Crowcombe youths asked for views on playing with £34,000

YOUNGSTERS in Crowcombe are being asked how they would like to see a £34,000 cash bonanza spent on improving play space in the village.
West Somerset Council, in partnership with children’s charity Barnardo’s South West and Crowcombe Parish Council, has won £34,000 Playbuilder funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Children and young people of all ages are invited to a mini play day and consultation event on Saturday, January 17, at Crowcombe Village Hall.
There is a morning session from 10 am to 12 noon and an afternoon session from 1 pm to 3 pm for children to sample free activities, and have their say on how the play space should be developed.
District council community portfolio holder Councillor Neil Parbrook said: “This is an excellent chance for young people to try out a range of free activities including building dens, ball games, hoops, team fun, and a whole lot of messy but fun outdoor activities.
“We want them to enjoy their environment and their play space, and to let us know how we can spend the money in ways which will inspire them to even more adventurous play.
“A big difference can be made with £34,000 as to how children spend their time, and anything that encourages outdoor games and traditional play is welcome.
“It encourages children to socialise and overcome challenges and provides a healthier and happier start in life.
“We hope lots of people will come along and enjoy the activities on offer, as well as come up with some suggestions on how to make the most of this great opportunity to develop local play space.”
Barnardo’s South West children’s services manager Michael Hammond said: “This funding gives children and communities an opportunity to redesign their local play space to make it a space that children find exciting and challenging, and that communities feel ownership off.
“Children playing happily outdoors can be a sign of a very healthy community.”
All activities are free, but people are reminded to wear old clothes.
Children aged under eight years must be accompanied by an adult.
More information is available by calling Louise Kennedy on 01984 618344 or emailing info@woodlandplaycentre.com.

Estate agents turn Father Christmas for hospital children's unit

STAFF from the Minehead and Watchet branches of estate agent Wilkie, May and Tuckwood have delivered piles of goodies to the children’s unit of Musgrove Park Hospital, just in time for Christmas.
Watchet branch manager Steven Loveday decided to do something to show support for the hospital after his baby daughter Molly spent four days in the children’s unit during the summer.
Mr Loveday said: “The care Molly received was fantastic and I just wanted to do something to say thank you for that.
“I talked to my colleagues and we decided to appeal to our local community for toys and games that we could take along to the unit at Christmas time.
“Both I and Kevin James, who manages the Minehead branch, have been really pleased with the reaction we have had from our local clientele, who donated lots of traditional wooden toys and games as well as the more modern choices of DVDs and Playstation games.
“We would like to thank them all for their support at this busy time of year for everybody.”
Musgrove hospital play specialist Jane Horn said: “Steven and Kevin arrived absolutely laden with toys which made a lovely surprise for the children.
“We are always really grateful to receive good quality toys and games as it is essential to have a good selection of items to help make our young patients feel relaxed when they are in unfamiliar hospital surroundings.
“We know that having access to toys and games that occupy children really helps with the healing process.
“Wilkie, May and Tuckwood have worked really hard to provide new toys and we are delighted that they made the time and effort to do this.”

• Our photograph shows (left to right) Steven Loveday, Jane Horn, and Kevin James with some of the toys given to Musgrove children’s unit. Photo submitted.

Child protection seminars for clubs and organisations

ANYBODY involved in running clubs or organisations for children and young people in West Somerset will be able to benefit from safeguarding advice offered by the Child-Safe initiative.
Child-Safe is a national child protection initiative, set up originally by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary and now adapted for local delivery in the county.
It is a registered charity - http://www.child-safe.org.uk/ - which provides practical advice and promotes the safety, welfare, and protection of children and young people involved in sport and community groups.
The initiative is about improving care, reducing opportunities of abuse in its widest sense, and helping all parents, carers, organisers, or volunteers involved in supporting youngsters in such activities.
The scheme is free of charge and provides clubs with a seminar and resource pack to enable them to put in place child protection measures.
Organisers, leaders, parents, and carers can feel reassured that child protection will be taken seriously within clubs using this scheme.
Child-Safe seminars in 2009 will be held in Williton Council Chambers from 7 pm to 8.30 pm on Tuesday, June 23, and in Taunton Library on Thursday, September 24, from 7 pm to 8.30 pm.
Any club or organisation which would like to find out more, or book a place on one of the seminars, should contact the Child-Safe administrator by calling 01823 358098 or via the website address above.

Lottery £3.2 million funding means skatepark and youth centre can be built at last

YOUNG people in West Somerset will soon have a world-class youth centre and skatepark available in Minehead after the Government pledged more than £3.2 million for the project.
The money will go to Minehead EYE Community Interest Company, which successfully bid to the Government’s myplace programme.
It will be used to create the Minehead EYE facility on land beside the West Somerset Railway Station.
The youth centre and skatepark will be aimed at 13 to 19-year-olds and will feature a café, shop, and computer area with a viewing gallery overlooking a 6,000 sq ft, two-storey skate and BMX park.
It will also boast a recording studio and DJ booth, a multi-media suite with rehearsal space, and an exhibition area with an art-graffiti wall.
The myplace programme is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and is delivered by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG).
Minehead EYE was one of 21 projects awarded funding to create world-class projects across England which work to create safe places for young people to go, where they can become involved in a wide range of exciting activities and receive information and advice from people they trust.
Minehead EYE, like all of the projects funded through myplace, has actively involved young people in its design and development, and will continue to involve them in future running.
The Minehead facility will enable young people to take part in a wide range of activities such as skate school and skating competitions, music and DJ training, battle of the band events, and console competitions.
Skills and training activities will also be offered by local organisations, including Active Exmoor, as well as local artists and musicians.
CLOWNS (Creating Learning Opportunities in Western Somerset), one of the project’s partner organisations, will be based on the ground floor alongside a number of support services such as youth workers from Somerset County Council and the local primary care trust, who will be on hand to offer young people advice and guidance.
Other partners in the project are West Somerset Council, which has promised £250,000 to the EYE, and Somerset County Council.
Minehead EYE director Naomi Griffith said: “We are absolutely thrilled we have been successful in our bid.
“Many, many people have worked for years on Minehead EYE and it is amazing that we will now see this dream become a reality.
“There is a lot of work ahead of us but we are ready and raring to get started so we can finally deliver this project which is vital for the young people of West Somerset.”
The Children and Young People’s Secretary, Ed Balls, said: “The vast majority of young people are good citizens, play by the rules and just want better things to do and places to go after school and at the weekend rather than hanging around in the street or in the local park.
“They enjoy getting involved in exciting projects such as myplace, so I hope that this scheme will help change the way communities view our young people.
“Myplace will transform positive activities for young people who will be able to decide what kind of facilities they want, and when they want them, such as on Friday and Saturday nights.
“In the Children’s Plan we said we want all young people to have the best opportunities whatever their circumstances and myplace will give young people across the country a chance to enjoy new experiences, learn new skills, and become a valued member of their own community.”
Big Lottery Fund regional head Mark Cotton said: “This facility is really going to transform what is on offer for young people in the area, giving them a safe and inviting place where they can have fun and socialise with friends and also access information and advice.”
Driven by the active participation of young people, myplace is part of the Government’s Aiming High strategy.
The 10-year youth strategy was announced in July of last year to help young people, particularly those in deprived areas, take part in positive activities which will help them develop new skills and raise their aspirations.

• Our photograph shows an artist’s impression of the Minehead EYE youth centre and skatepark. Image submitted.

Exmoor pre-school children prepare to move into new home

CHILDREN in Dunkery Pre-School will be making a fresh start later this month when they finally move into their new room.
The pre-school has been operating for more than eight years in Cutcombe First School, Wheddon Cross.
Now, Ofsted has approved the pre-school’s new premises and most of the new furniture has been delivered, including an interactive whiteboard and library.
An outdoor area is shortly due to be fenced off and covered with soft rubber flooring.
The first day in the new location is planned to be Monday, October 13.
It is part of an extension at the rear of the school which will also provide extra space in which pupils can work and where class assistants can spend time with individual children or small groups from either class without being distracted by the other children in the class.
At the moment the pre-school children have the use of the school hall on three mornings a week, which restricts the time the school can use the hall for teaching purposes.
Pre-school children also have to either walk through a classroom or around the outside of the building to use the toilets.
New toilets which are part of the school extension have also been designed for pre-school age children.
The new room provides an opportunity for the pre-school to offer more opening times.
It is also ideal for running breakfast and afterschool clubs, which is a long-term aim of the school.
Groups could also use it during the day or in the evening, such as for parents’ coffee mornings, and adult education.
The pre-school was created in 2000 after Wheddon Cross Under-Fives, which had been running for more than 20 years, amalgamated with Exford Playgroup.
Any families who would like a nursery place should contact Sheralee Matravers on 07980423053.

Hospital award for helping children with life limiting illnesses

SUZANNE Heayns, a play specialist in Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, has won the title of August employee of the month for her work with the COMPASS team.
The COMPASS team work with children and families with life limiting illnesses across Somerset.
Suzanne was nominated because of the work she did to organise a weekend in Huish Woods for children who have brothers or sisters who are unwell.
The weekend was so successful that the team now plan to make it an annual event.
Dr Chris Clinch, clinical psychologist at Musgrove, said: “I nominated Suzanne for this award because she showed such dedication to this project and organised it with creativity and vision.
“She wanted to give these children a chance to meet, play, and talk with other children who are going through the same experiences.
“It is well known that siblings are more likely to experience emotional problems and get less attention as families are so burdened.
“This weekend successfully represented a positive and empowering experience for the young people involved and the time given by Suzanne and her team members was indeed above and beyond the call of duty.”
Suzanne, who lives in Kingston St Mary, will in October have worked for 20 years at Musgrove, which is run by the Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.
She said: “I was really pleased and surprised when I learnt that I had won employee of the month.
“It came completely out of the blue.
“I love my job and do find it very rewarding, but I am also very pleased that the important role of the play specialist within the paediatric department has been recognised in this way.”

• Our photograph shows Suzanne Heayns (right) receiving her award and flowers from foundation trust chairman Ros Wyke. Photo submitted.

CLOWNS gets Lottery grant for play scheme, but Playbus still under threat

NEWS of a £164,295 National Lottery award to West Somerset children’s charity CLOWNS has been tempered by continuing worries over the viability of some of its other services.
CLOWNS has achieved a track record over many years of delivering quality, affordable and fun outreach provision and support to families across West Somerset and Exmoor.
It now provides more than 1,500 different sessions every year, with a total of more than 9,000 attendances, visiting 24 different village and town locations.
The windfall from the Big Lottery Fund will allow it to expand its former Tumbling Toddlers scheme which was primarily aimed at young children, to engage with the whole family in fun activities.
Entire families will be encouraged to be more active and learn about healthy eating.
An outreach support van will travel to villages to offer isolated families an opportunity to join in weekly physical activity sessions in their local village halls, schools, or children’s centres.
Parents, grandparents, carers, and children aged up to four years will share the themed sessions, which aim to educate in areas of healthy living and eating as well as early literacy and numeracy.
CLOWNS co-ordinator Kathy Morton said: “We are so pleased that we have the funding for this important part of our work.
“It will make a huge difference to the lives of some of our most isolated families across the area, and we are now busy preparing for this new work.”
However, Mrs Morton warned the charity was still worried about all the other funding it needed to be able to carry on with all the other parts of its work.
She said the Lottery good news had been followed by some bad news when another funding application was turned down.
Mrs Morton said: “We still need to get funding for the costs of running the Playbus.
“We should be taking delivery of our new double decker bus very shortly, but we are still short of at least £35,000 of the total running cost for the whole year’s budget.
“We will now try other avenues of support, but it all takes a lot of time and effort. We would all prefer to be out delivering all our sessions.”
CLOWNS chairman Jan Ross, told The Post: “We have several strands of provision, including our well-known double decker Playbus, outreach support van, toy library, scrap store, and holiday play schemes.”
Mrs Ross said recent consultations carried out by West Somerset Council showed people were concerned about the lack of facilities and activities for children and families at ‘reasonable’ prices.
A local area agreement had set a target under to increase the proportion of adults who did at least three 30-minute sessions of moderate or strenuous physical activity a week.
Mrs Ross said CLOWNS would work with health and physical activity manager Tracey Milton and her team from Somerset Primary Care Trust to carry out appropriate fun diagnostic tests at the beginning of the programmes, with regular monitoring of progress of individuals during the project.
Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership would also work in partnership with the new project.
Big Lottery Fund regional head Mark Cotton said: “This award will help families interact and enjoy learning in fun and stimulating surroundings.
“Some areas of the county are very isolated, making some facilities much less accessible so I am certain these projects will bring a great deal to families and communities as a whole.”
CLOWNS welcomes visitors, and would be pleased to meet anybody interested in its work. More information can be obtained or appointments made by telephoning 01643 707190.

Start on building Children's Centre for Norton Fitzwarren

WORK has begun on a new Children’s Centre for Norton Fitzwarren and the surrounding area which will provide local support and advice for parents and carers of children under-five years of age.
The centre, due to open next spring, will create a single point of access to services for families.
They will be able to obtain information on matters such as child development, parenting, and advice on how to stay safe and healthy.
The new Children’s Centre will also offer support to parents who are considering training and employment, as well as high-quality childcare and pre-school education from 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday.
Somerset County Council has contributed more than £700,000 to create the new centre and has worked closely with a steering group made up of local representatives to ensure the facility will meet local needs and aspirations.
The project has been supported by the Somerset branch of the charity Wooden Spoon, which has given £40,000, including £3,500 raised by sixth form students from Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar.
Steering group chairman Councillor Christopher Wolverson, who is the ward county councillor, said: “I am delighted the hard work and perseverance of Norton Fitzwarren Parish Council, the officers of the county council, and our partners has reached this important milestone in the project.
“I am looking forward to the Children's Centre making a real difference to our community when it opens in mid-2008.”
The development represents the latest step toward the council’s aim of establishing 33 new Children’s Centres in Somerset by March, 2008, which will support parents and families and help ensure children in Somerset are healthy and safe in their early years. Twenty centres have aleady opened and a further13 are in development.
The Mayor of Taunton Deane, Councillor Ken Hayward, who lives in Norton Fitzwarren, said: “It is fantastic that building work has started on this facility, which will be of great benefit to families in our community.
“All three local authorities have worked long and hard in partnership to make this happen, and it is a true credit to all those involved on the team.
“The project has also enabled the parish council to provide a long-awaited children’s playground, which will open next summer alongside the centre.”
The national children’s charity Barnardo’s will manage the Norton Fitzwarren Children’s Centre on behalf of the county council.
Barnardo’s South West children’s services manager Sue Dennis said: “We are delighted to be managing the new Children’s Centre.
“We are really looking forward to working in partnership with the county council and also with the children and families from Norton Fitzwarren and the surrounding communities.”
Childcare and education at the centre will be provided by Sarah Battersby and Deana Hunt.
Sarah said: “We will work together with parents and other professionals to create an exciting learning environment within a nurturing and homely setting, where children can grow and reach their full potential.
“We are excited to be working alongside Barnardos, the county council, and others to offer support for children and young families in and around Norton Fitzwarren.”
Henry W. Pollard and Sons Ltd and Woodcraft Homes Ltd, both local building firms, have been appointed to deliver the construction of the Children’s Centre.
Wooden Spoon is rugby’s charity supporting mentally, physically, and socially disadvantaged children and young people.
It has committed to more than £13 million in spending for projects for children and young people. For more information about the charity, visit www.woodenspoon.com.