse, or neglect.
More information about BBC Children in Need and how people can be involved is available by visiting bbc.co.uk/pudsey.

• Our photograph shows Pudsey on the BBC Somerset roadshow bus. Photo submitted.