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News roundup
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Somerset Council Leader, Cllr Bill Revans
Somerset Council Leader Bill Revans has welcomed a government announcement of extra funding to address rising costs in children’s services and adults social care but stressed it does not fix a fundamentally broken system and £5m won’t be enough to fill a £100m budget gap for next year.
The Government announced extra funding to address the national problem of rising costs in children’s services and adults social care. For Somerset this is estimated to be around £5m.
Somerset Council is facing a budget gap of £100m for next year and Cllr Revans said it will still need the Government to agree to further support – including a request to raise Council Tax by 9.99%.
The news comes in the same week as more than 40 MPs wrote to the Government calling for an urgent rethink on council funding plans.
The letter, from the County Councils Network (CCN) and County All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has been signed by 46 MPs of different political parties, including two from Somerset – Sarah Dyke and Ian Liddell-Grainger – along with seven former Cabinet Members.
It follows November’s Autumn Statement which provided no new funding for local councils despite concerns raised nationally. The 46 MPs say they are ‘exceptionally concerned’ that residents will be faced with a ‘double whammy’ of reductions in services and higher council tax rates in order for councils to deliver a balanced budget.
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The Warm Home Discount Scheme will help over 3 million people with their bills this winter.
Eligible households have recently been sent a letter.
To check eligibility, call the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322 Monday to Friday, between 8am to 6pm, before 29 February 2024.
Our Lifeline service supports independent living and provides peace of mind for you and your family.
At the touch of a button, help is on hand from our Somerset based response team 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
This week, Champion Peter shares how the community in Wellington are working together to develop a new early help hub.
“The Kings Arms building was empty for some time. Plans are already in place for the middle and top floor by Falcon Housing to provide affordable housing for residents of Wellington, leaving the ground floor as a space dedicated to the wider community needs”.
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You can now monitor your blood pressure at home by borrowing a free kit from any of our libraries.
Adult library members can borrow a device for two weeks for free – just pop in to your local library to find out more.
If you’re not a member, staff can set you up with free membership and a library card in minutes – just take some ID with you.
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Customers visiting Somerset Libraries this winter can expect an even warmer welcome thanks to a new initiative being launched in some branches.
The Donate a Coat scheme encourages people to give a warm, winter coat they no longer need to help others less fortunate. Both adult and children’s sizes are welcome.
The coats are then made available to anyone who may be struggling to make ends meet in the cost-of-living crisis.
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Chard Museum in partnership with Historic England are joining forces to host an exciting, hands-on workshop on Thursday, 15 February 2024 at Chard Guildhall, that will see Chard’s listed buildings brought to life.
The event is free of charge and open to anyone with an interest in the town and its heritage, and particularly for anyone with a memory, anecdote or photo to add to the story of one of the town’s 133 listed buildings.
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A series of great-value lectures and talks, from the South West Heritage Trust, is shedding new light on the stories and people of the West Country.
An evening lecture programme takes place at the Museum of Somerset, with all talks also available to join online.
The series begins on 15 February with a lecture by Tom Mayberry who will talk about the remarkable life of the artist Sarah Biffin (1784-1850).
On 22 February there is a chance to discover more about the region’s links to slavery in a lecture by Dr Richard Stone.
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Somerset West Lottery is taking part in the new bolt-on prize draw – the Super Draw with a gaming bundle as the top prize.
Everyone who signs up to buy one or more tickets between Sunday 28 January and Saturday 24 February 2024 will be in with the chance to win The Ultimate Nintendo Switch bundle to include a 50-inch UltraHD smart TV.
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