CHAIRMAN’S inTrOduCTi On

In May of this year, Elections were held and a new Keynsham Town Council was formed including many new faces across all three Wards. As the newly appointed Chairman of the Council, I look forward to working with all Councillors, both new and established, to deliver exceptional work for the benefit of Keynsham residents. To see the entire list of Councillors, please visit page 35. As we start this four-year journey, I want to say thank you to all the Councillors who put themselves forward for this volunteer position – without your drive and effort, Keynsham residents couldn’t be represented to the standard that they currently are.

One of the Summer highlights for many Keynsham residents is the Keynsham Music Festival where many Councillors volunteer their time and energy. This year was a great success, which was very welcome given the rain that plagued last year’s event. The sun shone, the Bands were incredible and overall, it was a very successful event. This was the first year that Keynsham Town Council Youth Team held a festival within the festival – named the Nova Youth Arts Festival. The Keynsham Town Council Youth Team collaborated with the young people at the TimeOut Centre to create the Nova Youth Arts Festival concept, which came to life during the Music Festival. The Nova Festival was for 13–19-year-olds and included a Battle of the Bands, DJ workshops and a full two-day schedule Creative Workshop programme. It too was a great success and I look forward to seeing how it evolves in the future.

Looking ahead to this Autumn and beyond, we have two community favourites to enjoy including the Keynsham Winter Festival and Spring Show 2024. As always, the Winter Festival will take place on the last Friday in November with this year’s theme being ‘Let it Snow’ – please save the date. The Winter Festival will include a procession to turn on the lights, market stalls, food vendors, children’s entertainment and the introduction of a new Santa’s Grotto which is sure to be a popular spot to meet with Father Christmas and share all your Christmas wishes. The Spring Show will once again take place in late March so just a reminder to consider planting your bulbs in the next few months in preparation of the Spring Show. The full Spring Show schedule will be available on the Keynsham Town Council website and on social media in the early Autumn. Also, keep an eye out for the bulb giveaway at the September and October Farmer’s Markets by some of the Keynsham Town Council staff and Councillors.

There’s also a new event for the Community Calendar this Autumn with a Fashion Show that will shine a light on sustainable fashion and upcycling of pre-loved items. More details to follow on the Keynsham Town Council Facebook, Instagram and Website.