News in Wells

New year always brings hopes and resolutions, both more important than ever this year.

Like people of goodwill everywhere, members of Mendip Ramblers hope for a better year in 2021 for the whole world.

As of one minute past midnight today (Boxing Day) Wells, along with the rest of Somerset moved into the Very High Alert coronavirus restriction level.

This is Tier 3, involves tighter restrictions on travel and meeting up, and applies to all of Somerset, Bristol and Gloucestershire.

Extra funding has been made available to support Somerset's foodbanks which have been playing a vital role throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to provide extra support this winter, grants of between £2,000 and £3,000 have been awarded to a number of foodbanks across the county, including Wells Foodbank, as part of Somerset's Food Resilience Programme.

It's nearly time for Santa and his nine gorgeous reindeer to begin their tour of the country.

He has a lot of presents for well-behaved children and grown ups in his sleigh!

We have all been there - forgotten some vital ingredient, or bottle of wine - and needing to make a last-minute dash down to a supermarket in Wells.

Check below for the Christmas and New Year opening times for Lidl, Morrisons, One Stop, Spar, Tesco and Waitrose in Wells.

Grants worth £4,500 have been awarded to three charities and community groups in the Wells area in the latest round of the Somerset Fund, managed by Somerset Community Foundation (SCF).

Horrington Cricket Club, Wells Community Shed and Wells Swimming Club have all received money in this phase of the fund's payouts.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has now announced that 11 charities in the Wells constituency, including Heads Up at South Horrington, have received a combined total of more than £196,000 to help their crucial work continue, despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wells MP James Heappey has said this money will be a "lifeline" for these charities and those that they help.

Musicians at Millfield Prep School in Edgarley have performed and sent a virtual concert to ten care homes in the area, including in Wells and South Horrington.

Musicians at Millfield Prep recorded a concert especially for residents in care who have been missing family and friends due to the current restrictions.

New national business grants are being made available to support those in Wells affected by the recent lockdown period.

They are the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) and the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).

The first week of Wells' new Recycle More service generated an extra 38 tonnes of recycling across Mendip, initial figures have shown.

The statistics include nine extra tonnes of plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, which equates to roughly 200 cubic metres – more than the size of two double-decker London buses.