14 minute read
Charities
Competition clicks with young photographers
Hiding in the Rain
A CHEDDAR Valley-based charity providing support to children and young people in the area has held its first photography competition with the theme of nature.
The Space was founded in late 2017 and provides counselling, a weekly youth club, activities and information services for young people aged four to 18 years old experiencing mental and emotional distress in the area.
Doreen Smith, operations director for The Space, said: “We were absolutely delighted with the number of entries from young people. The standard was quite breath-taking, and our judges had a real challenge choosing winners and runners up in our two categories.”
RESULTS: 4-9 Years Category
Winner: Tian Mazi-Thomas for Hiding in the Rain Runners-up: Henry Munday for The moon at dusk shining through springtime blossom and Tommy Boothman for Pinky Winky
10-18 Years Category
Winner: Poppy Day for Golden Forest. Runner-up: Hayden Leigh Rowe for Kermit.
Golden Forest
Hot weather affects wildlife
SECRET World Wildlife Rescue in East Huntspill has been busy with lots of wildlife casualties arriving dehydrated. At the same time staff and volunteers are having to work in stifling temporary portacabins while their new treatment
Dehydrated hedgehog Buzzard trapped in soccer net
centre is being built.
So far this year the centre has dealt with 2000 casualties. It says the heat is affecting all species with several hedgehogs arriving close to death.
Covid support
Pictured (l to r) Kate Dewfall, Clevedon Aid, Pearl Cross, JHF, Julie Buck, JHF and Jane De Budé, Clevedon Aid
TWONorth Somerset charities have formed a partnership to provide Covid-19 recovery and support for vulnerable young people
In March this year Clevedon Aid allocated £4,000 of a £26,000 government grant to The JHF Youth Charity (The Jack Hazeldine Foundation) for bespoke mental health and outdoor learning workshops this spring/summer.
The funds will also allow the charity to offer all schools in Clevedon outdoor learning workshops this summer.
The charity says: “The pandemic unearthed a bigger need for community support, and this partnership is a fantastic example of how two dedicated North Somerset charities are making a vital impact on the lives of local young people.”
The JHF charity “empowers and inspires young lives through the provision of bespoke mentoring, tutoring and therapeutic programmes”.
Clevedon Aid is a grassroots aid and support group for the Clevedon community, established by Lizzie Harvey in April 2020.
It supports those whose lives have been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but will be continuing to help and support the Clevedon community post-Covid.
Details: www.thejhf.org • https://www.clevedonaid.org.uk/
Hats off to Inner Wheel
All smiles. The tea party in the garden of IW member Emma Phillips
THE Inner Wheel Club of Wrington Vale ended its year with a mad hatter’s tea party, raising money for both the Great Western Air Ambulance and Read Easy charities.
The club’s president for the coming year, Nic Lucas, has announced that she will be supporting GWAAC during her year in office.
Lift-off for air ambulance cycle challenge
DORSETand Somerset Air Ambulance says it’s delighted to announce that its Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge will take place this year on Sunday, September 5th after its tenth anniversary event was cancelled last year because of the pandemic.
This year the ride, which normally takes place in May, has been moved to September to kick start Air Ambulance Week 2021.
Due to the change of date, the normal starting point of Watchet Harbour is not available, so this year’s 55-mile route will start from Washford Cross Park and Ride in Watchet at 11am and finish in the beautiful Dorset seaside resort of West Bay.
A shorter 11-mile route starts at the Royal Oak public house in Drimpton at 2pm and also finishes in West Bay. The ride is not designed as a race and involves cycling through some of Dorset and Somerset’s most beautiful countryside.
Participants can enter as an individual or as a team and the charity is hoping that anyone who is fortunate enough to gain a place, will also use the opportunity to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship.
Bill Sivewright, the charity’s chief executive officer said: “It was terribly sad to have to cancel our Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge in 2020 and then postpone again earlier this year.
“However, given the year we have just had, it now makes us extremely happy to be able to confirm the new date of Sunday, September 5th. Over the past nine years, our Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge has gathered amazing support, generating over £563,000 for the charity.”
Details: www.dsairambulance.org.uk
Beach Walk is back
WESTONHospicecare’s Moonlight Beach Walk is returning this year on Friday, September 17th. The event sees hundreds of ladies gather on Weston seafront at night to walk either 5km or 10km along the beach for the hospice.
Event manager, Grace Dibden, said: “We are so pleased to be bringing back the Moonlight Beach Walk in September to raise money for our fantastic hospice.
“It promises to be a wonderful event and we cannot wait to see all our amazing ladies there on the night.”
Ground to air cover
GREATWestern Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) has recently introduced three new critical care cars to their response vehicles, alongside their helicopter.
The cars were purchased thanks to a one-off grant from the Department of Health and Social Care in 2019, and will allow their crew to respond to more people in urgent need across the region.
In 2020, the charity’s critical care cars were more important than ever in keeping their service running, as COVID-19 restrictions meant that their helicopter had to be decontaminated after each mission. They responded to over 70% of their 1,726 missions last year by car, ensuring that those in need could still receive urgent care.
In the first six months of this year the charity has seen a 30% rise in the number of call-outs compared to 2020, responding to 981 patients in urgent need.
Chief executive, Anna Perry, said: “As expected, we’re experiencing high levels of calls with the easing of lockdown restrictions. We want to be able to respond to everyone who needs us, yet sadly, that’s not possible with the numbers we are seeing at the moment.”
Earlier this year, the charity launched their first ever urgent appeal, as Covid-19 restrictions mean they are facing a £250,000 loss in income.
Details: www.gwaac.com
Panda appeal
BISHOPSutton's resident panda has been seen again. For the second year running he has been sitting outside a house in Church Lane, next to a stall which was laden with all sorts of plants and cuttings, kindly provided by local residents.
Children and adults alike exchanged a few words with him –and a passing van driver even offered to buy his chair!
A variety of plants were available and passers-by were invited to make a donation to the Children's Hospice, South West, which relies heavily on fundraising, needing to raise £11million pounds every year.
Veterans to benefit from Janine’s experience
Janine Whitley en-route to a combat zone
WITH 25 years in the Royal Navy and four tours of Afghanistan behind her, Janine Whitley is ideally suited to her new role as Veterans Clinical Advisor (South-West) for the armed forces charity Help for Heroes.
Janine, 43, is a nursing specialist who also served around the world in Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Jordan, Norway, and the Philippines, as well as spending time based in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and working for 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, in Chivenor, Devon.
She said: “On my last tour we shut down the hospital in Bastion, ready for the handover back to the Afghan people – which was good to see it to the end. I was also nurse in charge of a small surgical team sent out on a humanitarian aid mission to the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, in 2013, where we had a small surgical facility on HMS Illustrious.”
One of the attendees at a Leavers Link SW networking event she co-hosts for service leavers – which linked service people up with businesses – was her former commanding officer in Afghanistan, Carol Betteridge, now Help for Heroes’ Head of Clinical and Medical Services.
Janine has more than 40 veterans currently on her books and more expected as restrictions continue to ease. She said: “I’m a clinical advocate for the charity’s veterans; I determine what the need is and refer them to the necessary medical support teams, removing barriers to their care, liaising with other charities or services, and contacting GPs or consultants to request specialist referrals.
“It’s not hands-on clinical and we’re not a crisis service – but we can certainly make a difference in their care pathways, whether it’s the NHS or other specialist organisations.”
For details and to access support from Help for Heroes, visit: helpforheroes.org.uk/get-support, email getsupport@helpforheroes.org.uk or call 0300 303 9888
RNLI to the rescue
BOTHof Weston-super-Mare’s RNLI lifeboats were launched to rescue a small motorboat drifting in the Bristol Channel after its engine failed and its anchor line broke.
This was the 26th “shout” for Weston lifeboat’s volunteers so far this year. The two people on the motorboat were rescued unharmed.
Cai Budd, deputy launching authority for RNLI Westonsuper-Mare said: “This was a positive outcome for all involved with some lessons that can be shared for anyone venturing afloat.
“RNLI safety advice saves lives, and we encourage anyone venturing onto the water to follow the guidance given to help you stay safe.”
Telling tales
MEMBERS, staff, volunteers and trustees alike will all be getting their walking shoes on this August to raise funds for Frome-based charity, OpenStoryTellers’, which supports around 50 people each year with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs.
The fundraiser, Trek2Taffy, is supported by the very first Storytelling Laureate, Taffy Thomas, who is patron of OpenStoryTellers. He works as an ambassador for the charity from his home in Cumbria.
The trek will see the team walking the 400 miles from Cornwall to Cumbria, with lots of treks in Frome, stopping at landmarks on the way to tell stories. You will be able to hear these on their Facebook page as they trek. Taffy himself will also tell a story, when the team reach their 400 mile target.
The charity says people with learning disabilities have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, being up to six times more likely to suffer worse outcomes as a result of the virus.
It says: “As we navigate our recovery from the pandemic, the charity is seeing a significantly greater demand for their creative and innovative work. OpenStoryTellers would be delighted if you would be able to support their work and make a donation.”
Royal award for charity worker
MEG Abernethy-Hope, aged 24, from Bishop Sutton, has been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.
Meg lives with the incurable immune disease, ITP, needing incapacitating treatments. After her diagnosis at the age of 17, she started the campaign Increase the Profile and raised £80,000 for the Bristol Royal Infirmary, helping to transform the hospital into a centre of excellence for ITP.
After the loss of her younger brother, Billy, Meg turned her grief into helping rough sleepers, launching the Billy Chip to continue her brother’s legacy.
She expanded his token system which allows homeless people to get access to free food and drink. More than 50 outlets have signed up to it and it now looks set to go nationwide.
Towards the end of the month the BillyChip® will be launching a new website and recruiting volunteers to help expand the scheme throughout the country.
Meg said: “If you feel you would be able to spare a little of your time when you’re next purchasing a coffee to speak to the outlet about becoming part of the BillyChip® scheme, please head over to the website and sign up as a volunteer.”
The citation for her Princess Diana award says: “Despite her own challenges, Megan’s demonstration of love for humanity always shines through.”
The Mendip Society emerges from lockdown –but the countryside is way ahead of us!
THEsociety is currently reviewing the walks programme; together with the walk leaders we are planning a fresh approach and booking system. A new summer/autumn walks programme will be published on our website soon. Like so many other groups and societies, Zoom was my first starting point when l took over from Richard Frost as chairperson back in March, making committee meetings rather strange for a newcomer.
The society had several grant applications in progress, some of which have been awarded; Somerset Wildlife Trust requested funding towards remedial work at Draycott Sleights in relation to a number of dangerous trees that had to be removed along a public roadside; our society walling team volunteers will help rebuild the damage to the dry stone wall line.
A member of the Winscombe & Sandford Millennium Green Trust received funding for a bat detector to carry out national survey work along the length of the Strawberry Line, and in the future will teach others by running monitoring group sessions.
A new charity, Wanderlands, is Bristol-based but has land in Croscombe where businesses can buy and plant trees to off-set carbon emissions. The Somerset Reptile and Amphibian Group will be clearing out the dew pond there in September and the local secondary science school and our volunteers will also be getting involved.
The society has set up a Small Grant Scheme aimed at private landowners and farmers who wish to restore or create new landscape conservation and wildlife habitats. These must be on or connected to open access land or adjacent to a public right of way where there is a public benefit.
It is our intention to attend agricultural shows and other outdoor events to increase public awareness of this and other aspects of our work.
Plenty of work has been ongoing at both of our reserves; at Tania’s Wood, Ubley, our society members and other volunteers were busy before the end of spring with hedge laying, tree and hedgerow planting, and latterly a very big “cut and brush-up” in time for the visit of the top class of Blagdon Primary School. It was their farewell Forest School day before leaving for “big school” (aka secondary).
Slader’s Leigh flower meadow has been left to get on with doing its own thing, which has been the making of phenomenal growth in every part of the reserve. Manager Judith Tranter says it is looking the most beautiful in all the years she has been involved with its maintenance. Don’t forget you can visit it easily from the Strawberry Line, just north of the Shute Shelve Tunnel, on Winscombe Hill.
We are in the process of setting up dry stone walling courses for later in the summer and after that, in Slader’s Leigh, it will not be very long before the annual ritual of scything and raking will start. And if all goes well with the country there is the return of the talks programme for the winter.
The Mendip Society monitors and makes representation on many planning applications for developments which are both situated within or are on the outskirts looking towards or out from the Mendip Hills, from the expansion of Bristol Airport, to new housing development billboard signs.
There are a huge number of housing estates that have shot up in villages such as Cheddar, Langford, Churchill, Wrington and around Wells. Only now are the knock-on effects being felt – such as increased localised flooding, traffic congestion, and not being able to book doctors’ appointments for weeks on end.
Remember – if you think a planning application will affect your neighbourhood in an adverse way – don’t leave it to someone else; please respond via the council planning website yourself.
