Litter and leaf picks keep youths occupied on autumn evenings

YOUNG members of the Dreamscheme project operating in the Seaward Way area of Minehead have been earning plenty of points by cleaning up litter and leaves on their estate.
They have been out and about on every Tuesday evening this month, braving the wind and rain, and have filled more 20 bags with the rubbish they have cleared.
Scheme co-ordinator Debbie Fitzpatrick said: “We now have activities planned leading up until Christmas, including hotdogs and a fireworks display, Christmas shopping, and an X Factor singing competition.”
During next week’s school half-term holiday, the youngsters will be baking their own cakes and taking them along to a senior citizens’ coffee morning and chatting with the elderly people, to earn even more points.
Dreamscheme rewards young people for helping in the community by awarding them points which can be used for treats such as trips to football matches or to go swimming.

• Our photograph shows some of the youngsters who have been giving up their evenings to collect litter and leaves at Seaward Way. Photo submitted.

BUSINESS NEWS: Speed networking and Indian food offer from Moorkhana

SMALL firms in West Somerset and Taunton Deane are being given a quick and fun opportunity to find new suppliers or win new orders from local businesses while tucking into an Indian meal at the same time.
Mignon and Andrew Johnson, who run newly-opened Indian restaurant Moorkhana, in Wiveliscombe, have teamed up for the occasion with speed networking facilitator Rachel Sweet.
They will host a two-and-a-half-hour speed networking session over lunch in Moorkhana on Friday, November 14, from 11.30 am to 2 pm.
The event offers business owners and managers a fun way to meet new people and to source potential suppliers and generate interest in their services or products.
Mignon said: “As a small business ourselves, we would like to help other firms in the Deane to be equally successful and so we offered the Moorkhana function room for Rachel to hold a networking event where people can generate business for each other.
“Moorkhana already provides job opportunities and skills training for the local economy of Wiveliscombe, while we also support the surrounding business community through hiring out our function room, plus each room in the restaurant doubles as a gallery where local artists can display and sell their paintings.”
Rachel Sweet is on the board of the Somerset Chamber of Commerce and is also a UK Female Ambassador, and helps business women thinking of starting an enterprise or who need support and encouragement.
Places at the speed networking event, which cost £25, are limited because of the size of the premises, and can be booked by emailing enquiries@thesaffronkitchen.co.uk or faxing 01823 326682, or by post to Moorkhana, 3 Silver Street, Wiveliscombe, TA4 2PA. Cheques for £25 payable to ‘The Saffron Kitchen’ should follow by post.
Moorkhana, which is the trading name of The Saffron Kitchen, is a family-friendly restaurant serving meals between 6 pm and 10 pm on Wednesdays to Saturdays and lunchtimes by prior arrangement.
Mignon said: “Many of my recipes have been handed down through generations of my family and some of them are handwritten by my mother, which means the food in Moorkhana is authentic and tastes just how it would if you were actually in India.”
More information about Moorkhana and the speed networking event is available from Mignon and Andrew Johnson by telephoning 01984 623648 or by visiting the website http://www.thesaffronkitchen.co.uk/.

• Our photograph shows Mignon Johnson in traditional Indian dress. Photo submitted.

PROPERTY NEWS: Buy all of a new Minehead home for three-quarters of the price

BARRATT has unveiled an offer for anybody who wants to buy a new home in Minehead.
House hunters could pick-up the keys to a property on the new Clanville Grange development immediately, for just 75 per cent of the price.
Barratt would then pay the other 25 per cent through a deferred loan.
Some lenders will even accept Barratt’s 25 per cent share as the purchaser’s deposit - meaning they might not need a deposit of their own.
Barratt sales manager Louise Terry said: “This is a terrific offer, which can make a dramatic difference to the move-in price of a new home.
“Paying only a 75 per cent mortgage makes buying very affordable.
“And you may not have to find a deposit either.
“This is not shared ownership - it is your home, and you own 100 per cent of it, but you only pay 75 per cent of the purchase price now.
“There is no interest or rent to pay on the other 25 per cent for up to 10 years or until you sell the property, whichever is sooner.
“We can only offer it on selected plots for a limited period.
“We will operate on a first come, first served basis so I would advise anybody who wants to move to pick up the telephone or visit our website now.”
Homes currently available to move into for 75 per cent of the price at Barratt’s Clanville Grange include one and two-bedroom apartments from £125,000 to £191,950.
For further details call Clanville Grange, which is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm, on 01643 709738, or log on to www.barratthomes.co.uk.

• Our photographs show some of the recently completed Clanville Grange homes in Minehead (TOP) and a typical living room (BELOW). Photos submitted.

Fund-raising Botham visits hospital children's unit 'where it all began'

ENGLAND and Somerset cricket legend Sir Ian Botham started his latest fund-raising walk - and visited Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, where it all started for him 20 years ago.
Sir Ian, who is president of national blood cancer charity Leukaemia Research, walked around the hospital with chief executive Jo Cubbon and consultants Dr Linda Whiteford and Simon Bolam.
He saw the new Beacon Centre for cancer patients, which will open in May of next year, and was cheered on outside the children’s unit, where he first met patients with leukaemia in 1985.
Sir Ian said: “It was great to be back at Musgrove Park Hospital where it all started for me over 20 years ago.
“The staff here are working hard with Leukaemia Research and many others to help beat childhood leukaemia for good.”
Dr Whiteford is a consultant paediatrician with a special interest in cancer and she joined Sir Ian on his walk round the hospital.
She said: “Leukaemia is the commonest form of childhood cancer and the work that Sir Ian and Leukaemia Research are doing to raise awareness and funds is helping us to make great progress.
“Survival rates have improved dramatically over the last 20 years and overall survival rates for children with leukaemia are now approaching 90 per cent.”
Anybody who would like to help Sir Ian Botham beat childhood leukaemia should visit www.bothamwalk.com or call 020 7405 0101.

• Our photograph shows Sir Ian Botham and chief executive Jo Cubbon outside the children’s unit at Musgrove Park Hospital. Photo submitted.

Good behaviour by youngsters is rewarded by Dreamscheme

POLICE have praised the success of a scheme in Minehead which rewards youngsters for good behaviour on a housing estate.
Teenagers who act as ‘better citizens’ on the development off Seaward Way can enjoy activities such as fishing trips and days out at the Alton Towers theme park.
The Dreamscheme initiative was launched nationally last year with Home Office funding to help cut down youth crime.
Minehead police Inspector Carol Pearce said incidents of bad behaviour in Minehead had fallen greatly since the scheme started.
She said: “About 12 months ago, we were looking at 150 to 200 reports of anti-social behaviour for that period of the year.
“In the second period of the year since we started that process, we are looking at less than 10.
“It is demonstrating that if we do work with young people and the wider community on a one-to-one basis and people get to know who their beat managers are and who the young people are, if we work together and have community cohesion, we will have a better society for all of us to benefit from.”
‘Dreamscheme - Seaward Way’ celebrates its first anniversary this month.

• Our photograph shows some of the youngsters from the estate who were taken to see a Football League match at Plymouth Argyle in February of this year. Photo submitted.

Rescue bid for troubled Quaywest radio stations

A BRIDGWATER company has stepped in with a rescue bid for troubled West Somerset commercial radio station Quaywest 102.4 FM and its sister station in Bridgwater, Quaywest 107.4 FM.
Dave Englefield (pictured), one of the founders of the Bridgwater station when it was previously known as BCR FM, has set up Bridgwater Broadcasting Services Ltd (BBS), of which he is a director, to take on temporary responsibility for running the two Quaywest brands.
It follows an application to the High Court by Quaywest parent company, financially-crippled Laser Broadcasting, to be placed into administration.
The Laser application, due to be heard in Leeds on October 24, pre-empted an application by a creditor to have the company wound-up.
Mr Englefield, the Quaywest station director, said: “We are thrilled and delighted to be able to bring the stations back into local hands.
“The radio stations are extremely important to the people of West Somerset and Sedgemoor, and an integral part of the community.
“We have an important role to play for our listeners and the local businesses, who have shown us a huge amount of support and loyalty, which, in turn, gives us a fantastic platform to build on.”
BBS has aligned itself with local media and marketing company Southwest Media Consulting in its bid to help save Quaywest and to ensure that the stations remained locally owned.
Mr Englefield said: “This is going to be a testing, but exciting time for us all.
“Both stations were born in Somerset and we intend to make sure they both continue to thrive and grow.
“We owe it to the public and their continued support to keep their own radio stations on air, and in local hands.
“We are looking forward to the challenge, and will be working hard with the staff to ensure we keep the stations running successfully.”
BBS is expected to keep the West Somerset and the Bridgwater Quaywest stations running while administrators deal with the winding-up of Laser’s affairs.
The Watchet station recently celebrated its 10th birthday, while the Bridgwater one has been on air since 2001.
They were originally independently owned before being sold to Watchet-based Choice Media, and then to Laser Broadcasting in 2006.
More information about the BBS rescue bid is available from Darren Horne or Lawrence Hebron at Southwest Media Consulting by calling 01278 434 231.

Future of Quaywest takes a twist in the High Court

THE fate of Quaywest 102.4 FM, West Somerset’s only commercial radio station, has taken another twist as its parent company applied to be placed into administration.
Laser Broadcasting, which owns nine stations nationwide, was facing a winding-up order in the High Court, in Leeds, yesterday.
But the company is understood to have applied for administration procedures before the court could hear the winding-up order.
Now, the application by Laser is due to be heard in the High Court on Friday, October 24.
The attempt to liquidate Laser was made by one of its creditors, Gateshead-based venture capitalist Capital North East No1 Ltd Partnership.
But Laser, based in Darlington, made a pre-emptive application of its own to be placed into administration.
Watchet-based Quaywest has continued to broadcast, although staff are understood not to have been paid since July, and its website and email facilities have been withdrawn.
Its sister station in Bridgwater, Quaywest 107.4 FM, previously known as BCR FM, has been in a similar position.
Laser Broadcasting’s other seven stations are Bath FM, Brunel FM, three Sunshine-branded stations in Ludlow, Hereford and Worcester, and Hereford/Monmouth, Fresh Radio, in the Yorkshire Dales, and 3TR, based in Warminster.
One of the founders of Laser in 2002 was Nigel Reeve, who was the launch sales and marketing director of Classic FM.
Nobody from Laser was available for comment.

Pupils have star role in £400,000 supermarket reopening

PUPILS of Minehead First and St Michael’s First schools will take on star status next week when they perform the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially launch the £400,000 new look Co-op food store in The Parade, Minehead.
The children will receive £100 for each school from store manager Mark Jones as a ‘thank you’ after the opening on Thursday, October 16.
Mr Jones said: “As a community retailer, it is appropriate that we involve the community in our special events and we are delighted children from our local schools can play a central role in the relaunch of our store.”
The store will feature The Co-operative Group’s new identity, ‘The co-operative’, which aims to highlight improved service standards across its 4,500 outlets in the UK, including its travel, pharmacy, funerals, and bank branches, as well as its commitment to supporting local communities and ethical trading policies.
The refit has transformed the community store with modern décor, new fittings, and eco-friendly refrigeration, plus a more shopper-friendly layout.
It will offer a comprehensive choice, with an emphasis on fresh foods.
There will also be a wider selection of chilled beers and wines, while the Post Office, cash machine, lottery, and PayPoint services will be retained.
As the leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade foods, The co-operative’s popular Fairtrade products will feature and the store will carry the retailer’s own health and beauty range with products that are not tested on animals.
In addition, shoppers will benefit from The co-operative’s policy on honest labelling, which gives the full facts about its food and drink products.
While all The Co-operative’s free plastic bags are fully degradable, customers will be encouraged to use a greener alternative such as The Co-operative Fairtrade cotton Bag for Life, which costs 99p or the plastic Bag for Life, priced at 10p, which the store will replace for free and then recycle.
The Co-operative Group also gives its customer members a share of its profits in cash.
Members can choose to keep the twice-yearly payouts or donate all or part of them to local worthy causes.
Mr Jones said: “We provide a much valued service and I am confident the new look store will better meet the daily food shopping needs of the local community.
“The transformed store will be a real asset. In addition, in the best traditions of The co-operative, it will make its contribution to community life.”

'Pavement Pirates' to show off their drawing skills

YOUNG artists in West Somerset are being urged to celebrate the art of the picture book later this month by showing their talents as pavement pirates.
It is part of the October Big Draw Festival, an initiative which began in 2000 and aims to encourage the whole country to start drawing.
More than 1,000 events are being planned around the country with the aim of proving that drawing is not only fun but also a great form of self-expression and a fantastic communication tool.
In Minehead, Christopher Jelley, of Toy A’hoy, is offering, would-be young illustrators a pavement canvas to show their artistic talents.
Mr Jelley said: “We will provide coloured chalks - all you need is your imagination to create a dastardly pirate scene.
“Drawing is an activity that can be done alone, or as a group and in many different mediums with a myriad of results.
“All the pictures will be photographed and featured on the Captain’s Blog page of the Toy A’hoy website.
“Two winners will be chosen, one from each age category, and awarded with a bag of swashbuckling goodies.”
The event is happening on Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, from 12 noon to 4 pm, on the poop deck outside Toy A’hoy, in The Avenue.
The ‘crew’ will be suitably attired and participants are welcome to wear fancy dress if they want to enter into the spirit of the day.

Councils staging joint forum for private landlords

A FIRST joint private landlords forum is being held by West Somerset Council and Sedgemoor District Council next week.
The forum will be staged in Bridgwater in the Sedgemoor Suite of Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Club, on Tuesday, October 14.
It takes place between 6 pm and 8 pm and a buffet and refreshments will be served. The rugby club has free parking available.
The forum will be chaired by Christian Trevelyan, the partnership manager for private sector housing.
A presentation on energy performance certificates will be made by Tim Kennedy, of the National Landlords Association, while members of Sedgemoor council’s benefits team will talk on local housing allowances.
The forum also provides landlords with an opportunity to discuss any particular issues which may affect them.
Anybody who wants to attend the event or any future landlords forums should contact Esther Tomkinson on 0845 241 7243 or e-mail esther.tomkinson@sedgemoor.gov.uk.

Winding-up order for Quaywest parent could see radio station close

THE company behind West Somerset commercial radio station Quaywest 102.4 FM could be wound up in the High Court next week.
Parent company Laser Broadcasting Group has been suffering financial difficulties, despite operations director Stuart Linnell issuing a strong denial to The Post just five months ago.
As well as Watchet-based Quaywest, Laser runs nine stations nationwide, including a sister Quaywest station in Bridgwater.
Laser faces winding up proceedings after an application by a creditor, understood to be Capital North East No 1 Ltd Partnership, a venture capitalist firm based in Gateshead.
Quaywest continues broadcasting from its Watchet and Bridgwater studios, but may have to close unless an offer is made to take over the licences.
A spokesman for NEL Fundmanagers Ltd said: “As fund managers of the Capital North East investment fund, from which an investment was made in Laser Broadcasting in 2004, we have been working with Laser for many months in an attempt to find a way forward which would allow the company to trade within the terms of our investment agreement.
“However, these efforts have failed to result in a satisfactory outcome and we have therefore reluctantly had to seek a winding-up order against Laser Broadcasting, which will be heard in Leeds on October 14.”
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom said the petition to wind up Laser Broadcasting would be heard by a High Court judge sitting in Leeds on Tuesday, October 14.
A spokesman for Ofcom said: “We are monitoring developments closely.
“The company is keeping us fully informed, and is seeking to ensure the radio stations are able to continue broadcasting in the best interests of their staff and listeners.
“In these circumstances, until the winding-up order is heard by the court next week we are aware that the stations may not be able to fully comply with their format requirements.
“We do not propose to take any formal action against the licensees during this period.”
Darlington-based Laser was formed in 2002, and included among its founders Nigel Reeve, who was launch sales and marketing director of Classic FM.
Three of Laser’s other stations -Bath FM, Brunel FM, in Swindon, and Warminster-based 3TR - were only acquired from The Local Radio Co less than six months ago.
Laser also owns three Sunshine-branded stations in Ludlow, Hereford and Worcester, and Hereford and Monmouth, as well as Fresh Radio, in the Yorkshire Dales.
Nobody from Laser Broadcasting was available to comment.

A tale of two Bishops for community station 10Radio

COMMUNITY Radio station 10Radio, which broadcasts from Wiveliscombe to the surrounding parishes and beyond, hosted not one, but two Bishops during a Deanery visit last Thursday.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Rt Rev Peter Price, visited the Wiveliscombe studio together with the Bishop of Taunton, the Rt Rev Peter Maurice.
The two bishops spent a total of 48 hours in the Tone Deanery, taking part in events across the area, including visits to Milverton Community Centre, Pulsford Lodge Care Home, Tower Cheesemakers, Aardvaark Climate Change, and Environmental Solutions.
Bishop Peter led a confirmation service in Wellington where he also commissioned Andy Levett as Deanery youth worker.
He spent nearly an hour with 10Radio accompanied by the Rev Graham Owen, who is the Rector of Wiveliscombe, and Rachel Renfree, the lay chairman of the Deanery Synod (part of the Church Parliament).
He took part in an interview on-air with two 10Radio presenters, Nigel Parkin and Philip Knighton, and then spent time touring the studios.
The Bishop spoke about the need for the church to concentrate on involvement with the community and, quoting the 1930s Archbishop William Temple, said the church existed for those who were not members.
Speaking about the 'Changing Lives' initiative, which he has championed in the diocese, Bishop Peter spoke about vision and hope and related a story about how a former alcoholic called Baz had recently telephoned to tell him how his life had been turned around after he had been supported by a church-based community project.
The 10Radio team also followed the Bishop as he re-dedicated the recently restored bells in Nynehead, and afterwards joined in a game of skittles with the SNAZ (Sunday Night Action Zone) youth group in the crypt of St Andrew’s Church, in Wiveliscombe.
The live programme ‘Meet the Bishop’ is due to be repeated on 105.3fm at 8 am on Sunday, October 12, for those who missed it the first time round.

• Our photograph shows (left to right) Wiveliscombe rector the Rev Graham Owen, Bishop of Taunton, the Rt Rev Peter Maurice, and 10Radio presenter Nigel Parkin. Photo submitted.

Magna wins court injunction against anti-social tenant

ANTI-social behaviour by a housing association tenant in Williton has ended with a court injunction granted to his landlords, Magna West Somerset Housing Association.
The injunction against Paul Stevens, of 30 Northcroft, comes on the back of a catalogue of complaints made by Williton residents to Magna and to local police.
It will remain in place until February 19 next year and carries a power of arrest if Mr Stevens enters certain parts of Williton.
Magna tenant services manager Christine Boland said: “This was another big win for us.
“We take any form of anti-social behaviour extremely seriously, we work closely with the police to tackle these issues.
“Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.”
She said in a majority of cases Magna used other tools to resolve problems of anti-social behaviour, including mediation and acceptable behaviour contracts, as well as working closely with the local police.
However, Mrs Boland said: “In this case we had received complaints against Paul Stevens over a number of months concerning noise nuisance, nuisance relating to drug and alcohol abuse, shouting, fighting, and even threats to kill.
“Our residents have a right to live peacefully and securely in their own homes and so we had no other option than to apply for an injunction.”
The injunction means that any assault, threat to assault, intimidation, abuse, nuisance, or annoyance to any person who resides at Egremont Court, Northcroft, or Brook Road, in Williton, would result in Mr Stevens being arrested.

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.

A feast for all at the Exmoor Food Festival 08

THE Exmoor Food Festival, an eight-day extravaganza to celebrate the area’s finest local food, starts on Saturday with the Porlock Tea Party and a produce market at Dulverton Carnival.
On Sunday, television wildlife celebrity Johnny Kingdom will be launching the Lyn Food Fest, a day devoted to sampling the great tastes of the moors.
During the festival, visitors can treat themselves to stunning views over Porlock Weir and equally stunning local produce at Andrews on the Weir.
They can relax and enjoy a pamper treatment as well as fine farmhouse fare at Hindon Organic Farm, and they can enjoy tasty treats cooked up by Minehead café Cream with fresh produce straight from Minehead Farmers’ Market.
Or, visitors can glean top tips from the chef at Dunster’s Yarn Market Hotel to take home and try in their own kitchens.
There is an opportunity to learn how to catch and cook wild food at Wimbleball, or to try Morrocan evenings in Minehead, or sample a mouth-watering meal from the award-winning Hidden Valley of the Pigs, in Barbrook, followed by an amble to see the animals at Alta Lyn Alpacas.
The food festival should include something on the menu for anybody’s taste.
Festival organiser Naomi Griffith said: “There is a great variety of venues and events across Exmoor during the festival.
“People can talk to local food producers to get the inside story on what makes Exmoor’s food the best in the world.
“We specialise in fresh local produce from the moors which has been beautifully cooked and presented.
“Customers return year after year and are always delighted to find something new and exciting on the menu.
“Dulverton Carnival, farmers markets, food fayres, and a feast of events across Exmoor make this festival must for food fans across the South West.”
The food festival runs from October 4 to 12, and programmes are available at Tourist Information Centres and at www.exmoorevents.co.uk, or by calling 01643 821425.

• Our photographs show (TOP) Keith Wicks, of the Whortleberry Tea Room, in Porlock, (MIDDLE) celebrity guest Johnny Kingdom, and (BOTTOM) a sample dish from the festival. Photos submitted.

Going, going, for £1 - a parish's unwanted red phone box

A VANDALISED and unwanted West Somerset red telephone box (pictured) has been put up for sale by telecoms firm BT for just £1.
Huish Champflower Parish Council was asked if it wanted to buy the call box on Wiveliscombe Road, but turned down the offer because of the cost of maintenance and repairs caused by vandalism.
It is one of 24 in West Somerset which BT wants to remove in a cost-cutting exercise because they have been little used in the past year.
BT said the last time the box was used to make a call was more than a year ago.
Villager John Moore, a former parish council chairman said: “The offer of £1 is purely for the phone box.
“The apparatus inside comes at a much higher price. I understand BT were looking to charge the council over £500.
“There are all sorts of other things being discussed with regards to maintenance of the apparatus, such as who would be responsible for the equipment and ensuring the public safety.”
West Somerset Council is deciding on how to respond to BT’s proposals to close little-used call boxes.
It has the power of a ‘local veto’ which would force BT to go through an appeals process before it could remove any of the call boxes.
BT has claimed there was no longer any need for the public telephone boxes because most people these days had a mobile phone they could use instead.

HOPE event for people facing prejudice or harassment

AN event is being organised next month in Dunster for anybody who has experienced or is worried about being harassed or facing prejudice because of their race, faith, sexual orientation, or disability.
HOPE - Harassment or Prejudice Event – will take place in the Tithe Barn Community Hall on Wednesday, October 8, at 1 pm.
Speakers at the event include the police, local council, Crown Prosecution Service, Somerset Racial Equality Council, and Witness Service representatives, as well as somebody with personal experience of these sorts of incident.
Information will be available about support services and crime prevention and Tthere will be an opportunity to ask questions of all the organisations involved in tackling the problem.
The day will feature display stands from agencies involved and there will be a panel of representatives who will explain how the agencies work together, as well as a victim story.
A number of discussion groups will cover topics such as
Hate crime reporting - exploring the reasons why people do not report offences and what the agencies can do to encourage and make easier the reporting of such incidents
Safety awareness for businesses – for anybody running a business to share their experiences and find out what help is available to them, and to have their say in what should happen in the future
Your experience matters - where experiences of hate crime or being part of a minority community are shared with others, and suggestions made on how everybody can affect change
The court experience – finding out what happens if somebody is called as a victim/witness to court, the help and support which is available, and suggestions for improving the system
Free transport to Dunster’s HOPE is available via community transport scheme Atwest, which will be picking up from the Williton council offices at 11.15 am, from Butlins at 11.20 am, from the West Somerset Railway, in Watchet, at 11.25 am, the council offices in Summerland Avenue, Minehead, at 11.30 am, Driftwood Café, Blue Anchor, at 11.40 am, Silvermead, Alcombe, at 11.40 am, opposite Carhampton Post Office at 11.50 am, Ellicombe at 11.45 am, and Dunster at 12 noon.
To book a place at the event or to obtain further information, call 01935 402122, or just turn up on the day.

£1 million community fund-raising challenge launches in college gardens

A CHARITABLE fund which aims to raise £1 million across Somerset by 2011 was launched at a reception in Cannington yesterday.
The Grassroots Grants Endowment Match Challenge is being organised by the Somerset Community Foundation, a Wells-based project set up in 2002 to provide a new, independent funding body to tackle poverty and disadvantage throughout the county.
Foundation director Justin Sargent said: “Our target is to raise £1 million over the next three years, which would attract an additional £500,000 from the Government.
“This is a unique opportunity for us all to build a major endowment fund for Somerset.
“It will provide much-needed long-term support to hundreds of local projects and initiatives that make such a difference to the lives of so many people.”
Clifford Hall, in Cannington College, was one of three venues across Somerset to host launch events for the effort to build a long-term community asset.
Mr Sargent said: “The events were enjoyed by all and a special thank you to those groups who helped to make the events a great success.”
More than 50 guests from the local area attended the Cannington event, including West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger and the West Somerset Business Network chairman, Sandra Wilson, from Dulverton.
They heard a talk by the college’s head gardener and were also shown around the college’s walled gardens.
Among the groups attending the Cannington reception was ALFFFA, a voluntary group providing Filipino and multi-cultural programmes and information to the community in the form of dance, song, music, food.
Also represented was the Sedgemoor Deanery Youth Project, which aims to care for and challenge young people, encouraging them to reach their full potential.
The local branch of Ups and Downs, a support group for parents and carers of children with Downs Syndrome, also took part. The charity provides face to face support, information and resources to help children reach their full potential both educationally and socially.
Mr Sargent said: “We are a unique charity in two respects. We are able to support a wide range of charitable causes across Somerset, which means we can respond to the specific and changing needs of each community, and we provide a flexible, professional and personal ‘donor service’ to a wide range of donors, enabling them to achieve their specific charitable goals within Somerset.
“At the heart of our approach is a strong belief in the importance of helping communities respond to their local circumstances in their own way.”

• Our photograph shows some of the representatives who attended the launch of the foundation’s Grassroots Grants Endowment Match Challenge held in Cannington College. Photo submitted.

Johnny Kingdom guest appearance at Exmoor Food Festival

TELEVISION wildlife celebrity Johnny Kingdom will be a guest of honour at this year’s Exmoor Food Festival.
Johnny, a poacher-turned-gamekeeper who loves his local food, will be launching the Lyn Food Fest and signing books on October 5.
Lynton will be showcasing the very best foods, wines, and drinks from unique local producers as part of the festival.
The eight-day feast of local produce starts with a tea party in Porlock on October 4, while more adventurous tastebuds should be tantalised by a Moroccan evening at The Creamery, in Minehead.
There are also workshops on how to catch, cook and eat wild food, trapping or hunting with falcons, how to prepare game, and selecting wild mushrooms and herbs during a ‘Wild Food at Wimbleball’ event.
Thef award-winning Hidden Valley of Pigs, in Barbook, features a free range rare breed herd of Berkshire pigs, while huacaya alpacas can be seen on the Alta Lyn Alpaca Farm.
Visitors can pick up top tips from the renowned chef at the Yarn Market Hotel, in Dunster, take a tour of Exmoor villages in a vintage bus to enjoy locally-sourced lunches, visit Exmoor’s secret corners on a wildlife safari followed by a sumptuous meal at the Home Cook, or browse through a crafts and local produce market before attending Dulverton Carnival.
Firm favourites such as the Porlock Food Fayre, Breakfast at the Heart of Exmoor, Styles Ice Cream Open Day, and Exmoor Dinners at Ranscombe Farm Restaurant are again also on the menu this year.
Festival organiser Naomi Griffith said: “There are eight action-packed days and nights that will delight people who are passionate about superb local food.
“From farmers markets and food fayres, cosy pubs, and intimate restaurants, to farms on the wide open moors, there will be something to delight fans of fantastic food.”
Programmes for the Exmoor Food Festival, which runs from October 4 to12, are available at Tourist Information Centres, or more information is available by calling 01643 821425, or visiting http://www.exmoorevents.co.uk/.

• Our photographs show (from the top) Johnny Kingdom; Derek de Maid, of Brendon Hill Crafts; and an Exmoor lamb dish. Photos submitted.

New appeal supports ChildLine base for Westcountry

‘LET no cry go unheard’, is the rallying call of a local fund-raising appeal being launched today which, if successful, will massively increase the capacity of the NSPCC’s Exeter-based South West ChildLine service to help children in distress.
The fund-raising drive and expansion plans are key elements of the well-known child protection charity’s most prominent appeal since it launched the Full Stop Campaign in 1999.
Called the Child’s Voice Appeal, it aims to raise £50 million nationally over the next three years to continue to run and grow its listening services - like that provided by the ChildLine base at Exeter - and also by its national helpline for adults with concerns about a child.
A launch event is due to take place in Exeter city centre at 3 pm today where thousands of bubbles will be released into the air.
The NSPCC said its plans involved building on the existing telephone services and recruiting and training more volunteer counsellors to respond to children in need of help.
Services will eventually also include counselling online and by text.
Last year, the charity answered two-thirds of calls to ChildLine and three-quarters of calls to the adult helpline.
The Government is providing £30 million towards the development of the NSPCC helplines over the next four years.
An additional £50 million raised by the public through the Child’s Voice Appeal is needed to continue running the existing services and to get the development off the ground.
The local proposals, which would cost £2.6 million to implement, could see as many as 150 counsellors based in Exeter.
It is currently the smallest of the 15 existing and planned UK ChildLine bases with around 30 trained volunteer counsellors available for shifts supervised by five experienced, paid staff.
Nationally, the expansion would allow:

• Growth of the NSPCC Helpline nationally by more than 60 per cent to counsel 18,000 more adults who have concerns about a child
• 500,000 more calls every year put through to ChildLine volunteers
• Young people to choose how they access help - by phone, online, or by text, wherever they live

Last year, the South West base counsellors counselled 2,529 young callers about everything from feeling suicidal to family break-ups.
The average length of a call is around 20 minutes but hour-long calls are not uncommon. Many callers ring more than once.
At the moment, the South West base has two shifts operating at peak times for calls on three days a week.
Outside these times, calls are routed to other bases which may or may not have capacity to deal with the calls.
Calls are routed to the nearest base available.
ChildLine South West children’s services manager Cheryl Marshall said: “ChildLine is a vital service for children so they have somebody to turn to, whatever the worry.
“Donations really will really make a direct impact in providing this service as we can provide more counsellors to counsel children, as well as allowing us to develop other ways for young people to communicate with us.
“It is important to remember, too, the children and young people who are unable to contact ChildLine themselves, be it because they are too young, or too scared.
“Whatever the reason, we want adults who are worried about a child to be able to contact the NSPCC helpline.
“The support and advice they receive calms fears, solves problems - and even saves lives.”
To support the appeal launch, a new TV advertising campaign will screen from this evening which draws on the theme of voices being heard (image above).
For further information visit: www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk or call freephone 0844 892 0562 for support with fundraising.
In April last year, ChildLine South West was able to relocate from Newton Abbot to Exeter city centre premises capable of housing expansion of the service thanks to funding from the Children’s Promise, a project jointly developed by the New Millennium Experience and Marks and Spencer.
The new accommodation is shared with the NSPCC’s Young Witness Support Service which helps child witnesses who have to give evidence in court - mostly in sexual abuse cases.