News in Wells

Police have now identified a man they wished to speak to in connection to damage at a church in Wells.

A door at St Cuthbert's Church was damaged and glass smashed at approximately 4.15-4.25pm on Wednesday 16 March.

Don't miss the Antiques Roadshow on Sunday – it was filmed at the Bishop's Palace!

Look out for Fiona Bruce feeding the swans during her visit!

Health and social care services throughout Somerset are under extreme pressure, more significant than at any time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevalence rates of coronavirus in the county have reached their highest levels since the start of the pandemic and the number of patients with COVID-19 that the NHS is caring for remain high.

Seasonal pressures and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic mean that there is a very limited number of beds available in hospitals and care homes across Somerset, and there are high numbers of staff who are off work, either with COVID-19 symptoms or isolating. COVID-19 has not gone away and is having a bigger impact on health and care services in Somerset than ever before.

More than £1.5 million will be coming into local communities, aimed at improving household insulation and cutting energy bills to homes off mains gas. The Home Upgrade Grant Scheme (HUGs) will be available across Somerset thanks to a successful bid to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by Somerset Independence Plus a partnership between, Mendip District Council, Sedgemoor District Council, Somerset County Council, Somerset West and Taunton Council and South Somerset District Council.

Working with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, the £1,699,700 will be used to improve up to 4,300 low-income, off-gas grid households - which may be reliant on alternatives such as bottled gas and oil to heat their homes.

As part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, a big day of celebration and festivities will take place in Wells on Sunday, June 5, with music, theatre, dance, workshops, exhibitions and entertainment in various venues across Wells. At the end of the day there will be an opportunity for local musicians and performers to take part in an Acoustic Showcase on the Bandstand and applications are open now!

Local choirs are also invited to sing a 20-minute slot on the Cathedral Green and to join together at the end to perform a mighty rendition of Jerusalem alongside local orchestra, and the organisers are looking for a local artist to lead drop-in workshops throughout the day to create a commemorative piece of community art.

Volunteers from Mendip-based charity Festival Medical Services (FMS) are fund-raising for specialist equipment desperately needed to treat injuries suffered by victims of the war in Ukraine.

They raised £3,000 in their first 24-hours of appealing for cash to help them fill 12 Trauma Boxes, but they need £15,000 in total. The boxes will contain hospital-grade items to treat shrapnel injuries, stem severe bleeding and by-pass blocked airways.

Autistic young people in one part of Somerset will soon have access to a brand new facility following a decision by the county council.

Somerset County Council currently operates a specialist facility for children with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) on Park Road in Frome, known as the Mendip Area Autism Base.

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From today (Monday, March 21), local authorities in Somerset will be less willing to give their views or provide statements about big issues in their area.

Because it's an election year, the rules for what local authorities can and can't do become stricter.

It's set to be a sunny weekend, perfect for getting out and about at one of these great events!

And don't forget, if your business or organisation is running an event, you can advertise it for free with Wells Nub News.