Charities

Take the plunge this Christmas

BATHRUH charity, RUHX, are asking 100 brave individuals to make a splash at their brand new event, the Polar Plunge, being held on Sunday, December 4th at the West Country Water Park north of Bristol.

The event is for everyone, including seasoned swimmers who aren’t ready to hang up their wetsuits yet, and total beginners looking to try a new hobby.

Ellie Wilkinson, Events and Community Officer, RUHX, said: “We know that cold water dipping has a wealth of wellbeing benefits, and we want to put on an event that gets people feeling good, trying something new and joining a like-minded community.”

RUHX is asking those taking part to raise £100 to support its work.

Details: www.ruhx.org.uk/polar-plunge

Festival fundraiser

A FUNDRAISINGbeer festival held by the Cross Keys at Lydford-onFosse raised £2,500 for the mental health charity MIND.

At a presentation evening, pub owner David Grindley, expressed his sincere gratitude for the generous support from both sponsors and volunteers: “In a time when we are all facing challenges and financial pressures it was really touching to be offered so much help from businesses and our local community.”

The presentation was followed by a thank you party with free food drink supplied by the pub for all those who had played a part in the festival weekend.

PROMISEworks, a Mendip-based charity working with disadvantaged young people, has received a Queen’s Award for Volunteers, the highest honour of its kind nationally.

The presentation to the charity and its volunteer mentors was made by the retiring Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, at a ceremony in Walton. More than 50 volunteers attended, along with the mayors of Wells and Glastonbury and Somerset county councillor Tessa Munt, Executive Lead for Children & Families.

Mrs Maw said: “I am presenting this award on behalf of, now, His Majesty to an important group of people looking after our young who are, after all, our future. This is a serious duty for me but also a privilege and an honour.”

The award is a crystal obelisk supported by a citation signed by the late Queen Elizabeth II, one of the final awards given during her reign.

PROMISEworks chairman, Robert Peto, said: “A massive thank you to Annie and her team for supporting PROMISEworks and recognising the commitment of all our volunteers. We are one of only two charities in Somerset chosen to receive the QAVS in 2022.”

PROMISEworks, based in Baltonsborough, recruits, trains and supports volunteers, to provide one-to-one mentoring to improve the mental health and wellbeing of some of Somerset’s most vulnerable young people, aged from five to 25.

It receives referrals from schools, other professional agencies and voluntary groups, and for a variety of reasons: abuse or neglect; mental or physical health problems and families where parental struggles are impacting on wellbeing.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service was created in 2002 to celebrate The Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

National award for mentoring group

Annie Maw with (left) PROMISEworks deputy chair, Kev

O’Donnell, and chair, Robert Peto

Remembering Chris Brodrick

Walkers gather at a recently-planted tree on the green marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

A GROUP of walkers who raise money for charity each time they step out have held their second Chris Brodrick Memorial Walk.

The Stumblers Walking Group set off from Priddy Village Green for the five-mile walk which raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Chris, of Norton St Phillip, who died last October, was the brother of Stumblers organiser Zoe Emery.

For details about the Stumblers, find them on Facebook

Charity concert

REVEALEDProjects, which works with young people to teach vital skills around self-esteem and healthy relationships, is hosting a fundraising concert with Weston Light Orchestra at Holy Trinity Church, Weston on Monday, December 12th, 7.30-9.45pm.

The concert will raise money for workshops for young people and parents/carers across North Somerset and Somerset around self-esteem, well-being, and healthy relationships.

Project manager, Adele Sutton, said: “Young people are struggling, in particular because of the pandemic and services like ours are needed more than ever. Every penny raised will help us continue our mission to inspire young people to be confident in who they are and develop skills to build healthy relationships in all aspects of their lives.”

Tickets are £10 per person.

Children’s Air Ambulance donation

Cabaret time in Mells

A DONATION of £12,000 has been made to The Children’s Air Ambulance by Bath & North East Somerset Council after money was raised from recycled metals reclaimed from Haycombe Crematorium in Bath.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is a national lifesaving transfer service for critically ill babies and children that flies medical teams and equipment to children who are too ill to travel, turning their local hospital into a specialist centre.

The service provides high-speed transfer of the children and can fly them from one hospital to another for specialist care. The clinically designed helicopter also provides a flying intensive care unit for babies and children. Fiona Franklin, Regional Community Fundraising Executive at the charity, said: “The support of our local communities is so important to our charity as we receive no government funding and rely solely on generous donations like these to remain operational.”

The charity is the second to benefit this year from money raised by the recycling of common items like medical pins, metal plates and artificial joints which are retrieved from cremated remains and recycled through a national scheme. In February, £15,000 was donated to Josephine’s Star, a charity which provides bereavement support for children and young people. l Fiona is currently recruiting more volunteers in this area. Visit: https://theairambulanceservice.org.uk/childrens-airambulance/ or call Fiona on 07936 044846.

CABARET impresaria and stand-up comedian, Rose Wadham, is organising a cabaret in Mells Tithe Barn on Saturday, December 17th in aid of Frome-based charity Fair Frome, which provides practical support for people in need.

This will be the third time that Rosie’s cabaret has been to Mells and the event ruffled some local feathers the last time it was held in 2018.

Described by Rosie as “a night of eye-popping extravagance” and promising a concoction of entertainment not often seen in a Somerset village, it proved too much for some Mells residents. Rosie received an anonymous phone call and posters in the village were defaced or simply disappeared.

In the end, the cabaret went ahead with many folk from Mells in attendance. Tickets are £30 available from the village shop or online.

An early gift for Santa

Ready for take-off: the reindeer now “fly” over the front of the float

SANTA has a new sleigh for his charity fundraising trips around Frome and the surrounding villages this December, thanks to the support of a Mendip quarry.

The DAKS Trust – run by both Frome Lions and the town’s rotary clubs – had been touring the area for many years each Christmas with its former float but a routine review after last year’s event showed that the vehicle was outdated and nearing the end of its useful life.

Peter Barkwill, CEO of Wainwright’s Quarry at Stoke St Michael, heard about the trust’s plight and suggested the company might be able to provide a replacement. Over the summer, building work was carried out to a Mercedes Sprinter based at the company workshops at Moons Hill Quarry overseen by maintenance supervisor Jason Dando.

The keys to the new float – which features the reindeer and sleigh from the old vehicle and a new lighting and sound system – were handed over to DAKS in time for the start of this year’s visits on December 1st.

The float is due to travel throughout Frome and surrounding villages such as Nunney, Mells, Beckington and Chapmanslade in the run-up to Christmas.

The previous float had come to the end of its useful life

Charity donations

WELLSClassic Motorcycle Club held its 21st AGMand presentation evening at Wells Football Club.

They were joined by the deputy mayor of Wells, Tanys Pullin, and town crier, Len Sweales, along with some of the marshals and helpers, to make donations from money raised by its annual “Tortoise and Hare Run”.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance were presented with £3,000 and Freewheelers “Blood Bikes” £600. To date they have donated nearly£31,000 to the air ambulance and £1,550 to the Freewheelers.

The event regularly attracts entrants from various parts of the country to ride in some of our outstanding countryside, catering for motorcycles and scooters of all ages.

The run will be held next year on the weekend of July 14th-16th. The club is very active, arranging events for members and guests and new members are welcome.

Details: www.wellsclassicmotorcycleclub.weebly.com

Online auction

THE Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge has nearly 60 lots in its online auction, raising funds for Great Western Air Ambulance, The Friends of the RUH and other local good causes.

The auction will run until November 30th.

Details: ChelwoodBridgeRotary Club Xmas On-line Auction (jumblebee.co.uk)

Comedy night

GREAT Western Air Ambulance’s second annual comedy night will be held at the Bristol Old Vic on Monday, December 5th.

It will feature performances from top comedians from Bristol and further afield, including Stuart Goldsmith, Matt Richardson, Dani Johns, Priya Hall, Morgan Rees, Pravanya Pillay and Firuz Osari.

Learning life skills

WINFORDCE Primary School’s current Year 6 pupils were the latest children to have visited Lifeskills, the local safety charity based in Bristol.

Lifeskills teaches children how to keep themselves safe in a 90-minute guided tour of various realistically themed “film set” scenarios. Winford pupils have been going there since 2005.

It was a particularly special day as the children joined in celebrations for volunteer Nick Mayfield, who was recognised for completing over 100 volunteering sessions and having taught over 400 children.

Gemma Graville, centre manager, said: “Teaching children at this age and in such a practical way alerts them to the risks and consequences of everyday life. It’s a valuable element to their education which means that school visits are always in high demand.”

Lifeskills needs more volunteers and is running hour-long “taster sessions” for anyone interested in exploring volunteering with children. Open during term-time only, Lifeskills offers flexible volunteering, pays volunteer expenses, and provides full training and support.

Details: Amy Weston-Parkes 0117 9224511 email volunteer@lifeskills-bristol.org.uk

Trees for sale

MENTORINGPlus, a Bath-based youth charity which works across BANES supporting vulnerable young people, is selling Christmas trees to help raise vital funds for its services from its youth hub in Bath over the first two weekends in December.

Executive sleep-out

JON Hope from Bishop Sutton, co-founder of BillyChip which supports rough sleepers, will be taking part in the CEO Sleepout in Bristol on November 28th at Clifton Rugby Club.

It will see business leaders, business owners and senior execs from Bristol and the surrounding area sleep outside overnight to raise money and awareness of homelessness and poverty.

Jon Hope

Details: www.ceosleepoutuk.com

Charity book

RICKFORDresident, Mike Mclennan, has penned a book of poems, raising funds for Children's Hospice South West and Holy Trinity Church, Burrington.

It is called A Mendip Corner –Sketches in Verse and is illustrated by Jeff Martin, with a foreward by Les Davies.

Love Conquers All

No greater love hath ivy, Than for an old, stone boundary wall, And its love is consummated, When the last few quoin stones fall, To join the others in a heap, That lies unnoticed on the ground, A boundary wall that is now but, A smothered, shapeless mound.

It hadn’t always been like this, When love was fresh and young, And strong green tendrils searched and found, The stones to which they clung, Its growth was irresistible, ‘Love conquers all’ they say, The relationship intensified, And closer grew each day.

A dark green wave grew up the wall, Then down the other side, And love marched on, a rampant love That would not be denied, An all consuming passion, That stronger grew each day, Nothing now could stop this love, Or from its purpose sway.

Gradually the wall succumbed, It now grew frail and weak, The gaping joints made ready homes, Where roots would slyly creep And force their ardour on the wall, In such a hideous embrace, That passers by could see no wall, But just a misty outline trace.

At last the wall was overcome, Where once its strength was sound, Now ivy scrabbled over stones, Pathetic on the ground, No longer could it climb aloft, And along the coping sprawl, Its parasitic love destroyed The old stone boundary wall.