Council honours amateur photographers of the year

WINNERS of Westlabb’s West Somerset Amateur Digital Photographer of the Year 2008 have received their prizes at a presentation ceremony held in the district council chamber, in Williton.
They were welcomed by council chairman Councillor Eddie May, and were praised by the competition’s organisers and sponsors, Westlabb Ltd, and West Somerset councillors.
The competition was supported by West Somerset Council and Somerset County Council.
Westlabb director Jon Summers said: “I am delighted at the response to the competition.
“It was hard to choose the winners out of many excellent entries.
“The photographers took some amazing pictures and I would like to thank everybody who took part.”
The overall title of Amateur Photographer of the Year went to Philip Sanderson for his image of a kite surfer in Minehead Bay, which won the senior ‘Favourite Landscape/Seascape’ category.
Mr Sanderson said: “I was very surprised but really happy to win. I had been out kite surfing with a friend when I took the picture of him.
“I enjoy photography as a hobby so I wll definitely be entering again this year.”
The title of Junior Amateur Photographer of the Year was awarded to Daisy Maddison, aged 17.
Her picture, ‘My granddad, Clifford, on Blue Anchor Beach prawning with his dog, Scrumpy’, won the junior ‘Favourite Landscape/Seascape category.
Daisy, who has finished her A-level examinations and is heading off to Newport University to study for a degree in documentary photography, said: “The picture is like my granddad through and through - he enjoys fishing and prawning on the beach, so I am pleased to have the picture of him doing what he loves.
“I would really like to thank my mum for driving me to all my photography classes at Bridgwater College.”
Category winner for ‘Promoting Your Local Business’ was Terry Aldred for his image of Chris Cracker’s Junk Shop, in Carhampton.
Shirley Turner won the ‘Your Favourite Event/Village’ category with a picture taken in Dunster of the Tour of Britain cycle race.
Bob Druitt, also a Westlabb director, said: “We had great fun setting the competition up and we have enjoyed seeing the marvellous results.
“However, we are now handing the competition over to West Somerset Council to run in future years.
“We hope it will grow in popularity and that local people will continue to give it their full support because the images submitted are fantastic, and really show the range and depth of local talent.
“I would also like to thank local press photographer Steve Guscott for helping us to judge the competition.”
Councillor Michael Downes, the council’s tourism portfolio holder, said: “I would like to thank Westlabb for setting up the competition and we are delighted to be taking on such a successful project.
“We have started some new categories and we are looking forward to the competition.”
To view the winning photographs or to find out about this year’s competition, go to www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk/photographycompetition.
Anybody who is interested in entering the competition but feels they need to learn more about digital photography, can attend a Bridgwater College IT course held in its skills centre in Minehead, as well as on its main campus.
Courses include ICT for beginners to advanced, including digital cameras and enhancing photo courses. For more information call 01643 707008.
Digital photography courses are also available at the Exmoor Community Computer Centre, in Winsford.
More information can be obtained by calling the ECCC on 01643 851594, or from Somerset Skills and Learning by calling 01643 702986.

• Our photograph taken at the awards ceremony shows (left to right) back - Carole Murphy, Aisha Knight, Phil Brown, Bob Druitt, Jon Summers, Nick Hosegood, Stephen Paul, and Angela Lamplough. Front - Councillor Michael Downes, Philip Sanderson, Terry Aldridge, and Daisy Maddison. Photo submitted.

Youth Parliament debates school measures to help save the environment

PUPILS from schools across West Somerset have formed their own Youth Parliament to encourage the district council to be more involved in the activities of local youngsters.
The ‘Parliament’ met in the council chamber at the authority’s new offices in Williton and issues surrounding the environment proved to the main topics up for discussion.
The youngsters were welcomed by council chairman Councillor Eddie May before other councillors gave them a tour of the new offices to show them the building’s carbon-reducing and environmentally-friendly features.
The students made presentations to their fellow pupils and to councillors to explain what they were doing in their schools to help the environment, as well as their future plans.
Projects already running included the West Somerset Community College, Minehead, funding schoolchildren in Uganda to fence off an area of their school to grow tea.
The tea is then sent to DJ Miles and Co, in Minehead, which packages it for the college students to sell as Free Trade tea at the college.
Funds raised are returned to Uganda to enable the African students to build new facilities at their school.
Minehead Middle School had been clearing soft wood trees to improve a local habitat for wildlife, while Knights Templar School, in Watchet, had its own vegetable patch.
Danesfield School, Williton, had paper recycling bins, composting facilities, low energy light bulb,s and a school woodland, while Dunster First School recycled its paper and had made a number of bird feeders, helping it to receive an EcoSchool Bronze Award in 2008.
For the future, community college students were to investigate how they could recycle plastic bottles, while St Peter’s First School, Williton, was going to carry out a lunch box survey to find out how healthy the contents were, and then produce a leaflet to provide recycling and food ideas for lunch boxes.
Minehead Middle School was looking at improving its composting site, planting trees in the school grounds, and keeping chickens to help students to learn how to look after animals.
Knights Templar wanted to use rainwater to flush toilets, put up signs to ask students to turn off taps, and to increase the amount it recycled.
Dulverton Middle School was going to refurbish its pond and make it deeper to take fish, while Danesfield School wanted to achieve its EcoSchool Bronze Award, and Old Cleeve School was interested in holding a Fair Trade tasting event and encouraging pupils to use Fair Trade products.
Minehead First School was also organising a healthy eating day on April 1, with smoothies, dips, and soups, and promoting waste-free lunch boxes, while Dunster First School was delivering a campaign to encourage students to walk to school and their parents to car share on the school run.
Ecoschool status was high on the schools’ agenda.
Porlock First School already had its silver award, and other schools were working toward their silver and bronze awards.
They unanimously agreed that every school in West Somerset should aim to achieve a minimum of bronze award before the next ‘Parliament’ session.
Councillor May said: “The pupils were a real inspiration.
“The environmental future of the planet is in their hands and they are taking the matter seriously.
“They are very well-informed, and I think it is fair to say that we learned a lot from them on the day.
“Their knowledge and enthusiasm is very impressive, and they are a real credit to their schools.”

• Our photograph shows Councillor Eddie May with some of the youngsters who attended the Youth Parliament. Photo submitted.

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.

Lottery grant means play facilities for rural children

A £200,000 National Lottery windfall means play areas and mobile rural play facilities can be developed for children in West Somerset.
The district council has secured the cash for its play strategy from the Big Lottery’s Children’s Play Programme.
A similar £208,682 grant went to Taunton Deane Borough Council, while Sedgemoor District Council was awarded £230,000.
West Somerset portfolio holder for children and young people, Councillor Eddie May, said: “We are delighted at the successful bid because of the huge benefits play facilities bring to children’s enjoyment, well-being, and health.
“This is the culmination of a lot of hard work from officers and partners, and we are really pleased at the positive outcome.
“This money has not been secured for the council, but for our children’s futures.
“With our play strategy, we will be able to encourage and support communities and individuals to improve their quality of life by identifying and providing better opportunities, particularly for children.”
Three projects in the council’s play strategy will benefit from the grant, including the appointment of ‘play rangers’ which will be delivered in partnership with Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor.
The councils will employ a team of play rangers to oversee the development of play facilities.
A second project is the development of Cross Farm Park, in Alcombe, to offer better play facilities for children, which will be delivered in partnership with Minehead Town Council.
Most of the district’s rural areas will also benefit from the boost which will be provided for mobile play facilities.
Leisure, culture, and recreation portfolio holder Councillor Neil Parbrook said: “This is a welcome boost for children’s facilities in the area.
“Play is a vital part of children’s development and this will help provide them with a stimulating environment to grow up in.”
The Lottery grant provides funding for the projects for the next three years.
District council’s community specialist for children, young people, and culture, Janice Malarkey, said: “I am delighted with the result of the Lottery application. We are looking forward to working with the play partnership to successfully deliver these projects, which will greatly benefit children and young people in West Somerset.
“We would like to thank the play partnership, Play England, and Barnardos for their hard work and support during the production of the play strategy, which can be found on the West Somerset Council website.”
Taunton Deane leisure executive Councillor Richard Lees said: “I am delighted that we have obtained this amount of money and in partnership can now plan to provide a play structure for young people.
“Play is so important in creating imaginative minds, and being physically active in a controlled environment, allowing children to be themselves and enjoy their childhood.”
Wiveliscombe, Milverton, and Norton Fitzwarren will all be among the villages to benefit from the project.
For more information on the play partnership in West Somerset, log onto www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk or contact Janice Malarkey on 01984 635238 or email Janice on jmalarkey@westsomerset.gov.uk.

• Pictured at Cross Farm Park, Alcombe, are (left to right) West Somerset Strategic Partnership chairman Loretta Whetlor, Minehead Town Council clerk Sue Sanders, CLOWNS chairman Jan Ross, district council community specialist for children Janice Malarkey, and leisure portfolio holder Councillor Neil Parbrook. Photo submitted.


• Mind in Taunton and West Somerset has received a £1,070 grant from the National Lottery’s Awards For All scheme.
  The money will be put toward an IT work area in the Peace of Mind day project, allowing service users access to online resources and word-processing and printing facilities.
  One-to-one training will also be available for those who are less computer literate.